Rob Hoole
08-12-2010, 14:20
Having been among the first to enjoy Diver, the highly colourful and successful account of Tony Groom's experiences as a Royal Navy clearance diver in the Falklands conflict and afterwards in the world of commercial diving, I suspected his new offering would be entertaining. However, I was unprepared for this engaging and well-crafted thriller that had me gripped from the start.
http://www.sama82.org.uk/media/UserMedia/IN2DEEP.jpg
The hero (or perhaps more accurately the anti-hero) of IN2DEEP is a former Royal Navy clearance diver called Nick Carter who has a jaundiced view of authority, discipline and inconvenient aspects of the rule of law. A hard-bitten rogue who is forced to endure considerable pain and hardship as events unfold, he is by no means cast as a superman. Instead, he is a realistically flawed character who becomes the victim of circumstances. Despite his reluctance to become involved in anything 'official', his gritty determination to seek redress and recover a precious item that has been stolen from him eventually leads to the downfall of the villains of the piece.
The overall theme of this well-written story is definitely salty, as are the characters and dialogue. Set in the Mediterranean, it incorporates familiar locations and dramatic action including diving for treasure, single-handed sailing, high seas piracy, international terrorism and an underlying love story that provides the catalyst for the hero's actions. I won't reveal too many details of the swift-moving plot but its development includes parallel threads that twist and turn but come together cataclysmically in the final chapters. The climax is a vividly described anti-terrorist operation that involves a panoply of UK Special Forces and other units, including some of Nick's old naval diving buddies. Despite employing all the modern gadgetry and technical wizardry at their disposal, the outcome is nail-bitingly uncertain right up to the end.
Perhaps an unintended message of the book is the lifetime bond formed between individuals like RN divers who have shared good and bad times together, often in hazardous situations. Stimulated whenever the need arises, this can achieve wonders (shameless plug for Project Vernon :). Incidentally, I would like to thank Tony publicly for kindly donating copies of Diver to Project Vernon (http://vernon-monument.org/) to sell at its promotions.)
IN2DEEP will appeal especially well to a naval and military audience which can identify with its characters and situations but it should also prove popular with any general reader who enjoys a cracking good yarn. There is still time to put it on your Christmas present list. If ordered via Tony's website at www.deep-sea-diving.com (http://www.deep-sea-diving.com/), he will provide a suitable inscription on request.
http://www.sama82.org.uk/media/UserMedia/IN2DEEP.jpg
The hero (or perhaps more accurately the anti-hero) of IN2DEEP is a former Royal Navy clearance diver called Nick Carter who has a jaundiced view of authority, discipline and inconvenient aspects of the rule of law. A hard-bitten rogue who is forced to endure considerable pain and hardship as events unfold, he is by no means cast as a superman. Instead, he is a realistically flawed character who becomes the victim of circumstances. Despite his reluctance to become involved in anything 'official', his gritty determination to seek redress and recover a precious item that has been stolen from him eventually leads to the downfall of the villains of the piece.
The overall theme of this well-written story is definitely salty, as are the characters and dialogue. Set in the Mediterranean, it incorporates familiar locations and dramatic action including diving for treasure, single-handed sailing, high seas piracy, international terrorism and an underlying love story that provides the catalyst for the hero's actions. I won't reveal too many details of the swift-moving plot but its development includes parallel threads that twist and turn but come together cataclysmically in the final chapters. The climax is a vividly described anti-terrorist operation that involves a panoply of UK Special Forces and other units, including some of Nick's old naval diving buddies. Despite employing all the modern gadgetry and technical wizardry at their disposal, the outcome is nail-bitingly uncertain right up to the end.
Perhaps an unintended message of the book is the lifetime bond formed between individuals like RN divers who have shared good and bad times together, often in hazardous situations. Stimulated whenever the need arises, this can achieve wonders (shameless plug for Project Vernon :). Incidentally, I would like to thank Tony publicly for kindly donating copies of Diver to Project Vernon (http://vernon-monument.org/) to sell at its promotions.)
IN2DEEP will appeal especially well to a naval and military audience which can identify with its characters and situations but it should also prove popular with any general reader who enjoys a cracking good yarn. There is still time to put it on your Christmas present list. If ordered via Tony's website at www.deep-sea-diving.com (http://www.deep-sea-diving.com/), he will provide a suitable inscription on request.