Status-6: An NCIS Special Ops Thriller

by W. Craig Reed

Overview

Readers’ Favorite Honorable Mention Award for Best Military Fiction Book of the Year

What’s the next nightmare after the coronavirus? An NCIS agent and British scientist must stop an AI-controlled Russian submarine from exposing hundreds of millions to a deadly fallout far worse than any virus.

Deep beneath the Arctic Ocean, a covert team of Chinese operatives uses stolen U.S. technology to capture Russia’s newest attack submarine. Loaded with massive torpedoes carrying city-destroying payloads, the sub is headed west. The Americans want to sink her, the Russians want her back, and the Chinese claim they’re not responsible.

NCIS Special Ops agent Jon Shay is a former SEAL Team Two operator. Activated for a mission in the Arctic, he pairs with British scientist Kate Barrett to battle a ticking clock, trained operatives, and three naval armadas. Together, they must find and stop the world’s most lethal submarine. The stakes are raised when they learn that the Russian sub is controlled by an infected AI system bent on completing its mission to annihilate hundreds of millions.

“W. Craig Reed’s Status-6 is my vote for ‘Thriller of the Year.’ The protagonist is Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan meets Lee Child’s Jack Reacher.” —Grant Blackwood, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tom Clancy Under Fire

“W. Craig Reed’s latest novel, Status-6, is the best book I’ve read this year—a ripped-from-the-headlines military technothriller that literally left me awake at night, fearful of where we’re headed as a nation and a species. If you thought the coronavirus was terrifying, wait until you read about this potential nightmare. Don’t miss this first book in the NCIS Special Ops series that promises to shatter the thriller genre.” —James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Demon Crown (Sigma Force)

“W. Craig Reed’s Status-6 grabs you from page one and doesn’t let you go. The global crisis revealed in this book is all-too-real and could well be tomorrow’s headlines. The characters are well nuanced and provide a powerful urge to root for or against them. Don’t read this thriller before going to bed—you’ll be awake all night!” —George Galdorisi, New York Times bestselling author of the Tom Clancy Op Center series

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682619353
Publisher:	Permuted Press
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

W. Craig Reed is the New York Times bestselling author of the award-winning Red November, The 7 Secrets of Neuron Leadership, and Tarzan, My Father, co-written with the late Johnny Weissmuller, Jr. Reed served as a U.S. Navy submariner and diver during the Cold War and earned commendations for completing secret missions, some in concert with SEAL Team One. Reed’s military experience and inside contacts help infuse his writing with intrigue and realism and inspired his latest novel, Status-6. Reed holds an MBA in Marketing and is the cofounder of Us4Warriors, an award-winning Veterans nonprofit. Reed serves on the Board of Aretanium, an employee productivity firm that leverages the neuroscience research in The 7 Secrets of Neuron Leadership.

Editorial Reviews

Status-6 by W. Craig Reed follows Jon Shay, a widower engaged in a cat and mouse game of Russian roulette, still filled with raw grief, and riddled with self -reproach one year after the drowning of his late wife Annelia. Unwilling to accept comfort, his mind filled with irrational thoughts, and suffocating in self-flagellation, Jon is at a crossroads and the only thing keeping him afloat is his work at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Jon’s mission takes him to Alaska where temperatures are minus twenty-three degrees during the day and drop to minus thirty degrees at night, and men are required to be tough to thrive in the harsh environment. Agent Shay’s assignment is to conduct a meticulous criminal investigation within a limited time frame and uncover whether or not the sudden and untimely death of the Petty Officer aboard the USS Connecticut submarine was due to nefarious reasons. As the plot thickens and Agent Shay is caught in the middle of the spider’s web, will he be able to keep his wits about him and rely on his past Seal training to steer clear of the firing line?

“Status-6 by W. Craig Reed is a crisp and articulate work of fiction about Jon Shay—a guilt-ridden, remorseful, grieving widower with a death wish—and Agent Shay, the highly skilled Naval Criminal Investigative Service operative and the embodiment of masculinity. The author makes use of clever metaphors like, ‘Three geriatric bulbs lit the way’ and euphemisms such as, ‘he had cast off from the shores of life.’ Agent Shay will need to unpick a jigsaw puzzle and put the pieces back together while battling an Arctic ice storm as well as the raging storm within himself and the one caused by those around him. The nail-biting action was fast-paced and kept me riveted as the author painted a black picture of Jon Shay the man, combined with the hazardous world inhabited by Agent Shay, the NCIS operative. This novel is a suspense-filled, roller coaster ride. The fast-paced action with its numerous twists and turns had me riveted to my seat to the last page!"

5-Star Review by Barbara Harper for Readers’ Favorite

"W. Craig Reed's Status-6 is my vote for Thriller of the Year. The protagonist is Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan meets Lee Child's Jack Reacher."

Grant Blackwood

"W. Craig Reed's Status-6 grabs you from page one and doesn't let you go. The global security crisis revealed in this book is all-too-real and could well be tomorrow's headlines. The characters are well-nuanced and provide a powerful urge to root for or against them. Don't read this thriller before going to bed—you'll be awake all night!"

George Gladorisi

"W. Craig Reed's latest novel, Status-6, is the best book I've read this year—a ripped-from-the-headlines military technothriller that literally left me awake at night, fearful of where we're headed as a nation and a species. What's next after the nightmare coronavirus pandemic? Don't miss this first book in the NCIS Special Ops series that promises to shatter the thriller genre."

James Rollins