Dolphin Drone

A taught, high-concept thriller that humanizes the men and women behind military espionage.James Grundvig’s Dolphin Drone takes us into the complex underworld of global terrorism with razor-sharp plot twists, remarkable characters, and fascinating insight into the technological advancements of the US Navy.Using dolphin sonar-tracking technology, Ex-Navy SEAL Merk Toten stumbles of freshly laid Iranian sea mines while conducting surveillance on two US ships that were hijacked by Somali pirates on the Strait of Hormuz. This discovery occurs on the same day that a fake intelligence report draws three US drones away from the Persian Gulf. Toten investigates the parallel events to uncover a new super-terrorist group made up of a network of Somali warlords, Islamic assailants, Yemen-based terrorists, and ISIS sympathizers.When Merk Toten and the beautiful CIA Operative Jenny Myung King discover a plot by this new terrorist organization to bomb New York Harbor, the duo must race against the clock to stop the devastating attack.Dolphin Drone is a tense thriller that combines cutting-edge marine technology, high-stakes undercover operations, and complex and frightening political underpinnings.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

“Step it up Tom Clancy, there’s a new suitor in town. And James Grundvig’s cocktail of dolphins, drones, terrorism, special ops, and the latest military gadgets all wrapped inside layers of impending massacre and international intrigue is an intelligent and informative thriller. . . An excellent and educational read for thoughtful booklovers and those looking for an exotic adventure filled with tension, politics, and underwater bravery. Kudos to Grundvig!” —Ron Lealos, author of Pashtun, Don’t Mean Nuthin’, and The Sixth Man“James Grundvig’s novel Dolphin Drone revolves around the fascinating use of specially trained dolphins by both the US Navy and the former Soviet Navy that combines not only known facts, but also some of the speculation about the two once-secret programs.” — Bob Furlong, former British Commando and consultant for Jane’s International Defense Review."Journalist Grundvig’s promising first novel introduces “dolphin whisperer” Merk Toten and his two military-trained bottlenose dolphins, Tasi and Inapo. In the night waters off the Strait of Hormuz, the dolphins are mapping an Iranian pipeline when Merk and his partner, Special Forces biologist Morgan Azar, realize that a nearby fishing trawler is actually dropping sea mines into the strait. Merk decides to document the mining, but they are discovered and Morgan is killed in the ensuing firefight. Meanwhile, Somali pirates seize a Norwegian-owned, Singapore-flagged supertanker in the Gulf of Aden. Their motive is unclear, though a terrorist group is involved. Merk, his dolphins, and his girlfriend, the deadly CIA agent Jenny King, wind up trying to stop a planned attack on U.S. soil. The plot and characters, other than the dolphins, are straight out of the standard military thriller playbook, but the fins, as they are known, have unusual appeal, and readers will hope that any sequels will showcase more of their incredible capabilities.-- Publisher's Weekly, “Step it up Tom Clancy, there’s a new suitor in town. And James Grundvig’s cocktail of dolphins, drones, terrorism, special ops, and the latest military gadgets all wrapped inside layers of impending massacre and international intrigue is an intelligent and informative thriller. . . An excellent and educational read for thoughtful booklovers and those looking for an exotic adventure filled with tension, politics, and underwater bravery. Kudos to Grundvig!” —Ron Lealos, author of Pashtun, Don’t Mean Nuthin’, and The Sixth Man“James Grundvig’s novel Dolphin Drone revolves around the fascinating use of specially trained dolphins by both the US Navy and the former Soviet Navy that combines not only known facts, but also some of the speculation about the two once-secret programs.” — Bob Furlong, former British Commando and consultant for Jane’s International Defense Review."Journalist Grundvig’s promising first novel introduces “dolphin whisperer” Merk Toten and his two military-trained bottlenose dolphins, Tasi and Inapo. In the night waters off the Strait of Hormuz, the dolphins are mapping an Iranian pipeline when Merk and his partner, Special Forces biologist Morgan Azar, realize that a nearby fishing trawler is actually dropping sea mines into the strait. Merk decides to document the mining, but they are discovered and Morgan is killed in the ensuing firefight. Meanwhile, Somali pirates seize a Norwegian-owned, Singapore-flagged supertanker in the Gulf of Aden. Their motive is unclear, though a terrorist group is involved. Merk, his dolphins, and his girlfriend, the deadly CIA agent Jenny King, wind up trying to stop a planned attack on U.S. soil. The plot and characters, other than the dolphins, are straight out of the standard military thriller playbook, but the fins, as they are known, have unusual appeal, and readers will hope that any sequels will showcase more of their incredible capabilities.-- Publisher's Weekly

James Grundvig is a freelance journalist who has published in the Huffington Post, Financial Times Foreign Direct Investment magazine, Law.com, the Epoch Times, among other media outlets. His investigative work uncovered toxic dispersants used in the BP oil spill that “sank” the oil in a black carpet at the bottom of the gulf, Europe’s failure to combat domestic terrorism, and how big data and sensors are creating the “smart cities” of tomorrow. James’ Norwegian heritage, steeped in shipping and offshore oil and gas sectors, has instilled a lifelong fondness for the sea and appreciation of marine life. He lives in New York City.