| Author: |
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C.A. Mobley
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| Title: |
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Rules of Command |
| Moochable copies: |
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No copies available |
| Binding: |
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Paperback |
| Pages: |
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357 |
| Date: |
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1998-10 |
| ISBN: |
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BM1190638734594231554 |
| Publisher: |
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Berkeley |
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| Description: |
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Rules of Command is a pleasantly readable military thriller despite multiple flaws. It is a second novel, following Rites of War. Part of the allure of the series is that the lead characters are female Naval officers performing in combat roles.
Commander Jerusha Bailey, USNR, regularly works as a civilian Division Head for the National Security Agency. When a US warship fires on an aircraft carrying a high ranking Panamanian, the boss wants on-scene intelligence. NSA decides to send Bailey to Panama under the guise of the Naval Reserves. NSA also decides to give her Special Forces protection. These decisions are the first of several interagency issues which strain credulity.
The novel's time frame is after US relinquishment of the Panama Canal. The void left by the Americans' departure is rapidly being filled by the Peoples Republic of China. While the Chinese objectives are unclear, 21st century kamikazes are part of their overall strategy. The unfortunate men, who will regain their honor through death, struggle with their commander's concept of duty to China.
The American heroine tackles her conflicting Navy and NSA missions "full speed ahead." In Panama, Commander Bailey re-encounters her first-book nemesis, now the Executive Officer of the errant US warship.
Lieutenant Commander June Collins has neither the trust of her commanding officer, nor the complete confidence of her sometimes insubordinate crew. Clearly, before attaining the prominence of an XO billet on a premier warship, an officer would have encountered some smart-mouthed subordinates. It's unfair to all of the strong, competent women who wear uniforms to depict Collins as so inept a leader.
The plot thickens as lethal problems develop between Commander Bailey and a free-wheeling Navy SEAL unit. Despite the well-known swashbuckling of special force units, it seems incongruous that the SEALs have no command structure except for their local leader.
Commander Bailey is aided by a roguish Master Sergeant who seems to be Rambo and James Bond combined. Uncle Billy is enjoyable, but the reader again wonders why an Army NCO is wandering about Panama alone. Certainly, the author is entitled to point out that America has various groups (e.g., NSA, Army, Navy, State Department) which operate in information vacuums and even at cross-purposes. However, C.A. Mobley's novel really stretches the point.
The strength of the novel lies in its action sequences. There are confrontations on land and at sea. The tactics and strategies used are unusual and captivating, but very believable. Shots are fired; unarmed ships sink, and the women shine in combat. The combat is unpleasant and frightening, but it is neither particularly glamorous, nor especially gory.
If the reader seeks a story in a nautical venue that moves along well, this is an enjoyable book. While its flaws do not significantly detract from the basic story, those who are sticklers for detail or fully rational plots may be disappointed.
--Steve Nemmers
(themysteryreader.com)
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| URL: |
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http://bookmooch.com/BM1190638734594231554 |
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