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Dagger Quest (Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.4 out of 5 stars 83 ratings

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. Fans of action/adventure, military and spy thrillers, and the Australian television series Sea Patrol will enjoy this story!

This is a military thriller adaptation of a SciFi novel previously published as
Engage at Dawn: First Contact by Edward Hochsmann.

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From the Publisher

Dagger Quest mockups

In a world teetering on the edge of nuclear war, one aging Coast Guard patrol boat embarks on a mission that will redefine courage and test the limits of human resilience.

Accidental missile launch

A midair collision causes the launch of a nuclear-tipped missile

Kauai races to the rescue

The hunt is on. The countdown has begun. Who will claim the Dagger first?

Kauai fires into the fog

Courage. Sacrifice. Victory. The ultimate battle begins at sea.

Book mockup

In the heart of the storm, they hunt for a weapon that could ignite global chaos.

Join the crew of the Cutter Kauai as they navigate treacherous waters, confront ruthless adversaries, and race against time to prevent global catastrophe.

In the midst of escalating tensions between NATO and Russia, an aging Coast Guard patrol boat, the Cutter Kauai, finds itself thrust into a race against time and a powerful international crime syndicate. When a Russian missile carrying a nuclear warhead accidentally crashes near the Florida Keys, the Kauai and its crew are tasked with locating and securing the deadly payload before it triggers global nuclear conflict. As they navigate treacherous waters and confront unexpected adversaries, the crew of the Kauai must rely on their camaraderie, resourcefulness, and unwavering determination to prevent disaster. Dagger Quest is a pulse-pounding military thriller that blends heart-pounding action with themes of friendship, loyalty, and the high stakes of international diplomacy.

Mockups of all covers
Dagger Quest - Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures, Book 1
Caribbean Counterstrike - Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures, Book 2
Bravely and Faithfully - Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures, Book 3
Indies Inferno - Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures, Book 4
The Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures: Books 1 - 3 Boxed Set
Customer Reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars 83
4.4 out of 5 stars 31
4.3 out of 5 stars 32
4.3 out of 5 stars 10
5.0 out of 5 stars 4
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

From the Author

I wrote the plot for Dagger Quest over a year ago, well before the crisis in Ukraine erupted into full-scale war. At the time, I thought the crisis that precipitated the incident serving as the trigger event for the story, an aggressive Russian move to seize and annex a corridor to Kaliningrad, to be somewhat fanciful. Today we talk of that very thing as Lithuania imposes a partial blockade of railroad traffic between Russia and Kaliningrad from sanctions imposed due to the war in Ukraine. A fascinating case of life imitating art, and very, VERY frightening.

Dagger Quest was my first novel, and with it, I learned a lot about the objectives of fiction writing and the publishing process. One of the most challenging things to achieve in a fictional military thriller is the balance between realism and readability in the characters' dialog. Military people use a lot of technical terms and jargon (as well as very "salty" language) in their everyday speech. Replicating this would be very realistic, but people who haven't lived in this environment would have difficulty understanding what is being said and what is going on. The language today is a good deal less "salty" (in the Coast Guard, at least) than it was when I came up, but it is still more than you would typically experience outside of a locker room, which also has the potential to turn off readers. On the other hand, having a character refer to the "bow" as "the pointy end up at the front of the boat" and never using a four-letter word is eye-rolling unrealistic. So, I compromised, toned down some of the jargon and most foul language, and put a glossary in the front for some of the less self-evident technical terms. Hopefully, I hit close to the center of the target and ask for the patience of both veterans and people with no experience in this world.

The
esprit de corps of the crew of Kauai is somewhat atypical, but not unknown, particularly for a purpose-built elite unit (as Kauai is revealed to be at the end of the story). The team/family feel of a small unit like this is not unusual. These people depend on each other for their lives, which yields a closeness not generally found among co-workers outside of the military. The closest analog in civilian life would be police officer partners. The relationship between the officers and crew is also more intimate than you would typically see, but not beyond the realm of the possible, particularly for command cadre handpicked to clean up the wreckage left by an incompetent tyrant relieved for cause. Bad commanding officers are fortunately scarce, but not unknown—the man portrayed as Sam's predecessor was based on a true story of a Navy cruiser captain relieved for cause for abuse of the crew.

I originally envisioned Victoria Carpenter as a "brush-by" character to provide some quirky color to the DIA ground team. As things developed, I realized she had tremendous potential as a romantic interest for Ben, if not a main character in her own right. Giving her a larger role in Dagger Quest was not feasible, but she features prominently in the subsequent stories. She was another difficult element for balance, giving her an unusual challenge (her mild autism) without making her into a caricature. I thank Helen Hoang for this—her novel
The Kissing Quotient presented an excellent reference for a point of view from someone "on the spectrum."

This story is a sea adventure, plain and simple, designed to help you escape the madness that pervades the real world (for a while, at least). It does not feature superheroes or super-soldiers—just ordinary but dedicated people rising to the challenge. A reader of an earlier edition said that when the story ended, she felt sad at having to leave the crew. I hope you feel that same level of closeness, but don't be sad; the crew of
Kauai is ready to welcome you in the follow-on stories.

Enjoy!

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B1L82HD1
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Haldago Bay Studio
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 7, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.3 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 325 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1956777994
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 4 ‏ : ‎ Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures
  • Best Sellers Rank: #942,094 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 83 ratings

About the author

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Edward Hochsmann
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With saltwater in his veins and adventure in his heart, Edward Hochsmann brings the high-stakes world of military thrillers and sea adventures vividly to life. A retired Coast Guard officer, mariner, aviator, and law enforcement and search-and-rescue specialist, he has spent decades navigating the world’s most dangerous waters—both above and on the waves. His real-world experience lends authenticity and adrenaline to every page.

Currently serving on the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Staff, Ed continues to operate at the crossroads of national security and maritime strategy. When he’s not crafting pulse-pounding stories, he’s drawing on a lifetime of missions, rescues, and covert operations to inspire his next tale.

Dive into the Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures and experience the thrill of the chase, the call of the ocean, and the courage it takes to face the unknown—from an author who’s truly been there.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
83 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024
    Didn't think I would like the book but was quickly hooked in the first few chapters as a can't put down book. Enjoy your read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2022
    A coast guard ship stationed in the Caribbean becomes involved in a search for a possible Russian nuclear device that drug smugglers would like to find. Of course, the Russians would like to retrieve it themselves. What are the chances this device won't self-detonate?
    A pretty good story.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2022
    A novel about the united states Coast guard ! It is a reminder of how important their job is . a well written exciting book. I am getting ready to read the 2nd book in the series. I highly recommend the series!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2022
    I liked the action and adventure that follows the 110 foot D class CG cutter. The revelation of the personal lifes of soneof the crew makes this story enjoyable and increases empathy for the crew.
    I enjoyed reading this action adventure story.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2022
    Great coast guard book it held my interest
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2022
    This book has some great characters. The cutter Kauai is drawn in to a hunt for a nuke and the XO helps track down the site and is attacked.

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