Berube’s first thriller utilizes knowledge gained from working for the Office of Naval Intelligence, and the result is an exciting read. C. J. Sumner is the U.S. ambassador to Yemen. Needing help dealing with pirates off the coast and negotiating access to oilfields, C. J. recruits Connor Stark, a former naval officer turned mercenary, who reluctantly accepts the job. Meanwhile, security agent Damien Golzari, investigating the death of a diplomat’s son, turns up in Yemen, where he and Stark soon realize they are going to have to work together. The trail they follow leads right to the heart of the U.S. government. Berube keeps the heavy technical terms to a minimum, letting the engaging characters and intriguing, multifaceted story shine. Military-fiction readers will find much to enjoy here. Naval Institute Press has launched the careers of both Tom Clancy and Stephen Coonts, and they may have found another jewel in Berube. --Jeff Ayers
Review
"For those looking for a political-military thriller that is heavy on action, engages significant geopolitical issues, and has enough plot twists to keep a reader interested, The Aden Effect is well worth its quick read. Coming in at under 260 pages, Berube has woven a tightly written story that does not skimp on action or larger questions about America, the Middle East, and the return to great-power competition (GPC). Written before GPC was the Department of Defense's paradigm or the Yemeni Civil War had commenced, The Aden Effect is a strong start to the series." --Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs
"The Aden Effect is great find for two main reasons: One, this is a good read, well written, fast moving, tightly plotted, intelligent and with engaging characters and plenty of action. Two: It's the first of a series, and the second one is already in print. The author, Claude Berube, knows his material. He's taught history at the Naval Academy, where he heads the Naval Academy Museum (if you haven't visited the museum, you should). He's worked for the office of Naval Intelligence and on Capitol Hill, and he has deployed to the Persian Gulf as an officer in the Navy Reserve. He also has a good imagination, and he's a fine writer. And the book has something else that lifts it above most other thrillers: thoughtful questions about right and wrong, justice and legality, and when breaking or at least bending the rules might be the most patriotic and moral course of action. For all its action and intrigue, this is a book with depth." --Briar Patch Books
"[Berube] provides exciting, plausible action--enough to make you hold your breath and squeeze the pages until they're wet with perspiration." --Publishers Weekly
"Over the course of twenty-two days, Berube takes readers on a cyclonic rollercoaster ride with hair-raising serpentine twists and turns that will make the reader's skin crawl at the all-too-real possibility of an international conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of government. His experience working in the Office of Naval Intelligence and being deployed to the Persian Gulf shine through, while his masterful storytelling takes you to distant shores and places you right in the midst of riveting action. The Aden Effect is a compelling and disturbing thriller that readers will long remember." -- Pirates and Privateers
"…this is not just a book for those who like military fiction; plot and characters are WELL-EXECUTED in The Aden Effect, making this an ENGAGING THRILLER for any reader." -- Mystery Scene Magazine
"Berube's first thriller utilizes knowledge gained from working for the Office of Naval Intelligence, and the result is an exciting read. C. J. Sumner is the U.S. ambassador to Yemen. Needing help dealing with pirates off the coast and negotiating access to oilfields, C. J. recruits Connor Stark, a former naval officer turned mercenary, who reluctantly accepts the job. Meanwhile, security agent Damien Golzari, investigating the death of a diplomat's son, turns up in Yemen, where he and Stark soon realize they are going to have to work together. The trail they follow leads right to the heart of the U.S. government. Berube keeps the heavy technical terms to a minimum, letting the engaging characters and intriguing, multifaceted story shine. Military-fiction readers will find much to enjoy here. Naval Institute Press has launched the careers of both Tom Clancy and Stephen Coonts, and they may have found another jewel in Berube." -- Booklist
"The book takes you by the lapels and yanks you in. The story is fast-paced and moves smoothly from Scotland to Maine to the Gulf of Aden, with a bucketful of murders and reprisals in every location. The bad guys get their comeuppance, usually with quick, clean kills. And both Stark and his more thoroughly civilized colleague, security officer Damien Golzari, are believable characters who play off each other effectively, adding character depth and good humor. If modern-day high-seas adventure is your cup of tea, just add a thick twist of suspended disbelief and sip away." -- The Washington Independent Review of Books
"…An exciting contemporary thriller with many of today's common naval challenges…a fun read. It's edge of your seat suspense that leads from terrorist attacks ashore, to life at sea, to true to life maritime security operations, all of which are colored with an occasional glimpse of an author who has obviously been there." -- Rotor Review
"Claude Berube has given us the toughest, brainiest and most interesting new hero since Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan. The Aden Effect is the thinking man's military thriller." -- Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire and The Afghan Campaign
"Claude Berube brings to The Aden Effect a deep and profound knowledge of all things naval and maritime, based on years of experience in the military. The reader is in good hands with him. He has not merely researched this subject, he's lived and taught it. --Robert D. Kaplan, bestselling author of Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Naval Power and The Revenge of Geography
"Pirates, terrorists, high politics and low deals, Claude Berube deftly weaves them together drawing the reader into the violent and the unpredictable realities of the African Horn. The Aden Effect will keep you on the edge of your seat as it takes you to the edge of the modern world." --Dr. Martin N. Murphy, author of Small Boats, Weak States, Dirty Money: Piracy and Maritime Terrorism in the Modern World and Somalia: The New Barbary? Piracy and Islam in the Horn of Africa
"Claude Berube has met spies, sailors, SEALs, soldiers of fortune, mercenaries, ambassadors and pirate-hunting naval officers in the Horn of Africa and around the world; that depth of personal knowledge comes through in this riveting tale that will keep you up nights, eagerly turning pages." --Richard Miniter, bestselling author of Losing Bin Laden, Shadow War and Leading From Behind
From the Back Cover
Murder, politics, seapower, Middle East instability, and intrigue in the White House are all part of this action thriller. Set against a background of modern piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the story begins as the new Ambassador to Yemen, C.J. Sumner, is assigned to negotiate access to the oil fields off the island of Socotra and enlist help countering pirates who are capturing ships at will off the Horn of Africa. Meeting with resistance to her diplomatic overtures, Sumner recruits Connor Stark, a former naval officer turned mercenary who knows the region, as her defense attach . When Stark sets up a meeting with the owner of a Yemeni shipping company and the ruling family, the challenges begin. Against this backdrop, diplomatic security agent Damien Golzari is investigating the death of a State Department official's son when he stumbles on an illicit khat trade involving Somali refugees in the United States. His probe leads him to Yemen and the shipping company owned by Stark's contact. As a result of this chance discovery, the two men are forced to become unwitting allies when they discover that their mysterious roads lead to one source.
To earn the favor of the Yemeni government, Sumner sets up a humanitarian-assistance mission to Socotra. But the Navy warship assigned to assist her is attacked by pirates. Stark assumes command and mounts a daring counterattack. Sumner negotiates a treaty to develop the oil fields and provide mutual security from the pirates, who, unknown to her, are working with other powers. In a final confrontation, Stark and Golzari must decide whether to challenge a navy and the most powerful man in the world.
About the Author
Claude Berue has taught at the United States Naval Academy, worked at the Office of Naval Intelligence and the U.S. Senate, and as an officer in the Navy Reserve deployed overseas. He has been a fellow with both the Brookings Institution and Heritage Foundation. He is the author of three non-fiction books and The Aden Effect, the first book in the Conner Stark series. Online at claudeberube.com
