TOM CLANCY PRESSURE DEPTH

5 stars out of 5

I suppose it sounds strange to give a book a 5-star rating when there were chunks of it I totally skimmed, but let me explain. Once when I visited a top-of-the-water submarine in downtown Cleveland and had the chance to venture down the tube that led to the guts of the beast, I took one look and ran the other way. Yep, I’m definitely on the claustrophobic side, so being seriously enclosed like that, even if it’s not under water, is pretty terrifying. Well, guess what this book is all about?

Mind you, I wasn’t too fearful that the hero of the story, Jack Ryan Jr., son of U.S. President Jack Ryan (he of The Hunt for Red October, an all-time favorite book), would meet a watery, highly pressurized demise. But over the series, I’ve come to know and love several of his friends and cohorts at Hendley Associates, where he fills roles on both the “legitimate” and clandestine sides of the company, so I was worried about them. And as can be deduced by my earlier comments, I can’t think of a worse way to go than on the sea floor mere feet from the Mariana Trench – the deepest oceanic trench on Earth.

This time out, Jack – whose fiancé and co-worker Lisanne Robertson are no longer an item – is planning a dive with co-worker Doug Park to inspect a sunken ship in the Philippine Sea near Guam thought to be carrying illicit and potentially dangerous cargo. Meantime, on another ship, captain Carla Bennett has spotted an object dangerously near the Mariana Trench that shouldn’t be there – it appears to be about the length of a submarine and has a corroded hull. More importantly, perhaps, is that it has a logo that looks suspiciously Russian. So what is it and how did it get where it is now? Further research finds it just may be one thought to have been surreptitiously placed by the Russians long ago for nefarious purposes. To get to the truth, Jack and his dive team will need to sink to all new levels. Problem is, someone else is determined to get there before they do and stop them from learning the truth.

For sure, it’s a mission fraught with danger - the details of which, of course, will be revealed as the story unfolds (I’m certainly not doing to be a wet blanket and spill the beans). I will say, though, that I learned way more than I ever wanted to about deep sea diving (a lot of it so technical it went way over my head, actually). And if I weren’t already certain I’d never want any part of deep sea diving, trust me, I’d be convinced after finishing the book. Parts, in fact, I had to skim over or else face having nightmares for weeks to come.

All that said, though, it’s a riveting, well-written story – and I’m already looking forward to the next adventure (though I’m hoping most of it will take place on dry land). Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Tom Clancy Pressure Depth by Jack Stewart (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, September 2026); 416 pp.

TOM CLANCY LINE OF DEMARCATION

5 stars out of 5

The late play-by-play announcer at a local high school's football games was known for his occasional on-air promotion: " Buy a program - you can't tell the players without a program." Well, as is customary with the Clancy books, this one begins with a list of players. And I'm here to tell you that it really didn't matter much. Even with that list, it was almost impossible to tell the good guys and gals from the bad except for the "stars" of the show.

Another hallmark of the series, of course, is nonstop action. Here, you can't catch a break for a second - starting with an opening salvo fired - with dire consequences - at a U.S. Coast Guard cutter on patrol near oil rigs off the coast of Guyana. It is an act that, depending on politics, diplomacy, negotiations and who's willing to start a war, has the potential to rock world order. 

A perfect setting, then, for Jack Ryan Jr., son of U.S. President Jack Ryan, and his band of brothers and sisters who work both the "white" and "black" sides of their company, Hendley Associates. As the story unfolds, Jack is plying his "white" side activities (meaning legitimate business) in nearby Georgetown, looking to land an export license from the Guyana government - totally unaware of the Coast Guard cutter disaster - when he runs into a situation involving some really nasty characters that requires him to hang around and ply his considerable "black" side skills.

Chapters shift from one scenario to the other - the oil rig involving U.S. security forces at the highest level - and before too long (as most readers will suspect) it becomes clear that the two situations are connected. Still, the danger is real; Jack's life is in danger, as is that of one of The Campus's most accomplished undercover agents and Jack's fiance, Lisanne (also a top agent). As I mentioned at the beginning, it's pretty much nonstop action as usual, but that's a large part of what makes this series so good. As for me, I'll heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done once again!

Tom Clancy Line of Demarcation by M.P. Woodward (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2025); 396 pp.