john l. shea

In the clandestine US Navy submarine operations of the post-Cold War era, more than a few secrets were meant to remain submerged forever. Some, however, refuse to idle in murky depths. One man will stop at nothing to release the truth into the light of day, in the name of his family and his country.

The Undersea Shell Game is the enthralling debut novel by Captain John L. Shea of the US Navy that mines the underbelly of covert maneuvers to deliver a razor sharp, authentic account of submarine life. When submarine officer Jay Brown confronts the suicide of his admiral father, his world is suddenly turned upside down. And, when the deed is somehow entwined with a Russian syndicate smuggling nuclear material to Iraq, Brown is forced to take his training to the limit.

With intricate detail from a seasoned Naval officer, The Undersea Shell Game offers a rare peek through the periscope of military life when the currents of the Cold War still rocked the world. Anyone who savors plenty of intrigue and an adrenaline surge will find a riveting read that goes deep, yet manages to do so with humor and even some romance.

Captain John L. Shea was commissioned directly into active duty in the United States Navy in 1983. His first submarine was the USS New York City, a first-flight Los Angeles fast-attack submarine, on which he conducted various Cold War operations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. He then served on the USS Groton, which conducted operations in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Artic Circle, and participated in Desert Storm. After ten years of active duty, he joined the Navy Reserve, where he served for twenty years before retiring as a captain in 2013. As a civilian John is the chief information officer for a public financial services company. Born and raised in Quincy, Massachusetts, the author graduated from Maine Maritime Academy with a degree in marine engineering, Anna Maria College with an MBA, and Navy Nuclear Power School. He and his wife, Dolores, have four children.