Welcome to my website! Thanks for visiting. The sequel to Half Staff 2018 has been published. The book's title is Chokepoint, and it is available on Amazon and from your local bookstore or library. Dan Steele is slightly older and a little wiser as he tackles an impossible situation involving a power-hungry Russian general with a stockpile of dangerous weapons that threaten a large population and the closure of a major commercial waterway. Thanks again for your interest in my writing.
-- John P. Morse
The official website for author John P. Morse, a 25 year Navy Veteran, turned novelist.
Following a naval career as a surface warfare officer that included world-wide deployments and command of two surface combatants and a second career with a large defense contractor in both the domestic and international business worlds, John has started his third career as a novelist.
In his first novel, Half Staff 2018, published in June 2016, he introduces Dan Steele, an ex-US Navy SEAL, who combines fearless leadership, resourcefulness and instincts forged in the crucible of combat operations to stop a terrorist plot with worldwide reach. If you’ve been following the events of the last few years, you might wonder what the likelihood of such an event happening in the United States might really be.
The latest Al-Qaeda statement contained a dire prediction that in years to come, children in the United States would never see the American Flag flying at the top of the flagstaff. The pledge made it very clear. Al-Qaeda's objective was to make certain the Stars and Stripes would hang at half-staff each and every day.
--Half Staff 2018
--Half Staff 2018
Reviews
Morse grabs the worst fears of today’s global terrorism with novel filled with page turning action that grips the reader. Well done, John!
David E. Meadows
Half Staff 2018 opens at breakneck pace with a series of terrorist attacks that lead a thrilling hunt to uncover the perpetrators in order to bring them to justice and stop further attacks. The story is believable, fast paced, well researched and fascinating enough that I couldn't put it down until I finished it. The characters are more fully developed than a Brad Thor novel, and the background information about government agencies, civilian contractors, and the contract process is as well researched as a Tom Clancy novel. This is a thoroughly well written novel that is thrilling, thought provoking, and all too plausible!
Sara Ellis
This is a whirlwind trip around the globe with multiple stops overseas including Doha, Qatar; Durres, Albania; and Bucharest, Romania. In the US we are privy to the inner sanctum of POTUS as well as a newly formed team named 'Stormy Weather'. The task force is indeed a domestic terrorism unit and our intrepid hero, Dan becomes an integral member.
Plot is undeniably rich and the characters are well-developed. Action is non-stop with a superlative ending. There are lots of trials and tribulations in this one, as well. So, buckle up your seat belts and hang on for the ride.
Serenity
John Morse has made good use of his experience as a career U.S. Navy officer in crafting this story of mass terrorism and insider treachery. The characters are believable, the locales are authentically described, and the events are all too plausible. Fans of geopolitical action thriller writers like Vince Flynn, Barry Eisler or David Baldacci will enjoy Morse's book, which is sure to be first in a series.
S. K. Doig
Not a fan of fiction, I was somewhat doubtful when I recently received Morse's Half Staff 2018 as a gift. Moreover, earlier this year, I had given up on an attempt to read a Tom Clancy novel. Perhaps my 40+ years service in US intelligence and counterterrorism puts me off fictional accounts. But through unexpected - yet plausible - plot devices, Morse grabbed and kept my attention. In fact, I read the entire latter half of the book at a single long sitting, unwilling to leave it. I recommend Half Staff 2018 very highly.