MWSA Review

Operation Whiteout (fourth in the Mac McDowell series) is another page-turner by author Robert G. Williscroft.

Commander J.R. “Mac” McDowell already has a reputation for heroics in the face of danger, so he wasn’t looking for trouble when his secret submarine USS Teuthis was tasked with a secret cable-laying mission in the southern hemisphere.  After a routine start, it turned into anything but as a beautiful Russian spy, two Chinese submarines, and an unexpected underwater drilling operation all intertwine to put Mac center stage in a showdown that could bring China and the United States into war. Under the watchful eye of their Orca guardian, can the USS Teuthis and her crew stay hidden and complete the mission?  Will Mac survive another brush with fate?

The author is knowledgeable about submarines and deep-sea diving, and uses that knowledge to add technological credibility to the story.  Also particularly enjoyable was the presence of the Orca mascot, named Borysko (fighter/warrior in Ukrainian), who appears from time to time to help out when able.  This character added an element not often found in techno-thrillers.

Fans of cold war thrillers, submarine fiction, or military techno-thrillers in general will enjoy this book, whether they have read previous Mac McDowell stories or not.

Review by Rob Ballister (May 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

Recovering from his Operation Arctic Sting injuries, USS Teuthis Executive Officer Mac McDowell is tasked with laying SOSUS arrays in the southern Atlantic and off Thurston Island, Western Antarctica. Teuthis tangles with Argentine subs in the south Atlantic, then confronts a ChiCom sub off Thurston Island. Mac and his team experience serious setbacks at the hands of the ChiComs while installing a relay transmitter on a nearby mountain peak. Teuthis discovers an underwater oil operation off Thurston Island and is tasked with escorting a Taiwanese sub and underwater tanker under the cover of the largest military marine exercise since World War II: PacEx89. Teuthis is attacked by a Chinese Han-class sub and a previously unknown North Korean AIP sub despite the protection provided by three U.S. fast-attack subs. Will Mac and Teuthis complete their mission, or will they finally meet their watery graves on the Pacific Ocean abyssal plain?

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 414

Word Count: 97,900