Launch Code

by Michael Ridpath

'Hugely enjoyable and thought-provoking, Launch Code brings to mind the classic thrillers of Alister Maclean and Jack Higgins. A well-crafted ingenious mystery, tightly plotted, compelling and contemporary, this could well be Michael Ridpath's best novel yet.' - Stav Sherez, author of the Carrigan & Miller series

1983 : Three hundred feet beneath the Atlantic, submarine Lieutenant Bill Guth receives the order he's been a full nuclear strike against the USSR. Crisis is soon averted, but in the chaos that follows, one crew member ends up dead...

2019 : Bill's annual family gathering is interrupted when a historian turns up, eager to uncover the truth about the near-apocalyptic Cold War incident. Bill refuses to answer, but that night the man is brutally murdered.

What happened all those years ago? How much is Bill to blame for events in the past? And who will stop at nothing to keep the secrets of 1983 where they belong?

' Deadly state secrets and deadlier family secrets - perfectly crafted, scrupulously researched Launch Code weaves an ingeniously dark and tangled web that will keep you gripped and guessing to the very end. Ridpath is one of the best thriller writers around.' - Craig Russell, author of The Devil Aspect

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Unfinished

400 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2019

About the author

Before becoming a writer, Michael Ridpath used to work as a bond trader in the City of London. After writing several financial thrillers, which were published in over 30 languages, he began a crime series featuring the Icelandic detective Magnus Jonson. He has also written five stand-alone thrillers, the latest of which is The Diplomat’s Wife, published in February 2021. He lives in London.

And if you want a free copy of his novella, The Polar Bear Killing, and to sign up to his quarterly newsletter, just click this link: http://eepurl.com/dlzgFH

Reviews

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Guth has many secrets, even from his family.
Namely all that went on, on a night in 1983 aboard the submarine the "Alexander Hamilton" when he received an order for a full nuclear strike.
Chaos ensues and a crew member ends up dead, now in 2019 someone is looking into that night and it's events but when the person investigating is murdered suspicion obviously falls on the Guth family, but IS it one of the family members trying to protect Bill, is it his friend Lars, Bill himself or is it something more sinister, someone maybe trying to keep that night quiet for their own reasons...?
Wow this was amazing, I had never read the author before but he is someone I will be watching out for in future.
Exciting, full on suspense and thrilling to the last page, in my mind very Agatha Christie-esque.
A modern day whodunnit with a naval flavour.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Enjoyable mystery which relates back to nuclear ballistic missile submarines in the Cold War. A little convoluted, but worthwhile. Recommended.

[Joanna Beesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read by an author who I have read before, but I read his first novel, Free To Trade, when I was working in the City and for some reason have missed out on all of the ones in between. I intend to rectify this over the coming months.

The story is told from two timelines. 1983, on a US submarine in the middle of the cold war and what happens when the captain of the vessel receives instructions to fire on three destinations; and 2019, where the family of one of those on board that submarine, Bill Guth, is celebrating Thanksgiving with his family and friends.

A journalist has arrived prior to the celebration to ask questions about the incident aboard the submarine and it is clear that he is not given all of the information. However, he is found dead later that night after attending the Thanksgiving meal and a web of lies, mysteries and family secrets begin to emerge.

There was nothing I didn’t like about this novel and found the characters and their development clever going hand in hand with the plot as it curved through much misleading information from those characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atlantic Books, Corvus and Michael Ridpath for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Excellent Read. Highly recommended.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I expected to give a mediocre rating to. It didn't sound exhilarating but... it was! I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It was a decent mystery thriller -- I had quite a few people on my suspects list by the end and, surprisingly, it wasn't who I thought it was (although they were on my list!). The writing was great and the plot was intriguing. On the whole, this was a solid thriller that I can highly recommend, particularly if you love Navy-related books.

