When asked what he does for a living . . .
Commander Mark Bishop is deliberately low-key: “I’m in the Navy”. But commanding the ballistic missile submarine USS Nevada, keeping her crew trained and alert during ninety-day submerged patrols, and being prepared to launch weapons on valid presidential orders, carries a burden of command like few other jobs in the military. Mark Bishop is a man who accepts that responsibility, and handles it well. And at a time when tensions are escalating around the Pacific Rim, the Navy is glad to have him.
Mark wants someone to come home to after sea patrols. The woman he has in mind is young, with a lovely smile, and very smart. She’s a civilian, yet she understands the U.S. Navy culture. And he has a strong sense that life with her would never be boring. But she may be too deep in her work to see the potential in a relationship with him.
Gina Gray would love to be married. She has always envisioned her life that way. A breakup she didn’t see coming, though, has her focusing all her attention on what she does best–ocean science research. She’s on the cusp of a major breakthrough, and she needs Mark Bishop’s perspective and help. Because what she told the Navy she’s figured out is only the beginning. If she’s right, submarine warfare is about to enter a new and dangerous chapter.
Dee Henderson is the author of 14 best-selling novels, including the acclaimed O’Malley series and the Uncommon Heroes series. As a leader in the inspirational romantic suspense category, her books have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, including the RWA’s RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, the Holt Medallion, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Golden Quill. Dee is a lifelong resident of Illinois and is active online. Visit her at http://www.deehenderson.com.
My Impressions:
Dee Henderson has long been a very popular author in the Christian romantic suspense genre. Some of my friends have devoured her early books. The last few novels she has produced are a bit of a departure from those first books. To me the writing style is better and the characters more complex. While not a fan of the O’Malley series, I really enjoyed Full Disclosure and Unspoken — the complexity of the plots and the multi-layered and unique heroines. I have mixed feelings about Undetected. And while it had some negatives for me, its positives out-weighed them making this book a recommended read.
First let me outline the positives. Undetected is about submarines and sonar. It’s very tech-heavy, yet this reader who is generally clueless when it comes to science (I tend to just skim any parts with science or math), really enjoyed learning about the ins and outs of this fascinating subject. Dee made it very accessible to me. The novel also provides a great look at military life, in particular the Navy. The men and women who serve and the families they leave behind when out on patrol should be commended. This is a tough life for relationship survival, and I loved that Dee brought those struggles to light. There is also a very strong faith message in Undetected. God is definitely in control and works everything out to accomplish His plans. The main character, Gina, is burdened by her giftedness, but she learns that God puts together people and situations to accomplish even greater things than she could do alone.
Now for the negatives. The book is too long, in fact about 100 pages too long. There is a love triangle that should have been streamlined. I would have tossed in the towel if this had not been a review book. I spoke with others that did in fact put the book down. The romance was too polite, and frankly, unbelievable. It also doesn’t really take off until the end of the book. The same goes for the suspense. I kept waiting for something to happen. Again the very end of the book was the point of action. And while I liked the ending, I am afraid that too many readers will be fatigued by the time the real story begins.
So why recommend this book? The plot points of technology and the Navy are very interesting. The characters are unusual to say the least, and the writing is strong. Just make sure you stick with this one (that was everyone’s advice to me).
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
To purchase this book, click HERE.
(Thanks to Bethany House for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
I love Dee’s books. It’s been a while since I read this one, but I do remember it being unusual in that everything seemed to come to its climax at the end. I loved the characters, though.
I love that she writes unique and at times unconventional characters.