Crooked Cross Factor (Spanish Edition) [Paperback]

Derek Hart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 2002

The year is 1969 and much of the world is in turmoil. The Vietnam War rages on in Southeast Asia and NATO is still focused on the Bear - The Soviet Union. Into this arena arrives Derek Smith, site security chief for the US Embassy in Reykjavik, Iceland. Held responsible for the failures at the US Embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, Smith has been transferred to Iceland as punishment.Soviet commandos break into Smiths apartment by mistake and so set the stage for a battle against time. Embroiled in this conflict are the mutinous crew of a Russian submarine, a sunken WWII U-boat loaded with gold, secret agents from countries around the globe and innocent players wrapped up in the conflict.Smith has a checkered past once a collegiate fencing champion, graduate of The State Departments Diplomatic Security Service, and scapegoat for the failings at the Embassy in Saigon, he is spiraling into a conflict seemingly out of his league. To complicate things even further, Smith falls in love with the Icelandic Minister of Roads, a woman gifted in many ways and who seems to be other than she claims.

Editorial Reviews

Review

It would read like a tourist brochure except Derek Smith is narrating the tale, as if he is talking to a friend about his hair-raising experiences in a beautiful country. --myshelf.com/literary/03/crookedcrossfactor.htm

From the Author

Crooked Cross Factor unfolds during a very tumultuous time.  Besides a newly elected President - Richard M. Nixon, America was experiencing tremendous internal social change.  At the forefront of American woes, was the Vietnam War, which emotionally divided the country.  The election in 1968 had culminated a year of violence and demonstration.
 
Major News Events of 1968
 
Soviet forces invade Czechoslovakia, ending Prague Spring liberalization.

Student riots in Paris and other European cities.

Communists launch Tet offensive in Vietnam (ending in a US military victory, but a psychological defeat).

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated.

Robert Kennedy is assassinated.
 
 
So, in 1969, everyone expected things to get better -
 
 
Major News Events of 1969
 
Colonel Gaddafi becomes Libyan leader.

Neil Armstrong is the first man to walk on moon.

First trial flights of the Concorde, the Anglo-French supersonic airliner.
 
Woodstock Rock Festival is held.
 
 
Crooked Cross Factor revolves around the heightened tensions between the United States of America and the Soviet Union during this time frame.  Iceland, a seemingly unimportant player in world politics, is the central location for events that might have propelled the world powers into a global conflict. 
 
NATO and especially the United States relied on early detection of Soviet submarine movements and Iceland provided the perfect location for such an important mission.  Since WWII, when the Allies first used Iceland to watch for German U-boats, the significance of the island as a major strategic lynchpin has been proven. U-961 was depth-charged and sunk off of Iceland's coast, and its exact location is still a closely guarded secret. 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (August 21, 2002)
• Language: Spanish
• ISBN-10: 0595242286
• ISBN-13: 978-0595242283
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,126,270 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Derek Hart is the prolific author of action and adventure novels, known for their historical accuracy, while still maintaining a high level of entertainment. Romance is also a vital part of Derek Hart's trademark style and his novels generally appeal to men and women alike. Recently Mr. Hart authored Secret of the Dragon's Eye, his first novel aimed at the young adult market, which met with instant success and outstanding reviews, followed by Secret of the Dragon's Breath, the second in a series of 6.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crooked Cross Factor, February 13, 2004

By 

Michele (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crooked Cross Factor (Spanish Edition) (Paperback)

Great book! It was a fun and easy read. Derek has a wonderful gift of story telling that takes me out of reality and makes me feel part of the adventure. It is very easy to get wrapped up and totally into the story. I also enjoy when I can read about strong female characters who can be more than just a pretty face. Two thumbs up and keep up the good work.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Plain Fun!, September 28, 2003

By 

Wayne Pacheco (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crooked Cross Factor (Spanish Edition) (Paperback)

I finished Crooked Cross Factor within days after my arrival in Ireland. The more Guiness I drank the more I enjoyed the novel. It was easy and "FUN" to read, shades of John Grisham. I am most anxious to move on to another Derek Hart novel!

5.0 out of 5 stars A sunken submarine off the coast of Iceland, November 18, 2002

By 

Bob Immens (Ramsay, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crooked Cross Factor (Spanish Edition) (Paperback)

"Crooked Cross Factor" is a well-written fascinating
novel about the efforts to raise a sunken German World
War II submarine that has been lying in cold waters
off the coast of Iceland for more than 25 years. Not
only has this U-boat been there for all that time, but
it contains an undisturbed load of gold bullion. Into
this scene comes a U.S Embassy security chief, thrust
there by a spiraling sequence of events that have been
spearheaded by a mutinous crew of a Russian submarine.
Looking for lots of action, intrigue, even a gorgeous
female Minister of Icelandic Roads? You've got it with
this very entertaining and thrilling plot line.