United States Navy officer and Medal of Honor winner Dan Lenson’s mission is to observe an international military exercise involving the navies of South Korea, Japan, Australia, and America. It should be routine duty for Dan, but old alliances are unraveling, as North Korea threatens the U.S. and China expands its influence. Acting as both adviser and adversary to a ruthless South Korean task force commander, Dan must stop a wolfpack of unidentified submarines, armed with nuclear weapons, which is trying to elude Allied surveillance and penetrate the Sea of Japan. Is it the start of an invasion . . . or an elaborate feint, to divert attention from a devastating attack? Battling faulty weapons, a complacent Washington establishment, and a fierce typhoon season at sea, Dan must act on his own---even if doing so means the end of his career, the lives of his observers, and the risk of nuclear war. Featuring fierce action at sea and political intrigue at the highest levels, Korea Strait is both a first-class thriller and a prescient look at how the next major war might begin. "What if North Korea attacked South Korea and the U.S. . . . not with tanks and missiles, but with a devastating strike from the sea? A gripping and timely naval adventure by “a master of authentic detail” -- Kirkus Reviews Praise for The Threat “Poyer remains the most thoughtful of the military-thriller set and a master of authentic detail.” ---Kirkus Reviews “There's plenty of danger and gripping action to satisfy his legion of fans.” --- Military.com “Plenty of action, plot twists, and just enough character development to keep the pace moving . . . grab this engaging pot boiler.” --- Norfolk Viginian-Pilot “A revealing portrayal of the backroom goings-on at the White House. Poyer’s more interested in story and character than in slam-bang action, and that’'s a good thing because when the action does kick in, we care enough about the characters to follow them into danger. Recommended especially for fans of Robert Ludlum’s political thrillers (although Poyer is a superior writer).” ---Booklist David Poyer's twenty-six novels make him the most popular living author of American sea fiction. His military career included service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, Mideast, and Pacific. Korea Strait is the tenth in his continuing novel cycle of the modern Navy and Marine Corps, following The Threat, The Command, Black Storm , China Sea, Tomahawk, The Passage, The Circle, The Gulf, and The Med . He lives with his wife and daughter on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Chapter 1 The tall American moved stiffly, but his gray, observant eyes never stopped as he came down the jetway. He wore civvies: slacks and sport shirt and light Windbreaker. He wore a stainless-steel diver’s watch, a heavy gold ring, and a wedding band with the traditional star and anchor. He carried a black briefcase, and a notebook computer was slung over his shoulder. The huge concourse murmured with coughing and talking, the despairing screams of children, the human zoo-noise of thousands of other journeyers inchworming through baggage-dragging lines or perusing flickering monitors. The summer sun blazed through acres of vertical glass. Dan Lenson blotted his stinging eyes with the back of his hand. Every Korean on the 747 from Chicago had chain-smoked through the thirteen-hour flight. The concourse too milled with a blue murk through which people pushed, making the smoke eddy and whirl like the wakes of small boats in a crowded basin. The customs agent looked up from the inspection table. He pointed to the sealed manila envelope in Dan’s briefcase. “Take out, please.” The outer envelope was unmarked. It enclosed another, wrapping the contents in two layers of kraft paper. Dan had kept the locked briefcase wedged under his knees all the way from Washington, DC. “Open, please.” “Sorry, can’t. Classified material.” He dug out the letter. Headed with the Department of Defense seal, it designated Commander Daniel V. Lenson, USN, a command courier, authorized to receipt for and carry classified material up to and including Top Secret to Pusan, Korea. He snapped his russet official passport, his orders, and his Navy ID on top of it. The agent examined the letter and the ID. He compared the photo with Dan’s face. Then reached for a stamp and nailed the envelope. “Your computer. It is classified too?” “That’s right.” Dan unzipped the carry case, opened it, and turned it to face him. The agent didn’t ask him to turn it on. Maybe he saw shielded Compaqs with encrypted comm capabilities and classified hard drives every day. He just stamped a paper label and stuck it to the case beside the red-and-white Top Secret stickers. “One thousand Republic of Korea won for domestic air tax. Two thousand for terminal fee. Three thousand won, please.” Dan handed over the limp colorful notes they’d issued him along with his travel orders. He got a receipt, closed and stowed t