Tiger Reef

Got this book for Christmas and read it in one shot. An updated old-fashioned adventure story on and in the South Seas, complete with AK-toting Sumatran pirates, killer squid, and really BAAAAD guys. Author McKinna keeps things moving quickly, the action fast and furious, not to mention funny. Like dark humor? This has it in spades. Good deep diving scenes too. You can tell the writer's a former pro. Now I gotta get the first book in the series, Crash Dive. This stuff would make a GREAT movie! Maybe Russell Crowe or George Clooney as Ben Gannon (the working class hero). This book is a real winner. Loved it.

I was given "Tiger Reef" by a friend recently, and was very impressed by John McKinna's way with an adventure story. Some very intriguing information about the East Asian trade in illegal tiger parts, Indonesian piracy, and of course diving, diving, diving. This is high-grade thriller fiction, with sharp characterization and a shrewd, dry sense of humor throughout. I'm hooked: I ordered the first book in the series, "Crash Dive", yesterday.

Most genre fiction is fairly predictable. This author, who at one time was a professional oilfield diver, apparently, does a creditable job of both surprising the reader and creating some memorable (and occasionally over-the-top!) characters, working on a high-seas adventure/deep-sea diving theme. TIGER REEF clicks because the hero (Ben Gannon, a commercial diver) and heroine (Sass Wojeck, a kind of tomboy with sex appeal)are quite likeable, the villains (Anton Jaeger, Malcolm Durant--tiger body-part smugglers) are absoutely despicable, and the supporting characters surprisingly sympathetic and well-portrayed (in particular, an old Chinese steward, Chang, and his sort-of alter-ego, Yorushi Kurosawa, an aging, half-sane Japanese soldier from WWII). Author McKinna is quite deft at walking the line of racial (racist?) tension between characters, all the while keeping his subtext firmly humanitarian. A pretty good juggling act, for this type of novel. And actionwise, a number of scenes (particularly those involving a horde of immense predatory squid)are really riveting. Part of a diving-themed series from this author, TIGER REEF is a fine summer adventure novel, one to take to the beach and then keep on the bookshelf. It's good.

This is great summer read. The commercial diver hero, Ben Gannon, gets tangled up with Indonesian pirates, crime lords, and tiger-poaching mercenaries over in the Java Sea. Hot action and some really twisted characters keep the surprises popping up, and there are some very well-drawn technical diving scenes. The female lead, Gannon's girl Sass, is very appealing: sexy and down-to-earth. And author McKinna has a really entertaining writing style--his "turn of phrase" is often funny in a dry sort of way. And he keeps things moving fast. Fun to read, loads of thrills and laughs. Nothing not to like in this book, the second in a series that started last summer with Crash Dive, which was also very good. Highly recommended.

Now heres a helluva good read! This is a real fast adventure that ocurs in the Java Sea involving modern pirates and the illegal killing and selling of protected tigers to make Asian medicines. Second diving novel from the ex-commercial diver (John McKinna) who did "Crash Dive" last year. This series looks like a real winner. The guy has a first rate imagination, and a lot of technical knowledge about the sea to go with it. Characters are great and really funny, or really sick and scary too! "Tiger Reef" is one of those can't-put-her-down books, and Ben Gannon's second adventure is like visiting with an old friend. Dang it, now I'm going to have to by all of this series, too. Don't matter. Money well spent. When McKinna writes, it's entertaining on every page. Love the action and the humor!