Tenacity
Genre; Crime
Lieutenant Danielle (“Dan”) Lewis, the only female investigator in the Royal Navy’s Special Investigation Branch, is called upon to investigate the apparent suicide of a Chief Petty Officer on HMS Tenacity, a nuclear submarine. As the submariners embark on a naval exercise, Dan is forced to share their claustrophobic, closed environment. The ultimate outsider in this hyper-masculine world, she needs to find a way to navigate the code of this tight-knit group of men whilst unmasking a killer.
My Thoughts:
You have to read this book!
Yes, it’s another of those books I’m going to rave about. Another of those books that I already know has made it into my top list of books read this year (when I create it at the end of the year).
It had me hooked from the very start with the prologue – which can I just say, was stunning! – to the very end of the book, which has now left me wanting to know when J.S.Law is going to be bringing the next book out.
Let me explain a little more… Dan, short for Danielle, is our main protagonist and has returned to work after the dramatic events that occurred in, and followed the prologue. She is part of the Royal Navy police and is on a specialist team investigating deaths. The team is locally known as the Kill team. I can’t remember why the acronym works but it does.
When a suicide occurs on HMS Tenacity Dan is called to investigate and this is what I loved. I loved learning about the workings of submarines, submariners and the Royal Navy. Having a submarine as a setting is fantastic. It had me absolutely mesmerised. The way of life on board in those small cramped, confined, conditions made great reading. I learned so much yet it didn’t feel as though I was learning, the submarine and the functioning on board life was a character of its own which fitted in naturally with the narrative.
Dan finds the whole experience harsh and it’s not just the conditions she finds herself in but she finds she’s not exactly welcome on this all (currently) male environment.
If you’re interested in understanding something quite obscure in the crime genre world and you want to be hooked from the very first page to the gob smacking ending, then this just might be a book for you.
You can find J.S Law’s First Draft Q&A from last Friday, Here.
readingwritingandriesling says
You have convinced me to look for this one Rebecca
Rebecca Bradley says
I look forward to hearing what you think Carol.
Alex J. Cavanaugh (@AlexJCavanaugh) says
I thought you’d had him as a guest before. Will have to pick it up.
Rebecca Bradley says
I think you might enjoy it Alex.
Maryom says
I’m certainly intrigued….
Rebecca Bradley says
It’s a great book! 🙂
Margot Kinberg says
I keep hearing very good things about this one, Rebecca. It’s certainly an interesting context and setting for a novel! Glad you enjoyed it .
Rebecca Bradley says
It deserves all the praise it gets Margot. The setting and the writing were fabulous.
Jacqui Murray says
Sounds wonderful. Reminds me of another excellent submarine book by Patrickd Robinson, HMS Unseen
Rebecca Bradley says
Ah! It’s the first submarine book I’ve read and I absolutely adored the setting, the enclosed space with know where to go. Loved it. Also, the writing is fabulous! 🙂
chrisb-jwordsandimages says
sounds gripping, a different setting for a crime indeed.
Rebecca Bradley says
It is different isn’t it? It’s the first book set on a submarine I’ve read.