****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Mac McDowell returns in Operation Ice Breaker, the sequel to Operation Ivy Bells, and things are about to go sideways!Mac and his crew take the U.S.S. Teuthis, a specially modified submarine, on a harrowing journey beneath the Arctic ice pack. Their mission is to lay secret SOSUS arrays along the ocean floor without being detected by the Soviets.The Teuthis crew play a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek with a Soviet submarine, with the Russians eventually forced to abandon their sub at the bottom of the sea. After American forces rescue the Soviets, Mac and his team travel to Kodiak, Alaska, where they utilize a Navy Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle to gather intel from the lost Soviet sub.Mac falls for a young woman named Kate, the widow of a Coast Guard officer. Though their time together is brief, it highlights the human side of Mac. This makes for a well-rounded character.The author, a retired submariner himself, has used his extensive knowledge to craft a tight, intense story that pulls readers into the action from the opening page. Williscroft writes some of the best cold-war military thrillers in the genre. This is a book I enjoyed from start to finish. And there’s even an audiobook available, complete with sound effects.If you’re into strong military thrillers that rival the best writers in the genre, this is one you’ll want to get. And since it’s part of a four-book series, you’ll be enjoying Mac and his adventures beyond this title.
