NF
NF
Signed
First edition

With U. S. naval forces at their weakest in decades Russia sees an opportunity to re-occupy the Baltic states and nullify the military power of NATO and the United States. A covert agreement with Iran provides for the strategic positioning of artillery battalions and Russian Air Force fighter squadrons. Overtures to China and India lead Russia to believe that at a critical juncture they will provide military support or, at a minimum, remain neutral. After months of careful planning Russia invades the Ukraine and Lithuania.

Blackmail gets off to a slow start as Campbell meticulously establishes the scenario facing the United States. As in Ice Station Zebra, Campbell relies heavily on technical jargon but he integrates it into the plot more skillfully than in past novels. His efforts to create suspense still fall short because he quickly and easily resolves the crises he introduces. For example: a Special Forces team leader's "sixth sense" tells him something is wrong; the starboard engine flames out as an aircraft attempts a carrier landing. These situations are resolved in little more than a page each.

Fortunately, the suspense begins to build once the United States commits to military action. Campbell's masterful job of stacking the deck makes it difficult to imagine how (if?) the U. S. will prevail. As the pivotal naval battle reaches a critical point another combatant enters on the side of Russia. It seems that the American naval forces will be destroyed.

As in Campbell's earlier novels, Blackmail features a great many characters and readers new to this series will find it difficult to identify a central protagonist. Those who have read the earlier volumes in this series will remember Lieutenant Jake Harrison, a navy Seal, but he appears in only a few scenes and does not play a central role. Christine O'Connor, the President's National Security Advisor, is featured more prominently but as the book moves toward a climax it appears that she may be a casualty of the conflict.

Nevertheless, Blackmail is one of the better thrillers I have read this year. Campbell is rapidly becoming a "must read" author for me. ( )

A surprise Russian attack on a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Pacific leaves the already understrength fleet vulnerable. The Russians apologize for the “accident”, but it turns out the attack was only the opening salvo in a bold Russian plan to create a buffer zone along its border with Europe. Blackmail by Rick Campbell plays out this scenario in chilling detail. Whether a weakened U.S. fleet has the ability and the appetite to stand up to Russian aggression and whether they can do so without plunging the world into a new war is the question in Campbell’s exciting military techno-thriller.

The Russian president and military is betting that the United States does not have the appetite for further conflict after its recent battle with China, detailed in an earlier book. Blockading sea access to world oil supplies and booby-trapping major gas and oil pipelines serve as further threat to keep Western Europe and NATO forces from risking a response. The U.S. chooses an aggressive response attacking on multiple fronts simultaneously. If it doesn’t go exactly according to plan, the risk could be plunging the world into economic chaos and a new world war.

The action bounces among several locations from the presidencies in Washington and Moscow to locations on board submarines and aircraft carriers. National Security Advisor Christine O’Connor plays a central role both for her savvy and for the regard in which she is held by top leaders in the Russian administration.

The early part of the book is spent in setting up the conflict to come, with diplomacy as well as covert missions to achieve critical objectives. Once these pieces are maneuvered into place, the action takes off with compelling naval battle scenes as well as some up close and personal encounters. Campbell does a good job of staging a large military engagement with high speed action and a lot of moving pieces. The scale of the battle robs it of some of its intimacy. Casualties are a little less impactful without more of a personal connection to the people involved. Some of the political calculations also strain credulity, but overall this is a solid military thriller sure to please fans of Campbell’s previous work as well as fans of the genre in general.

The audio version is narrated by Michael Kramer. Kramer does a solid job here, particularly with the accents making it easy to distinguish when switching between Russian and American perspectives. The pacing is generally good, but long passages describing weapon systems and tactics occasionally run on, particularly in audio version. It is a quick listen with plenty of action.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this book and the audio from the publisher. ( )