An aging Coast Guard patrol boat is all that stands between the world and nuclear annihilation!
The world is on the brink of war, with NATO mobilizing to counter a Russian threat to Poland and Lithuania and leaders openly discussing war options. In the midst of the crisis, a Russian bomber collides with a U.S. fighter off Florida causing the accidental launch of a nuclear-tipped hypersonic missile.
A Coast Guard cutter on a routine patrol finds a drug-laden sailboat smashed and adrift north of the Florida Keys. The boat's damage is from a near miss by the Russian missile which has not harmlessly flown deep into the Gulf of Mexico as initially thought, but crashed somewhere in the Keys.
The Coast Guard crew is in a race against a vicious and powerful international crime syndicate to find and recover the Russian nuke before its discovery can trigger a nuclear war.
Exploring the friendship and teamwork of a typical ship's crew, in the face of unexpected and hazardous challenges, Dagger Quest provides a fast-paced, taut story - excellent fare for both sea adventure and military thriller fans.
Industry Reviews
"A highly entertaining cross between a seafaring adventure and a high-stakes military drama. At a time of wildly unstable geopolitics, this novel will hit home for contemporary readers. The authenticity of the prose and the detailed technical writing makes readers forget this isn't a direct account of an international incident, while the dialogue is snappy and believable, and the narration keeps the suspense at a fever pitch to the very end." Self-Publishing Review
"Dagger Quest has elements from Top Gun and the humor from The Guardian. The characters in the book are very believable and intriguing. Hochsmann includes great in-depth descriptions of physical characteristics and personal backgrounds. Readers will enjoy the friendships of the crew, especially between the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer...Dagger Quest is an adventurously gripping story that will not only have you craving for the next book in the series, but also craving your own tropical forage in South Florida and the Caribbean!" Entrada Publishing