Member Review
Review by
Aravind R, Reviewer
Defending one’s country from threats internal and external involves feats of extreme bravery, daring adventures and a group of dashing, strong, physically fit people fighting it out on the field. But, it also involves hours and hours of plodding through tonnes of data, identifying patterns and predicting the moves of the enemies—all the time working closeted somewhere inside a multistorey building amidst voluminous paperwork. Though extremely vital, the contributions of the latter population goes unsung, unknown even to their closest family and friends due to security concerns, and The Crocodile Hunter by Gerald Seymour is the story of one such plodder.
Jonas Merrick is such a non-entity to his colleagues at the British Secret Service that, even after serving for more than three decades, nobody is going to care a dime once he retires and leaves the office one final time. Not that he himself has ever done anything to gain popularity: he never socialises, is curt to the point of rudeness, has never gone to any of the fields where the work is done on ground, and follows his own rigid schedule like clockwork irrespective of what happens around him. On the day of his retirement, Merrick does something totally out of character and prevents a catastrophe—an action that earns him a lot of respect in addition to having his retirement cancelled. Several months into his extended stint at the Service, Merrick is on the trail of someone who is very likely to carry out a deadly attack on English soil. Through his characteristic plodding, Merrick tries to identify the terrorist and anticipate his moves so as to prevent the impending attack. This time though, when the time finally comes to go on the field and apprehend the terrorist, the Service has no team available to execute the operation and Merrick opts to do something he has never done—even in the prime of his youth. Supported only by a couple of greenhorns at the Service and a couple of cops without a clue about the operation, will Merrick’s first foray onto the field be a success? Will the elderly hunter catch his crocodile or will he be devoured?
Gerald Seymour is known for creating taut, gripping thrillers and The Crocodile Hunter is no exception. It is an intense, slow-burn of a thriller that has well drawn characters, deep know-how of the trade, believable action and a relevant theme. Seymour’s characters, right from the lead actors to the minor ones, are skilfully drawn and his descriptions of places and actions are likewise lifelike. In spite of having plenty of action, this novel is not for the reader who is in a rush. It deserves to be read at leisure to fully experience the author’s flair at bringing multiple strands of the story together. Though the climax is quite fitting for the overall plot, a few threads of the story have been left unfinished. Despite that, I found The Crocodile Hunter to be an absorbing read and would like to thank its author and publishers for the e-ARC through NetGalley in return for my unbiased review.
Jonas Merrick is such a non-entity to his colleagues at the British Secret Service that, even after serving for more than three decades, nobody is going to care a dime once he retires and leaves the office one final time. Not that he himself has ever done anything to gain popularity: he never socialises, is curt to the point of rudeness, has never gone to any of the fields where the work is done on ground, and follows his own rigid schedule like clockwork irrespective of what happens around him. On the day of his retirement, Merrick does something totally out of character and prevents a catastrophe—an action that earns him a lot of respect in addition to having his retirement cancelled. Several months into his extended stint at the Service, Merrick is on the trail of someone who is very likely to carry out a deadly attack on English soil. Through his characteristic plodding, Merrick tries to identify the terrorist and anticipate his moves so as to prevent the impending attack. This time though, when the time finally comes to go on the field and apprehend the terrorist, the Service has no team available to execute the operation and Merrick opts to do something he has never done—even in the prime of his youth. Supported only by a couple of greenhorns at the Service and a couple of cops without a clue about the operation, will Merrick’s first foray onto the field be a success? Will the elderly hunter catch his crocodile or will he be devoured?
Gerald Seymour is known for creating taut, gripping thrillers and The Crocodile Hunter is no exception. It is an intense, slow-burn of a thriller that has well drawn characters, deep know-how of the trade, believable action and a relevant theme. Seymour’s characters, right from the lead actors to the minor ones, are skilfully drawn and his descriptions of places and actions are likewise lifelike. In spite of having plenty of action, this novel is not for the reader who is in a rush. It deserves to be read at leisure to fully experience the author’s flair at bringing multiple strands of the story together. Though the climax is quite fitting for the overall plot, a few threads of the story have been left unfinished. Despite that, I found The Crocodile Hunter to be an absorbing read and would like to thank its author and publishers for the e-ARC through NetGalley in return for my unbiased review.
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