Thunder In the Morning Calm-Don Brown

Thunder In the Morning Calm
Don Brown
Zondervan, Aug 28 2011, $14.99
ISBN: 9780310330141

U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Gunner McCormick as the intelligence officer assigned to the Pacific Rim Carrier Strike Force 10 arrives at the office of Naval Intelligence in Suitland, Maryland for a top secret briefing on the fleet joining the South Koreans in a joint exercise in the Yellow Sea. However, the historical background catches Gunner’s attention when the report states there are probably still POWs in North Korea though the “Forgotten War” ended in an armistice six decades ago.

Back on the USS Harry Truman in the Yellow Sea, Gunner debriefs the officers and obtains permission for leave from Admiral Hampton as long as he leaves a number where he can be reached. He says he will spend time in Seoul. Thinking of part of the Soldier Creed “will never leave a fallen comrade” and using his inheritance, Gunner obtains the help of two retired soldiers, Jung-Hoon and Jackrabbit, to make a daring unauthorized three person commando raid to liberate the POWs.

The entertaining first Pacific Rim military thriller will obviously remind readers of Rambo (even Gunner’s recruits tell him that), but is much more as Don Brown places a spotlight on the Korean Police Action with its sixty years’ armistice. The story line rotates between following Gunner and what has happened and is happening in a prison camp in North Korea. Although over the top of Baekdu Mountain, readers will appreciate this terrific rescue attempt with a fascinating late twist as Thunder In the Morning Calm is a super thriller that pays homage to our military especially those who fought in the 1950s in Korea.

Harriet Klausner