Eye of the Tiger Book

Hard to fault this one: it's slick, lean and ruthlessly efficient, quite unlike any other Wilbur Smith novel I've read to date. The setting is St Mary's Island, in the Indian Ocean, and there's none of the game hunting or African history that provides the background of the author's other books.

The story is action-focused and one of those ones in which everyone other than the hero and his companions seems to be a bad guy. Harry Fletcher, the protagonist, is a chap who makes his living by taking tourists out to hunt various sea creatures, but of course soon events take a darker turn as he gets caught up with some very murky clients.

The novel reminded me of Bernward Cornwell's seafaring thrillers and this one's even better. The action scenes, when they come, are superbly described and the tension builds throughout, leading to a nailbiting climax. There are the requisite twists, turns, romantic interludes and a little globetrotting, all brought to life by the author's inventive turn of phrase. I loved it.