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Medusa
HMS Medusa is an obsolete frigate with an ill-assorted crew and an insecure captain. Why has she been dispatched under secret orders to be a sitting duck in one of the most vital ports of the Mediterranean? The author has written 27 novels including "The Lonely Skier" and "Campbell's Kingdom".
350 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
14 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Hammond Innes
104 books107 followersRalph Hammond Innes was an English novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as children's and travel books.He was awarded a C.B.E. (Commander, Order of the British Empire) in 1978. The World Mystery Convention honoured Innes with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bouchercon XXIV awards in Omaha, Nebraska, Oct, 1993.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 25, 2019
Entirely too formulaic. This Innes novel is one of his later ones, and while the plot is up to speed, the details of the novel fail to produce anything memorable. Not even Innes' usual description of an exotic locale does much to elevate Medusa. The entire effort is sluggish.
The worst part of it all, however, comes from the characterizations. Adventure/thriller novels need not carry too much characterization to achieve their aim, of course. But in the past, Innes had carried this off, in particular in The Wreck of the Mary Deare and Solomons Seal.
Solomons Seal is worth bringing up, especially, because its story is similar to that of Medusa, a coup carried out by mercenaries along with locals who feel they have been unfairly treated by the larger governmental authorities. The revolution, in both cases, is nasty in its action and aims. And the foreigners involved at the head of things reprehensible and soulless people.
Whereas Solomons Seal produced some interesting characters, however, Medusa only yields cardboard cutouts of people whose actions are cliched and whose motivations too pat. In fact, they're unbelievable. Mike Steele fears, justly it turns out, his wife is attracted to a Royal Navy Lt. Commander the pair have just met. This tortures Steele, although not enough too keep his own eye from wondering to a buxom archaeologist, where his fantasies ultimately become realized. It's all a bit like an episode of Swingers on Parade, or some such, set among the Balearic Isle of Menorca. Some of the situations, quite frankly, are laughable.
Innes does do one thing in this novel I'm happy to see. He has dispensed with all the uses of "whilst," which tended to clutter up his earlier novels. I wonder if a copy editor finally drew the line? Anyway, the word only comes up once and that is in a line of dialog. "Whilst" sounds all to affected to my ear, and I swear it is something that has only begun to crop up in latter day British novelists. I don't remember seeing it in Amis, Wain, Sillitoe, and Storey. But maybe I'm wrong. Still, the word has come to irritate me, and I was happy to see it all but disappear from Medusa.
The worst part of it all, however, comes from the characterizations. Adventure/thriller novels need not carry too much characterization to achieve their aim, of course. But in the past, Innes had carried this off, in particular in The Wreck of the Mary Deare and Solomons Seal.
Solomons Seal is worth bringing up, especially, because its story is similar to that of Medusa, a coup carried out by mercenaries along with locals who feel they have been unfairly treated by the larger governmental authorities. The revolution, in both cases, is nasty in its action and aims. And the foreigners involved at the head of things reprehensible and soulless people.
Whereas Solomons Seal produced some interesting characters, however, Medusa only yields cardboard cutouts of people whose actions are cliched and whose motivations too pat. In fact, they're unbelievable. Mike Steele fears, justly it turns out, his wife is attracted to a Royal Navy Lt. Commander the pair have just met. This tortures Steele, although not enough too keep his own eye from wondering to a buxom archaeologist, where his fantasies ultimately become realized. It's all a bit like an episode of Swingers on Parade, or some such, set among the Balearic Isle of Menorca. Some of the situations, quite frankly, are laughable.
Innes does do one thing in this novel I'm happy to see. He has dispensed with all the uses of "whilst," which tended to clutter up his earlier novels. I wonder if a copy editor finally drew the line? Anyway, the word only comes up once and that is in a line of dialog. "Whilst" sounds all to affected to my ear, and I swear it is something that has only begun to crop up in latter day British novelists. I don't remember seeing it in Amis, Wain, Sillitoe, and Storey. But maybe I'm wrong. Still, the word has come to irritate me, and I was happy to see it all but disappear from Medusa.
May 9, 2022
Medusa plays off on the Isle of Menorca in the west Mediterranean Sea where Mike Steel, a UK expat, is making a living with his young wife. The setting is ideal, the climate is wonderful and there is a budding business of developing properties on the spectacular coastline of the island. That is until the Medusa, a British Royal Navy frigate, appears on the horizon....
It's never a bad idea to grab a Hammond Innes when one is looking for a book. This not one of his best, but it is still a good read. Innes cannot be bested when he writes about the ocean and sailing and shipping. His description of the sea and its whims is masterly.
