23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All Ahead Flank for Another DiMercurio Winner!, April 4, 2000
Well, Michael DiMercurio has done it again! Not only that, he topped his last achievement (PIRANHA FIRING POINT) with THREAT VECTOR, a novel that shows that DiMercurio can keep a series alive, fresh and full of new ideas. In addition, it could almost be said that THREAT VECTOR is the "logical" extension of PIRANHA FIRING POINT, especially when it becomes known to the reader early on, that the President has appointed Patch Pacino as CNO (Chief of Naval Operations).
This novel also has some bittersweet elements as well. When the Ukrainians sink an American cruise ship carrying the Navy's senior officers, many characters we know from previous installments become casualties. I was sorry to read that many of the characters I liked were gone. About 1/3 of the way through, DiMercurio shows that he also has a sense of humor, too. He has named one of the escorting destroyers the TOM CLANCY; read the novel and find out what he does with this ship.
Another thoroughly enjoyable aspect of this book was the way in which Michael DiMercurio combines plausible future developments with what we know is possible today. The explanations and descriptions of future technological advancements are masterful in their simplicity. The "Devilfish" as a weapons platform is something that may not be available right now, but given the dramatic technological leaps being made every day, it is not difficult to conceive its existence 18-20 years from now.
Michael DiMercurio also pays a subtle tribute to the naval traditions of the past. If I didn't read incorrectly, he re-introduces an officer uniform that the Navy did away with in the early 1970s. I'm speaking specifically of the service dress khaki officer uniform. It had a khaki coat and instead of the officer insignia on the sleeve cuff, the rank was carried on shoulder boards. I always thought that was a sharp uniform and it was a nice tribute to the USN of the past. That was a nice segue, Michael and I liked the sneaky little way you brought the uniform back.
To be sure, this is a submarine story but it also has all the elements of really good science fiction, too. With much of the technology future based, the reader is catapulted into a world that isn't here yet, but could very well be in the near future. Another aspect is that the author has left certain little clues as to where he might go with the next installment in this series. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say, that the reader will still have questions when he finishes with this story. They are good questions, though and the kind that will leave the reader waiting to read TERMINAL RUN (which is the working title of the next book in this series).
As I have said in my reviews of previous DiMercurio novels, this author is the master of this genre. If anyone cares to debate it, I'll meet them anytime, anywhere. Tom Clancy's "Hunt for Red October" was written by a lucky and gifted amateur. The Michael DiMercurio novels are thrillers but they're also a tibute to the men of the Silent Service, the same men that DiMercurio served with from 1980-88. Tom Clancy can't make that claim, because he never served in ANY of the armed forces.
There is an injustice associated with Micahel DiMercurio's books, however and it is not the author's fault. I really believe that if Penguin Putnam marketed these books differently (starting with hardcover and a much bigger advertising budget) that Michael DiMercurio could have been (and still could be) as big as Clancy or any of the other popular and best selling authors. There is no reason for this and in fact, more than one of the DiMercurio novels should have ben made into a movie. After all, if CRIMSON TIDE, a movie that came out 4-5 years ago could be a hit, ALL of DiMercurio's books should have been considered for production. IF the rest are still ignored, Hollywood should not ignore THREAT VECTOR. The plot premises are plausible and foreseeable and the storyline would adapt well to the screen if for no other reason than there would be a lot of action with believeable and likeable characters.
One other thing readers may find interesting about this book. The antagonists do some despicable things but by themselves, they are not all that despicable as people. The reader will find himself feeling a certain amount of sympathy for the Ukrainian sub captain. To me, he was a worthy opponent for both Karen Petri and later, Kelly McKee. He was a captain placed in an extrememly awkward and delicate position by an unscrupulous President. How he leads his men, fights his ship and makes his decisions all contribute to the make-up of a fascinating character. And once again, the critics are wrong; Michael DiMercurio writes action filled sub stories but he also gives his readers well developed characters.
I apologize to the critics for my comments. I really do. I just can't find anything NOT TO LIKE about this series and the writer who created it. If Michael DiMercurio is guilty of anything, stories and hours of reading enjoyment.
BZ Michael, you've done it again! I'm looking forward to TERMINAL RUN and to your mainstream fiction when that hits the bookstores. Thanks for another great read!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Supersub deals crippling blow to U.S. Navy, April 3, 2000
Michael DiMercurio's novels contain many characters which(obviously)continue through the series. In Threat Vector, the supervillain from the first novel, Admiral Alexi Novskoyy, is sprung from jail in Siberia by a consulting company. This consulting company plans to use a supersub, the Vepr, to wreak havoc on the international oil trade. The Vepr, for a demonstration, must sink a cruise ship with the entire U.S. naval brass onboard, effectively decapitating the U.S. fleet. Michael Pacino, the main character, has progressed to the title of Chief of Naval Operations, and thus the book is fairly far removed from the other books, as he is no longer driving submarines. However, DiMercurio comes up with an excellent replacement, Captain Kelly McKee. Michael Dimercurio has, once again, worked wonders. Threat Vector is well written, engaging, and delivers a cast of characters perfect for the plot. END
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Page turning plot, fast moving techno thriller!, March 13, 2000
I've been a Dimercurio fan since I read "Barracuda, Final Bearing." Love his stuff and this one, his latest, did not let me down. Plausible, highly realistic plot and characters. Interesting twists with the characters but doesn't leave the track. I've always loved Clancy's stuff but this guy is AS good if not BETTER than the ol' master. New ideas, far enough in the future but not too far. You'll identify with a lot of his technology ideas: writepad computers, virtual reality, the whole package has kept me up the last couple of nights turning pages. Warning: if you read this book you'll want all of his others...so be prepared. Trust me, "Threat Vector" will not let you down if you like solid, "hard" techno-fiction - the kind that can actually happen - Mike writes it and writes it very well indeed.
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