Deadly Straits (Tom Dugan 1)

Read Deadly Straits (Tom Dugan 1) Storyline:

When very part-time spook Tom Dugan becomes collateral damage in the War on Terror, he's not about to take it lying down. Falsely implicated in a hijacking, he's offered a chance to clear himself by helping the CIA snare their real prey, Dugan's best friend, London ship owner Alex Kairouz. Reluctantly, Dugan agrees to go undercover in Alex's company, despite doubts about his friend's guilt. Once undercover, Dugan's steadfast refusal to accept Alex's guilt puts him at odds not only with his CIA superiors, but also with a beautiful British agent with whom he's romantically involved. When a tanker is found adrift near Singapore with a dead crew, and another explodes in Panama as Alex lies near death after a suspicious suicide attempt, Dugan is framed for the attacks. Out of options, and convinced the attacks are prelude to an even more devastating assault, Dugan eludes capture to follow his last lead to Russia, only to be shanghaied as an 'advisor' to a Russian Spetsnaz unit on a suicide mission. Deadly Straits is a non-stop thrill ride, from London streets, to the dry docks of Singapore, to the decks of the tankers that feed the world's thirst for oil, with stops along the way in Panama, Langley, Virginia, and Teheran. Richly spiced with detail from the author's 30 years sailing, building, and repairing ships worldwide, it is, in the words of one reviewer, "fast-paced, multilayered and gripping." READER COMMENTS "An awesome book! It has a very Tom Clancy feel. Kudos to Mr. McDermott. Well done, Sir."D. Bosshardt, Amazon - 5 Stars "An absolute cracker of a thriller, quite simply on a par with Clancy et al. When I'd finished I wanted more! A terrific story superbly written.'Tao" Amazon (UK) - 5 Stars "A little Clancy, a bit of Ludlum, and a lot of Mr. McDermott!"Libby Dunkin, Amazon - 5 Stars "Move over WEB Griffin, Cussler, & Ludlum. Weaving together come-alive characters, McDermott takes us through an all too realistic plot involving oil tankers used to cause havoc to the worlds' shipping ... a page turner."Bob Hopfe, Amazon - 5 Stars "A brilliant thriller. I was quite surprised that this is a first novel. On par with high ranking thrillers. Action non-stop ...a great read."Cheryl M-M, Amazon (UK) - 5 Stars "McDermott consistently gets it right. The captains, mates and engineers sound like captains, mates and engineers ... like visiting old friends. Tom Dugan - a skilled professional a bit rough around the edges - works well as the protagonist. Smart and educated, he also regularly gets grease under his nails, and moves easily between action and insight. A book even a thriller skeptic and ship geek can love. A gripping read - highly recommended."Rick Spilman, The Old Salt Blog - 5 Stars "In a book that takes no prisoners, McDermott tells a tale of high seas terrorism and tells it well. Go get this one, right now!"Nancy, Cheryl's Book Nook - 5 Stars "In 20 years at sea as mate and captain, I've been through the Panama Canal too many times to count, and through the Bosphorus and Malacca Straits as well. You nailed it. Yours was the first novel to convince me the author had been there too. Well Done."Captain Dave Fath (via email)Review"A fast-moving thriller packed with action and intrigue."     --Scott Nicholson, best-selling author of Liquid Fear "With his debut novel, McDermott sets the bar high--very high. This ambitious novel will keep you turning the pages to get to the thrilling conclusion. This is a truly impressive first book. I look forward to reading more from him."   --Neal Hock, Bookhound's Den  "International intrigue in the hands of an expert. With his breathless pacing and punchy prose, McDermott knots a complicated plot so real it might as well be breaking news. Deadly Straits ravages like a category-five hurricane: unpredictable, merciless, and fierce."     --L.C. Fiore, award-winning author of *Green Gospel* "A word of warning -- when you sit down to read Deadly Straits, make sure you have time to read it in one sitting. You will not want to put this book down."     --Chris Gerrib, *POD People Review * "Five Stars - A Brilliant Thriller."        --Cheryl M-M.- Amazon Reviewer (U.K.) "Go get this one, right now!"        --Nancy, Cheryl's Book Nook About the AuthorI grew up on the Gulf Coast and a seagoing career just came naturally. After graduation from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, I sailed as a ship's officer for a number of years and then spent a decade in shore side ship management before becoming an independent (i.e. self-employed) marine surveyor in 1986. Some years later I formed a company specializing in ship construction management and supervision. I've been a lot of places, seen interesting things, and lived for extended periods in both South America and the Far East (Singapore and China). By far the most interesting aspect of travel (and life in general) is the people you meet along the way, and I've had the good fortune to encounter a lot of interesting characters. Bits and pieces of some of them make their way into the characters of my novels. I write the type of stories I like to read. For me, that means ordinary people forced by circumstances into extraordinary situations. I dislike stories in which the hero is some combination of brain surgeon/nuclear physicist (or who has some equally far-fetched skill set) and who just coincidentally happens to be an ace helicopter pilot and a fifth degree black belt in several different martial arts. Like the rest of us mortals, my characters are normal people who screw up from time to time and have to live with the results. I'm currently retired from the marine business and living in Tennessee with my lovely (and patient) wife of 39 years. Our current and mutual ambition is to return to Singapore for several months each year. In addition to writing and travel, I occasionally (when cornered) complete a task on my 'honey do' list, and from time to time, join my wife in badgering our children to produce grandchildren. All in all, a rewarding life.