Thank you to Michael Ridpath and Atlantic Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[P.R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this extremely disappointing. Michael Ridpath writes and has written far better books. He seems to have dashed this off in a rush, with none of his careful, well-constructed narrative.
Two stars without managing to read further than half way. I wasn't engaged by it, and I doubt I'll return to finish it. A pity, as I loved his Iceland series which simply doesn't compare.

[Abbey · Rating 2 out of 5]

In November of 1983, the crew of the American nuclear submarine, the Alexander Hamilton, were given the orders to launch. Only something wasn't right about the target locations, and the whole thing felt off. When some of the crew take it into their own hands to stop a possibly world ending launch, their actions will follow them for the rest of their lives.

In 2019, former Lieutenant on the Alexander Hamilton, Bill Guth and his family are unexpectedly visited by a historian who is desperate to put together what happened on the submarine that day, so many years ago.
When the historian turns up dead, the trail seems to lead directly to the Guth family, and their generations of secrets.

I have to be honest, when I received Launch Code I was not expecting it to be any good. Everything from the front cover to the size and shape of the book seemed to be shouting "cheap action thriller". I was immediately surprised, however, by the tone of the story which was not mile-a-minute guns blazing undercover action, but was in fact a fairly chilled out family story, with scenes of intensity and some rare action.

I found the mystery element to be very engaging, and I have to admit I only figured it out a few pages before the characters in the book did. The rabbit trails the author leads down are convincing and viable storylines. I enjoyed the back and forth between the present and the 80's, which gave variation to the story as well as feeding us new information about what happened back then slowly as it was needed.

The characters in this book are fairly believable and familiar, that does not however mean likeable. I really enjoyed Bill Guth from the start, but if I'm honest most of the other characters drove me up a wall. I found Toby to be a selfish and obnoxiously black and white non-protagonist, who had no genuine respect or love for his extended family. Alice, although understandably damaged, was an overbearing and controlling matriarch, who took her responsibility for her family after the death of her mother way, way too far.

I would say that writing in this book is good for the most part, aside from a few things. For me, there were too many Guth family conversations and thought-monologues, which said essentially the same thing each time. I became very bored of the whole case being turned over time and time again without much new information added.
And then at the end of the book, I unfortunately felt like it sort of fell apart. A few chapters from the finish, the dialogue became incredibly stilted and unbelievable, and the writing became lacklustre and very rushed feeling.
The whole scenario with the girls driving to the cliff felt off, and I didn't believe their conversation or how they were acting in the least.

That aside, I really enjoyed the experience of reading this book, and would recommend it to those interested in nuclear ethics and the cold war.

[Mojoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy a ‘skeleton in the family closet’ story, and this is a good one.

The truth about a near-apocalyptic event in 1983 has run silent and deep for decades but even ‘loitering’ nuclear submarines have to surface eventually, as do secrets, and here we have national and family secrets unravelling in a compelling way.

The story shifts between past and present and I like the timeline contrast from the dark, claustrophobic world of submarines and the Cold War to the wide open skies of Norfolk.

Initially, I was worried about the number of present day characters introduced early in the proceedings and I began to feel this may become more of a family saga. It didn’t. I understood that I had to know these people, not only are they integral to the plot but, also, most of them might never have been born… and that is the scary aspect of this book.

I enjoyed reading this book. It engaged me from the first chapter and took me on many twists and turns. I only solved one mystery before the end and that is satisfying.

However, I’m still not sure whether or not I like Bill… but the author? Yes, this book has made me want to read more of his work.


Thank you to Readers First, Corvus, Atlantic Books and Micheal Ridpath for my ARC in return for my honest review.

[Jareth Koncsol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had never read a naval mystery before but this was brilliant, I really enjoyed the story it had excitement, suspense and a murder mystery running through it.
Bill Guth was a submarine lieutenant back in 1983 aboard the Alexander Hamilton during the cold War but when the order is given for a nuclear strike he has suspicions something has gone wrong and goes against orders and in the aftermath a friend and crew member dies.
Now Bill has left the navy and is being interviewed by Sam Bowen for a book about nuclear near misses but then Sam is murdered and suspicion falls on Bill's daughter Alice as she went to visit him at the pub the night he died.
Bill is distraught and in trying to get his daughter off the hook of a murder charge family secrets are revealed that will change the Guth family's lives forever.

