When NSA Deputy Director Major Steve North discovers his close friend—an Australian intelligence officer—and the man's entire family brutally murdered, he uncovers a labyrinthine Chinese plot twenty-five years in the making.

Codenamed “Bright Star,” the operation goes far beyond military posturing. North finds himself tracking a stolen truck of specialized electronics in Philadelphia, a weaponized COVID-19 variant, and a network of deep-cover Chinese operatives scattered across America—all pieces in a grand deception orchestrated by President Xi's enigmatic advisor, Leong.

As North gradually connects the dots, he realizes the Chinese aren't planning a conventional invasion of Taiwan. Instead, through masterful psychological warfare and strategic pressure points—sparking civil unrest, cyber attacks, and a Korean peninsula conflict—they aim to force America to abandon Taiwan without firing a shot.

With the NSA Director herself compromised and the administration wavering, North must go rogue, assembling a desperate plan involving fake nuclear weapons and military deception that could either prevent war or trigger the very conflict he's trying to avoid.

Racing against time, North navigates a dangerous game of international chess where the stakes include Taiwan's sovereignty, America's credibility, and millions of lives hanging in the balance. His only guide: the ancient wisdom of Sun Tzu's Art of War, which teaches that the greatest victory comes from winning without fighting.

If you enjoyed “Red Storm Rising,” “2034: A Novel of the Next World War,” and “Ghost Fleet,” you'll love “Hong Kong Redux: China's Ultra-Secret Plan to Deal with Taiwan.”

Defiance Press and Publishing

Published books