Book Review – To Hunt a Sub by J. Murray
- By Michael Smart
- August 17, 2016
- 2 Comments
A Fascinating Tale
J. Murray’s long anticipated thriller, To Hunt a Sub, is a satisfying read from a fresh voice in the genre, and well worth the wait. The time devoted to research paid off, providing a much appreciated authenticity to the sciency aspects of the plot. The author also departs from the formulaic pacing and heroics of contemporary commercialized thrillers. Instead, the moderately paced narrative is a seduction, rather than a sledgehammer. The author takes time rendering relatable characters with imaginatively cool names like Zeke Rowe, and Kalian Delamagente. The scenes are vividly depicted, and the plot not only contains exquisitely treacherous twists and turns, but incorporates the fascinating study of early hominids, and one ancestral female in particular who becomes an essential character. The narrative might have benefited from language with a crispier, sharper edge, but that is purely my personal taste and preference, and takes nothing away from the over-all satisfaction of this novel.
Author Jacqui Murray and I share many things in common – a love of words; writing; reading, particularly the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian; the study of early man and prehistory; and we both have a family member who graduated from the Annapolis Naval Academy. I’ve followed Jacqui’s instructive WordDreams blog for many years, where she culls the best writing tips from around the web, from acclaimed authors, from writing seminars and workshops, and we’ve collaborated on blog posts together. Click here for WordDreams. It is well worth the visit.
See Jacqui Murray Author Page on Amazon
COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE. Thank you for visiting my blog. I enjoy hearing from my readers. Please leave a comment, sign up for my newsletter to receive news, updates, and blog posts directly to your email inbox, and share this with your friends on social media.
Thank you so much, Michael, for reading and reviewing my book. I am honored by the thought you put into the review. And, I appreciate you posting to Amazon. It’s lonely to have ‘Be the first’ under the comment section!
As a separate note, I do have a review coming up on my blog of your book which I’ll also post to Amazon and Goodreads. It’s coming up Sept. 16th. See you then!
You’re so welcome Jacqui. I enjoyed it. Keep them coming.