From Publishers WeeklyA nuclear submarine can be one of the more dangerous places to be trapped, as shown in this suspenseful follow-up to bestseller Bond's Dangerous Ground. Capt. Aleksey Petrov has just taken command of Severodvinsk, the first nuclear sub to enter Russian service in years. His orders are to drive away any American subs observing Russian naval maneuvers in international waters. When a miscalculation leads to a collision with the USS Seawolf, the damaged Yanks can limp away, but Severodvinsk goes to the bottom. The Seawolf's commander attempts to help the stranded sailors, despite resistance from Washington and Moscow. Both sides will have to overcome their mutual suspicions if they are to make the rescue. If this techno-thriller lacks the geo-political sweep of The Hunt for Red October, its depiction of the bond shared by submariners, even those on opposing sides, makes it more intimate and, along with convincing portraits of men under severe stress, more human. (May) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From BooklistJerry Mitchell, hero of Bonds previous novel, Dangerous Ground (2005), returns in this exciting adventure. While on a mission in the Barents Sea, a ruthless Russian sub commander decides to play chicken with the USS Seawolf, a maneuver that results in a damaged American sub and the aggressor on the bottom of the sea with the air slowly running out. Mitchell and his crew now face a moral dilemma. Do you flee for repairs or do the right thing and rescue the enemy that tried to destroy you? Complicating matters is the very real concern that there may not be enough time for Mitchell to rescue the Russians and still repair his own sub. The reader can practically feel the frigid water as the novel kicks into high gear. The slow-starting setup could be shorter, but the tense story line from the collision onward more than makes up for it. Fans of military thrillers, especially those by Clancy and his ilk,should devour this one. --Jeff Ayers Praise for Larry BondGuaranteed to scare the hell out of you . . . you wont be able to put Fatal Thunder down 'til the last page! ---W. E. B. Griffin, New York Times bestselling author of Top SecretLarry Bond is the literary heir of Tom Clancy. ---Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of WarNo one is better than Larry Bond at writing the geopolitical military thriller. . . . [He] is a master story teller. The best, bar none! ---David Hagberg, New York Times bestselling author of Tower DownA superb storyteller . . . Bond, a former naval officer, seems to know everything about warfare, from the grunt in a foxhole to the fighter pilots far above the Earth. ---The New York Times on Red PhoenixNo writer living can produce the depth of political intrigue like Larry Bond. ---Clive Cussler, New York Times bestselling author of Crescent DawnThis ripped-from-the-headlines tale . . . shows once again [Bonds] absolute mastery of the military action novel.---Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Exit Plan what is a book enthusiast Cold Choices: A Jerry Mitchell Novel
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Above average, just.By ReviewerFirst le me state that I am a former US Navy submarine officer. I know from years of experience the reality of living underwater for months in a vessel designed to sink and stay that way. We live with the knowledge we are constantly surrounded by water that would take advantage of the smallest opportunity to get in and sink us if it could. On top of that we are always in the presence of an operating nuclear reactor and the deadliest devices ever invented by man, nuclear bombs. My comments are based on this background.All that being said I found the details to be technically accurate and this writer has obviously done his homework in regard to the day to day operations. What I found totally unbelievable was the attitude of the US submarine captain. No captain I ever knew would endanger his submarine and crew the way he did. Just would not happen without a direct order. And for me personally there was too much political crap that frankly detracted from the core story. As always ymmv.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Gripping and Masterly Written NovelBy Speed ReaderCold Choices exceeds even Mr. Bond's earlier works. His descriptions of human drama, technical detail and naval discipline paint a vivid portrait of the challenges and dangers that all submariners face. It fittingly acknowledges the bravery of those who have given their lives in service to their countries.Thank you Mr. Bond.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Gripping submarine military-political thrillerBy Roger J. BuffingtonThis is the second novel in Larry Bond's "Jerry Mitchell" series. In this one, Mitchell has gotten his coveted dolphins, and is the Navigation Officer on the Seawolf -- a first-line US attack boat. The storyline is very compelling. The Seawolf collides with a harassing Russian submarine, and the latter goes to the bottom, with only days to live. Seawolf tries to coordinate a rescue, but the Russians are seemingly more interested in national pride, being angry, and posturing than they are in rescuing their submariners. (Much as in the Kursk incident.) All of this makes for a fascinating and gripping storyline. This is a very good novel.For whatever reason, Larry Bond has no interest whatever in telling the reader much of anything about Jerry Mitchell's personal life or anything like that. There was the beginnings of this in the first novel, but Bond did not follow through and did not do so here either, which is a real shame.No matter. This is a fine novel and is highly recommended. RJB.