Shelby and Earl are, to phrase it politely, two of the stupidest Navy SEALs to ever emerge from training. Their combined ineptitude inspires Navy brass to pair them for a top-secret mission to Cuba to find a missing Senator, whose safe return is the only guarantee nuclear war won’t obliterate the planet. What a sensible decision.

As they search for the missing senator, who’s rumored to be playing golf on the island, Shelby and Earl encounter gullible cannibals, brother/sister weapon tycoons, and a cult headed by a hunky New Age spiritualist, while drinking far too many banana margaritas and magic mushroom smoothies. They’re rescued from their foibles just in the nick of time by legendary Rear Admiral Bertha “Bull” Gompers, who prides herself on being the toughest 85-year-old SEAL in the business, but creates as much havoc as she prevents. It’s debatable whether the trio will save the world or trigger universal immolation.

Oops-A-Navy is a wacky slant on the tough, resourceful SEAL stereotype — it would probably be statistically impossible to pair three more incompetent individuals — and elicits laughs on every page. It’s a fun, quick read for anyone who’s tired of macho legends or just needs a good giggle. Gregg Bell has delivered the novel we need in these dark and confusing times.