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s November 1983 and the USS Alexander Hamilton is deep in the embrace of the Norwegian sea when the ‘Alert’ announcement echo’s through the submarine. In the radio room the EAM (Emergency Action Message awaits). Although the Hamilton is Assistant Weapons Officer Lieutenant William M Guth’s first nuclear submarine this is his fifth patrol with his friend and fellow Lieutenant Lars da Silva. This is the fourth EAM received and has raised the level of readiness for nuclear war to DEFCON 2, which is one step from launching missiles.

The final message that Bill Guth had dreaded. He conveys the message to the Captain ‘We have received a properly formatted message from the National Command Authority for a strategic missile launch.’ As they proceed with the steps to validate the authenticity of the message the tension rises. But the Captain’s announcement ‘This is not a Drill’ still comes as a huge shock. And then the general alarm sounds.

For both Bill and Lars the target package makes no sense, but they cannot escape the fact that it is a properly formatted order, and their duty to obey. They bat the instructions back and forth between them ‘What if it’s an error?’ Finally, they turn to Lieutenant Commander Robinson without whose agreement nothing could happen. Robinson has come straight from a desk at the Pentagon and it’s his first patrol, but he does not waver. He said he had listened to their concerns, but we have a valid order, which we will execute. With the senior crew uncertain and all with the knowledge of what could happen if they launch the missiles, and if it is an error; that they will be responsible for starting a nuclear war. Protocol forbids them to transmit to confirm orders for fear of giving away their position. Feeling the growing unrest the captain requests Bill to fetch him a side arm…..

It’s November 2019 and Bill Guth is living in Norfolk, England and preparing to celebrate thanksgiving with his four daughters Alice, Megan, Brooke and Maya, and son-in-law Toby. Bill tells them that a historian is visiting him that afternoon who wants to talk with him about the Navy in the 1980’s and would Toby like to sit in on the meeting. His wife Alice says he can tell her all about it afterwards.

Sam Brown, the historian seemed a pleasant guy. He told Bill that he had published a book on the Cuban missile crisis, and he wanted to follow it up on a book about near nuclear-missile launches during the Cold War. He’s interested in what happened on board the Hamilton. He had clearly done much research on the event but was probing Bill hard for more information that Bill said he couldn’t divulge. But he does invite Sam to share the thanksgiving dinner with the family. There are nine for dinner including Lars da Silva and talk flows about family matters and Sam’s investigation.

Friday morning a visit from the police informs the family that Sam Brown was murdered last night at the King William pub where he was staying. Aware of the reason that Sam was staying at the pub stretches the tentacles of the investigation back into the past. But just what did Sam know that got him killed. Toby meanwhile begins to wonder if he really knows his wife Alice as well as he thought he did? One thing Toby becomes certain of is that there are many secrets.

The opening of this book is breath-taking. It really brings to the fore of the mind that while we work and laugh, there is always the possibility that the something or someone can do something that will end all our lives. When I finished this book, I found myself saying ‘Could it happen? Did it happen? One thing is certain it’s a compelling read. Once you start reading it you won’t be able to put it down.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

[Tony Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creating the atmosphere on board a nuclear submarine positioning 300 metres under the ocean's surface is the first challenge for Michael Ridpath in "Launch Code". He does that with aplomb. In a way this is a scary read as we come real close to Armageddon with the imminent launch of a brace of missiles with nuclear warheads aimed at Russia. While the process required for the launch command seems foolproof that turns out not to be the case. Its only when the lawful command is challenged and prevented from occurring that the story bursts into life.

