Deadly Straits

By: R. E. McDermott

Narrated by: Todd Haberkorn

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

In the tradition of Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, and W.E.B. Griffin, R. E. McDermott delivers a thriller to rival the masters.

When marine engineer and 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 nonstop 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."

©2011 R. E. McDermott (P)2012 R. E. McDermott

First novel? Amazing! Run to get it!

What did you love best about Deadly Straits?

Wow, what's not to love about Deadly Straits? Deadly Straits is a--suspense--gripping--non-stop--thriller that spans Singapore to Panama. It's about Tom Dugan, a hero falsely accused of hijacking that is forced to go undercover to find who the real culprit is, who happens to be his best friend. It's non-stop action that is reminiscent of Robert Ludlum's books.

What other book might you compare Deadly Straits to and why?

I can't believe this is a first book! Again, McDermott's book is like the Ludlum series and a little bit like Clancy.

Which scene was your favorite?

I'm fascinated by Panama, and Mcdermott's sections about all the boat action really made the vision come alive for me.

Any additional comments?

I received this audio book in exchange for an unbiased review via Audible.

Entertaining.

I thought it was worth the time to listen. Learned a lot about ships and their operation by the crew.

Thrilling new thriller

As a self-published author, McDermott did a superb job putting together a thriller that can be best be described as following Clive Cussler - a bit over the top. He has imagined a "what if" scenario of horrific proportion and written a solid thriller. I listened to the audiobook version that was splendidly narrated by Todd Haberkorn who deftly handled the many characters. The characterizations are very well done and the plot and suspense are jigsawed together very nicely. Just when I thought reality had really been suspended beyond belief McDermott had an explanation that was spot on and answered my niggling little questions as I listened. The plot and the suspense were crafted in a wonderful jigsaw that fit together. Unfortunately we live in a world of have and havenots and McDermott's premise is not that far-fetched. If any one of the scenarios happened in the future it would topple governments and shift the balance of power. Under the Freedom of Information Act, some day in the future I wouldn't be surprised if any one of the events in the book had actually been a terrorist plot that had been thwarted. I'm looking forward to Deadly Coast.

A must read Suspense Thriller!

Where does Deadly Straits rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have just completed "The Eye of the Tiger" and I consider "Deadly Straits" to be far more engaging.Deadly Straits is right at the top of our list of audiobooks. I am legally blind and audiobooks are necessary, therefore and needless to say, I have listened to quite a few. My wife enjoys soaking in the bathtub, listening to audiobooks and she, also, thoroughly enjoyed "Deadly Straits".

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot is never bogged down and keeps moving. It also keeps one guessing and has surprising twists and turns. I was pleasantly surprised as I usually surmise what will happen long before it does happen.

Which scene was your favorite?

One of my favorite parts was when they figured out who the true culprit was on the ship

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

For the first time since reading the first couple of novels of W.E.B. Griffin and Tom Clancy, I actually enjoyed every aspect of this book and waited for the next sentence. For me personally, it is the first time in over 10 years that my interest was keep totally captivated until the end of the novel.

Any additional comments?

I am a person who stays very busy on complex issues of crime, deception and skulduggery. I was not prepared for the final scene but I was thoroughly captivated and impressed by the final scene. It has been a long time coming that we find a writer capable of challenging the likes of Clancy or Griffin. I am impatiently waiting for Mr. McDermott's other books to become available on audiobooks. And, to all suspense/thriller novelists and enthusiasts - Beware! R.E. McDermott HAS arrived.

Jam packed

At times, the story was hard to follow with multiple storylines intertwined, lots of ship descriptions that went over my head and many accents by the reader, although well done, sometimes confusing. Overall entertaining.

great read

very good job well worth listening to. I will definitely be listening to the other books in the series

Great story!

I listened to the book on audio and finished it two days. It was riveting and well written!

Great read loved how things wrapped up. Narration was really good.

Great mix of intrigue and action across the globe along with the obligatory sex angle !!!

Will definitely read more of McDermott's books.

Get in, shut up, fasten seat belt, let's Go!

Fast moving story after the foundation is set! You'll take a rocket ride to many places in the world, there are con games, liars, cheaters, true villains, vendictive cops, people that operate a few cards short, and a few ingenious wrinkles along the way. Oh, I forgot a lot of wholesale killing along the way.
The main character and his #1 friend are being set up for some major disasters, and treasury theft on an international level by none other than a terrorist group that wants the money and our heroes to take the fall!
Good story, moves right on along, diversity of characters"....and well worth the credit.

Great read.

This was one of those books that I couldn't wait to read every day. The story was great and the reader did a very good job. Very detailed and accurate in its facts, the story grabbed me and pulled me in. I look forward to more from this author.