Caribbean Counterstrike
by Edward HochsmannPublish: Jun 21, 2022Series: Cutter Kauai Sea AdventuresThriller Action & AdventureBook Overview
It’s the deadliest nerve gas ever made, and it has fallen into the hands of a murderous Caribbean drug cult!The criminal 252 Syndicate has developed a game-changing battlefield nerve gas in a secret lab hidden on an oil rig servicing ship. But the ship has been caught in a drug war in a Caribbean country, seized by one of the most vicious drug cartels in existence, and held for ransom.
Alerted by a defecting 252 member, the U.S. government has no good options. It cannot mount an airstrike or an armed raid on a nominally friendly country, and there is no time for diplomatic action that preserves the secret of the new weapon—the 252s will launch their own attack in five days. The best of the bad options is a covert raid led by young Coast Guard Officer Ben Wyporek and his crew aboard the newly-upgraded, stealth-equipped Cutter Kauai. But Ben's last lethal encounter with the 252s has cured his hunger for glory, and he has found his soulmate in the beautiful genius DIA analyst Victoria Carpenter. It is another deadly race against the 252s to save the world, and now Ben and Victoria have everything to lose.
This second book of the series builds on the friendships and teamwork of Kauai's crew, this time in the face of several challenging missions and one potentially lethal encounter. It also includes a new, sweet romance-friendly subplot centered on Ben's awkward courtship of Victoria over the challenges of distance and the hazards of his job. It is a worthy sequel to Dagger Quest that sea adventure and military thriller fans will enjoy.
Self-Publishing Review:
"The USCG Kauai and its crew are back for another fast-paced thriller in Caribbean Counterstrike by Edward M. Hochsmann, the second installment of his Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures series.
"Fresh off their lethal drug ring battle a few months earlier, the cutter has been quietly promoted to perform sensitive missions under the Director of National Intelligence, thanks to its elite crew. Their latest assignment brings them into even more dangerous waters, where they hunt down a murderous drug cartel boasting biochemical weapons, along with an international crime syndicate that knows how to hold a grudge. The rugged crew returns for more deadly sea chases and shootouts, though there is an added layer of cloak-and-dagger espionage in this latest installment.
"Hochsmann’s meticulous prose continues to hum with lived experience and authenticity, while the relationships onboard the Kauai only deepen in complexity. Despite the patriotic nature of this swashbuckling series, there are also moments of brutal honesty about the challenges and issues within the US military – from unwieldy chains of command to the expendable nature of dedicated servicemen. The author’s ability to craft a blockbuster story while weaving in critical themes of trust, honor, and independence is a testament to his nuanced perspective on the complex subject matter."