Imagine what would happen if the accidental launch of a nuclear attack was made public. The consequences of the incident remained hidden but not forgotten, which is where Michael Ridpath crafts a tale that just keeps on giving down the decades after the fact. While two of the main players are now dead the knowledge of what happened is still kept secret by a tight group of former submarine sailors, but its threatening to become public knowledge. The fact is that its the deterrent and implied threat of a nuclear attack which is greater than any other reality.

Michael Ridpath delivers a believable thriller which could well be based on fact. How would we know.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This enjoyable, fast-paced thriller moves between two timelines. In 1983 Lieutenant Bill Guth is assistant weapons officer on USS Alexander Hamilton, a nuclear submarine on exercise three hundred feet beneath the Norwegian Sea. Cold War tensions are increasing, and the crew is used to simulating various disaster scenarios, including the one they all dread, the order to trigger a nuclear attack. When Bill decodes a seemingly genuine order to launch a full nuclear strike against the USSR, he is prepared to do his duty. However, doubts begin to creep in when anxieties are expressed about the fact that the order is identical to one used for a recent training exercise. Surely orders are orders … but what if it really is an erroneous message? Ultimately a disastrous crisis is ultimately averted, but in the process one crew member dies.
In 2019 Bill is living in London but he and his late wife had also bought a cottage on the North Norfolk coast and it is here that he and his four daughters and their partners have gathered, as they do every year, to celebrate Thanksgiving. Bill has agreed to be interviewed that afternoon by Sam Bowen, an historian who wants to talk to him about his time in the navy in the 1980s, although he’s warned the historian that there’s a limit to what he can share, that much of what happened during his naval career remains classified. Inevitably, the subject Sam wants to investigate is how close the world came to a full-scale nuclear war on that November day in 1983. Frustrating Sam’s attempts to discover the facts of what happened on the submarine, Bill refused to elaborate but, wanting to be sociable, did invite the historian to return in the evening to share in the family’s Thanksgiving celebrations. Later that night Sam is brutally murdered, triggering an intensive police investigation, with suspicion focusing on the family.
Moving with impressive assurance between the two timescales, the author gradually revealed what really did happen in 1983, the repercussions of which continue to echo down through the years, still affecting family relationships and friendships in 2019. It soon becomes clear that there are people who will do anything to ensure that the secrets of the past will not be exposed, and it isn’t long before the lives of some of the characters are in danger. It also becomes clear that Bill and his late wife had their own secrets and that some aspects of their family life had been based on a web of lies, a web which begin to unravel during the investigations into Sam’s death, with the inevitable unearthing of unpalatable truths which this brings. I thought that the author convincingly captured the effects this had on each of Bill’s daughters as they struggled to reconcile the united family they thought they’d had, with all the withholding and dishonesty which had underpinned it. Each of the daughters has been affected, albeit in different ways, and as the facts emerge, long-held sibling rivalries and resentments are exposed, and the sisters are forced to confront their own behaviour. I thought that these tensions, conflicts and resolutions were characterised in an effective, recognisable (if you have siblings!) and credible way.
There were times when I found myself intensely disliking the present-day Bill, but as his history was gradually revealed, showing the struggles he had experienced with conflicting pulls between feelings of loyalty and duty to the navy and his country, his moral and ethical dilemmas about the use of nuclear weapons and his responsibilities to the people he loved, I was able to feel a little more empathy with him! Through the flashbacks the reader discovers the history of his loving, but complex, relationship with his late wife, and the part she played in what happened not only in the 1980s, but also in the intervening years. Although this is a key part of the plot, it’s hard to say too much without including spoilers!
I enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions which conveyed some idea of what it must be like to spend months submerged underwater in a submarine, always conscious of the need to keep noise to a minimum in order to avoid detection by the enemy. Although I’ve never experienced anything like this, it seems to me that the lack of space, the claustrophobia, the living cheek-by-jowl with fellow submariners would be enough on their own to create tension, without all the extra stress of the fear that you could be responsible for starting a nuclear war – a certain degree of paranoia would seem to be a quite “healthy” reaction to this combination of pressures! However, I am very familiar with the coastal areas of North Norfolk and think that the author captured the wide-open spaces, and the huge skies of this part of the country in a recognisably evocative way – what a huge contrast to the claustrophobic conditions on the submarine!
From start to finish the story was full of twists and turns and although I’d guessed many of them, this didn’t seem to matter because the story-telling was so good, with tension being relentlessly ratcheted-up until the final dénouement. I think that had I noticed this novel in a bookshop, the rather “gung-ho” cover would almost certainly have put me off buying it so I’m very pleased that I was given a copy to review because, not only is it a well-written story, but it’s also a very thought-provoking one. It was clear that the author had researched nuclear submarines and the elaborate, cross-checking procedures put in place to prevent someone accidentally (or maliciously!) triggering the launch of nuclear weapons. However, as his research demonstrated, systems and procedures can, and do, fail and that is when human beings need to be brave enough to ignore orders and override erroneous messages, to ensure that the nuclear button isn’t pressed by accident … lots of themes here for group discussion!
With thanks to Readers First and Corvus for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Andrew Pellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing book that has at its heart the premise that a nuclear war could be averted by human interaction. From this beginning, a fiendish thriller develops at breakneck speed leaving the reader guessing. It brilliantly spins the past and present scenes together seamlessly and leaves you wondering what is going to happen next.

