"Treason" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Rick Campbell (http://rickcampbellauthor.com). This is Mr. Campbell's fifth novel and the fifth in his "Trident Deception" series. 

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in contemporary times. The primary character is the US National Security Advisor Christine O'Connor. 

After a US missile test somehow results in the projectiles landing in Washington D.C., O'Connor travels to Russia on a routine diplomatic mission. She has decided to retire but agrees to complete the mission to Russia first. While in Russia she finally agrees to be the secret weekend guest of the Russian President. Russian troops suddenly attack the President's Cape Idokopas retreat taking the President prisoner while O'Connor hides. 

O'Connor must avoid detection by the troops while she tries to find a way of freeing the Russian President. Those unhappy with the President's refusal to use secret tech to disable American strategic nuclear capability and retake Ukraine and the Baltic States are behind the coup. O'Connor is the only one who can try to free the Russian President at the remote retreat. 

Russian forces cross the border and invade Ukraine and the Baltic States. NATO doesn't have the military might to oppose the Russian forces without US missiles to back them up. The US is powerless while its missiles are rendered useless by Russian technology. 

The only hope to stop the Russian aggression is to both find a way around the Russian tech and a way to rescue the Russian President then put him back into power.  

I thoroughly enjoyed the 7+ hours I spent reading this 326-page thriller. While there are four previous books in the series, this one reads pretty well on its own. If you want to read it I would start at the beginning of the series if possible. I like the action that Campbell has created. It makes me want to go back and read the prior books in the series. Campbell has created a strong yet believable heroine in O'Connor. I do like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

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A thrilling read which kept me turning the pages, characters you care for and just brilliantly written. Great novel!!

Published by St. Martin's Press on March 19, 2019

Treason is the fifth novel in Rick Campbell’s Trident Deception series. The only other one I’ve read is the third, Ice Station Nautilus. I enjoyed that one because I’m a sucker for submarine novels. Happily, there are submarines in Treason, although submarine fans will need to wait until Chapter 12 to voyage below the surface of the sea. The two series entries I’ve read share some central characters, but can easily be read as stand-alone novels.

The focus is on National Security Advisor Christine O’Connor, with whom Russia’s post-Putin president would like to have an affair. Since Christine killed some important Russians in an earlier novel, the president’s libidinous intent is unsettling to other members of the Russian government, who believe that justice requires Christine to be assassinated before the president has a chance to get her into bed. Fortunately for Christine, they aren’t the president. Unfortunately for Christine, sleeping with Russia’s president does not occupy a position on her bucket list, and she has been invited to his summer home for what the president hopes will be a tryst. What’s a National Security Advisor to do? Détente between the sheets?

Christine is still peeved at a SEAL named Jake Harrison because, after she twice rejected his proposals, he promised to wait for her, then stopped waiting after ten years. Don’t promises like that come with an automatic expiration date? Before the novel is over, Christine will have another unreasonable reason to be angry with Harrison.

Before that soap opera unfolds, a group of Russian military leaders plot an unsanctioned act involving a secret weapon that, they believe, will cripple NATO and allow Russia to reclaim Ukraine, the Baltic States, and half of Poland. Their success requires them to get Russia’s president out of the way until he is on board with the plot or dead, whichever is most convenient. Unfortunately for Christine, she has a front row view of the coup. The coincidence that once again places Christine at the heart of the action is a bit contrived and the secret weapon isn’t all that believable, but thrillers often require the suspension of disbelief, so I rolled with it.

Other aspects of Treason are also a bit of a stretch — particularly a SEAL invasion of Russia's Ministry of Defense, which didn’t strike me as even remotely plausible — but after the initial set-up, the novel sustains such a rapid pace that the reader won’t have time to wonder whether the story is credible. Sometimes plausibility gives way to enjoying the action on multiple fronts. Christine and Russia’s president try to stay a step ahead of the Russian plotters who want to kill them; the American president and his team try to figure out why America’s military technology has fallen under Russian control; and the submarine sends a Navy SEAL team into Russia on a rescue mission before engaging in an undersea battle against a bunch of Russian subs. Fun stuff.

Campbell doesn’t put much effort into characterization, but Treason works well as a military action novel. Even with SEALs running around, the emphasis isn’t on tough guys being tough. A female protagonist who isn’t in the military and who manages to be tough without having a tough guy persona makes the story more interesting than testosterone-laden action stories. Given my fascination with submarine novels, I particularly enjoyed the detailed submarine chapters, but I recommend Treason to anyone who enjoys military thrillers or fast moving action stories.

RECOMMENDED

Treason is the 5th book in a series. I have not read the previous 4 books. Knowing those facts, I was pleased to see that this book stood alone without a great deal of trouble. The continuing characters were a little two dimensional at first because I lacked back story, but they were engaging enough to pull me in. The pacing of the book is what I most appreciated. Mr. Campbell used a slow burn technique that kept me reading. I like Clive Cussler and Larry Bond's series, and I think this book is on par with theirs. I would read the rest of the series.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Holy cow! Where to start? Suffice it to say that I do believe it helps if you are a bit familiar with military doctrine and international politics and diplomacy. This latest in a series of five books by Campbell builds on the earlier ones and, read as a standalone, might be a little challenging at spots because there isn't a lot of explanation. That said, the idea of a Russian coup, cyberwar against the US, and the need to sort things out quickly rang, unfortunately, true in the heated atmosphere of today. Good characters, if briefly sketched, in this plot driven thriller made it a surprisingly good read for me as it's not my usual genre (although I did read and very much Ice Station Nautilus) . Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Lots of action and some stuff to think about.

Campbell's book is non stop action. The characters are well developed and the plot makes it hard to put the book down. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

An great story, fast-paced and non-stop action. The characters are well developed and believable. I had no problem with following along with already established characters. An easy read (easy = wanting to keep reading) I really enjoyed reading even being dyslexic.

Russian Military leaders are tired of NATO stopping them from reclaiming what they believe is there countries/land.
The Russian President disagrees with the plan his military leaders are giving him so accomplish their goals.
The military leaders decide to take action while the president is distracted by entertaining Christine O'Connor (established character) at his vacation house.
Their plan is to take out America's Nuclear triad and by stopping America it is stopping NATO from any real way to stop them from accomplishing their goals.
Now America needs to get the Russian president out of Russia and safely return him to his supporters in Moscow.
At the same time America needed to find out how Russia is interfering with their Nuclear triad and how to fix it.

Very typical of the military/political thriller genre. you somewhat have to suspend your understanding of reality but the action is there to keep everyone interested. I would have liked to see more use of unique Russian names rather than the use of names from recent Russian history. Non Navy types will not notice but sending a large Ohio class submarine into the restricted manuevering area of the Black Sea just would not happen.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in return for my review.

An outstanding story, fast-paced and non-stop action. The characters are well developed and believable. I truly couldn’t put this book aside until I was finished with it, even though I’m on vacation in Hawaii. Rick Campbell will become an author I follow!