This is a sturdy novel about a Cold War destroyer captain who plays too close to the edge in games with a Soviet sub. A jaded rapscallion of a press liaison is on hand as the audience surrogate, watching with suspicion as the captain‘s fanatical (and also surprisingly complex) nature is slowly revealed and the crew is amped up to a state of constant tension. Definite Caine Mutiny vibes with a touch of nuclear war…I mean, warning.