It features a family, full of hidden secrets, gathering for Thanksgiving. Slowly but surely the secrets are revealed as the body count rises.

The story is expertly constructed and keeps you gripped from the first moment.

Michael Ridpath was not an author I had read before but is certainly one I will look out for in the future. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone with a love of well-developed thrillers. An interest in the armed forces is not totally necessary to enjoy the story but anyone with a military background will be intrigued by the starting premise.

[Peta Hooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill guth holds many secrets from his family and this all stemmed from a fateful night in 1983 when he received a nuclear strike order aboard the Alexander Hamilton submarine. Tragedy unsues and a crew member ends up dead. Fast forward to the year 2019 and a murder investigation is well underway. Time is up for Bill guth and his whole family and answers are needed. Who's covering up and who's telling the truth? His friend lars knows more than he's letting on. This is my first time reading a book by this author and I was not disappointed. Will be collecting more in the future as it was unputdowbable. This is a modern day who dunnit set around contemporary issues that are popular at the moment.

[Courtney (Saffy's Book Nook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not judge this book by its cover!! I did and I was thinking it wouldn't be as interesting as it was!!

This was a good read and I couldn't put it down. It was a great murder mystery with secrets being uncovered throughout! So many twists and turns I didn't know who to trust!

I enjoyed how it went back and forth from past to present in the book as it kept me interested as the story unfolded!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a cold war story and anyone who likes a murder mystery!

Thank you to Readersfirst, the publishers and Michael Ridpath for a gifted copy in exchange for a honest review.

[Kate C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It is well written, suspenseful, and there is an enjoyable cast of characters who interact and develop well. I'm a fan of history, but haven't read much around the Cold War so this was interesting and has made me want to read more. I also liked seeing the dynamics between the siblings and how their partners adjusted to living within the family, especially the siblings-in-law relationship between Maya and Toby.

Short chapters keep the pace moving and tensions high. There are so many secrets that by the end it is a little hard to keep track of who knows what, but overall it is a great story and satisfyingly told. Great for fans of thrillers, Cold War history and intrigue.

[Karen Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Ridpath has been writing for a long time; I enjoyed his financial thrillers, back in the day, and was intrigued to see how well his skills would translate into action-adventure. The answer is: rather well.

A well-paced entertaining read with the dual timeline handled as well as you would expect from an author with his track record. I learned a bit about submarines, and a bit more about the Cold War.

And even though I could see the ending 'twist' a long way off, well, it's always good to be proved correct.

Worth a look - or check out his earlier financial novels.

[Dave Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tale flashes between 1983 and more modern times as a family discovers a thirty year old secret. There were probably one or two more murders in the book than there should have been, but they did serve to open up the story.
I was disappointed with the climax of the book, but I am seeing that other writers seem to struggle with a balance between keeping up the tension and reaching a conclusion.
Overall, I'm glad I read this book because it has made me think about the Cold War an nuclear weapons all over again.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill and his four daughters are having a Thanksgiving in Norfolk England with his son-in-law when a historian contacts him to talk about the nuclear sub Bill was on in 1983 and the incident that happened. The historian stays to have dinner with the family and the next morning he is dead. Who killed him and does it relate to what happened in 1983. Reminds me of some of our well known authors of the past. Well worth the read.

[Charles Shoemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad but contrived

Having made many FBM patrols during the late 70s and early 80s the procedures were well done. The scenario of the release orders to one boat are questionable. Messages to release would not have been directed to one boat but rather to all boats on patrol and a partial launch is not reasonable under the described conditions so everyone on the boat would have questioned the release message.

[Greer Andjanetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a 30-year-old incident on a nuclear submarine which led to the death of a crew member and which is being brought to light by an investigative journalist. The book is well written and quite believeable, marred only by the author's excessive use of adjectives and adjective phrases, especially in the first part of the book and the flowery language style used in descriptive contrasts jarringly with the tone of the story.

[Micheal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapters set in first person in the 1980s and way better than the modern day stuff. The modern day bits, with the mystery are...fine...but not that convincing. I did notice some continuity errors, like Bill apparently owning a rifle and then only pages later it's said that he "doesn't own a gun." There are several others. But, overall, this was pretty good. A little convoluted here and there but very readable.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the slow build of this thriller, with good character development, and although there were multiple characters I felt they were easily distinguished and for once I didn't get lost! The story was told so a little more was revealed each chapter, which often made all that had gone before a lie, but it worked if not making the book a little slow at times.

[michelle oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, I took me a while to read it , and I got anxious of how it would end

Great book with a surprising ending.
Dislike the accident with the sisters that ran the car off the road, what happen with that? Did they live or get hurt? Also why wasn't the driver charged with leaving the seen of a accident.
Other than that good reading.

[Julian Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly entertaining thriller, with many twists and turns, and a highly thought-provoking premise at the heart of the tale.

Good, believable characters, set in a lovely part of the UK which I know well - but the author's writing brings it to life just as vividly - this is really enjoyable read and a very worthwhile diversion into this genre for me.

I'll read more of his work.

[Zeggy]

A thought provoking analysis on the policy of MAD and what can go wrong with human consequences. This is set mainly in Norfolk and invokes an extended family who are well portrayed. It is an exciting book but I saw the denouement too quickly which disappointed me slightly. Overall a good holiday read and an unusual plot.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your usual submarine tale !

A story of betrayal and murder set against the backdrop of Cold War Nuclear Deterrence! One family's effort to support and defend a father's choices during his Submarine service during the height of a Cold War order to launch missiles. One of the best stories of this genre that I've read!

[Tricia Bagley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long mostly boooooring

Long and boring, kept waiting for something, lot of words,.
Probably I was expecting something else?
Will win a Pulitzer, I will be the only one in the world. Missed the point. Bill B in kingwood

[Randy Troyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected from the title. It was an interesting story with a lot of twists and turns. I admit I thought I had it figured out several times. In reality I didn’t figure it out until just slightly before anyone would have.
Good, though not great, read.

[Loretta Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed and entertaining story

The author has written a very intriguing story about the how a miss communication set off a chain of events that could have started a Nuclear War and the destruction of the world. Very interesting and suspenseful story.

[Robert Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapter promised a tight, tense nuclear thriller. Succeeding chapters sank, however, into bogs of familial interactions. Also, the female characters all bore a disturbing resemblance to Kirk Douglas.