It's never a bad idea to grab a Hammond Innes when one is looking for a book. This not one of his best, but it is still a good read. Innes cannot be bested when he writes about the ocean and sailing and shipping. His description of the sea and its whims is masterly.
March 7, 2013
It must be so nice to have people reading and enjoying your books for so long. Hammond Innes was writing great books in the 50s. This one was published 1988. He has to be either very old or maybe not with us any more, but his books live on.
Medusa is not his best, a little vague at times, a little slow at the start. And yet it is a good read. With a Hammond Innes book, one can always know that you have good value.
Medusa is not his best, a little vague at times, a little slow at the start. And yet it is a good read. With a Hammond Innes book, one can always know that you have good value.
November 23, 2023
An ex-patriot Brit living on the island of Menorca gets involved with political assassination and political movements in a typically fast paced thriller. Mike Steele is a sailor who runs a chandlery, and is becoming a landlord and maintenance man for several villas in the urbanicization of this beautiful island. His past is a bit sketchy with a history of some smuggling in the past, but he is married now and has settled down. But his past catches up with him as he gets involved with the British Navy and political zealots.
January 4, 2019
Another superb book from Hammond Innes. The story is gripping and exciting, a book hard to put down. The imagery is fantastic as the story line twists and turns. The finer details of the story help paint the picture of Menorca and the events in this book.
July 26, 2022
An enjoyable read for passing the time. I found it quite exciting most of the time, but like all thrillers there are unresolved loose ends: what became of the villain who escaped (maybe Innes was saving the character for a later book?) and what became of the Stirling smg Steele had been loaned, signed for, and obliged to return to the ship's armoury? Never mentioned. Having once served in the RN I was pleased to note a few naval expressions here and there in the text: "the heads" and "kye" - though Innes spells it "kai". Absolutely no historical veracity in reality.
June 24, 2019
Always a good story when authored by Hammond Innes.
January 22, 2022
A perfect read for summer. A rollicking tale, told without much wasted time. Part of 3 books I will read before serious reading this summer.
May 20, 2022
Not exactly a thriller. I struggled to "feel" the story.
March 25, 2024
An excellent novel set in the Mediterranean and full of intrigue in Menorcha
November 22, 2020
A classic Hammond Innes plot which centred around the Balearic Isles of Menorca. Mike Steele is a business man dealing in maintaining villas for rich foreign owner on the island along with his wife Soo. However this idyllic lifestyle was soon dashed as an uprising comprising the local communist party against this Spanish autonomy island resulting in the assassination of the local mayor of Mahon. Along with this volatile mix, enter an enigmatic Welshman Gareth Jones seemingly on the lookout for a man named Patrick Evan.
What started out as an enquiry quickly resolved into an affair between Gareth and Soo which soon was complicated when Gareth was called up to captain an old RN frigate HM Medusa in Gibraltar.
However he was ordered by HM government to sail to Mahon and anchor there as a coop was underway against the Menorcan government by a group of mercenary led by the mysterious Patrick Evan. Things become tense as the coop government orders Medusa out of the harbour. Gareth has his order to stay put to prevent the coop from overtaking the island. As things get to a head, Gareth must decide to go against his order or to save the woman that he loves and he did the unthinkable where he put the lives of those on his ship under danger in order to force the issue in a high stake gamble of brinkmanship with his opponent. Who will blink first?
What started out as an enquiry quickly resolved into an affair between Gareth and Soo which soon was complicated when Gareth was called up to captain an old RN frigate HM Medusa in Gibraltar.
However he was ordered by HM government to sail to Mahon and anchor there as a coop was underway against the Menorcan government by a group of mercenary led by the mysterious Patrick Evan. Things become tense as the coop government orders Medusa out of the harbour. Gareth has his order to stay put to prevent the coop from overtaking the island. As things get to a head, Gareth must decide to go against his order or to save the woman that he loves and he did the unthinkable where he put the lives of those on his ship under danger in order to force the issue in a high stake gamble of brinkmanship with his opponent. Who will blink first?
Read
November 15, 2015In Medusa, Hammond Innes re works his by now very familar formula. Owing a lot to Solomon's Seal this novel is about another failed political coup, moved from Bougainville to Menorca. The three key characters, the adventurer, the man of principle and the unscrupulous villain are here again as well. I guess that is what Hammond Innes' readers want, the comfort of the familiar.
Here, however, the principled hero has a dilemma, whether to save the woman he loves or to obey his orders and defy the villain. Gareth Lloyd Jones finds a third way, but the issue he faces does offer opportunity for debate by the readers.
Here, however, the principled hero has a dilemma, whether to save the woman he loves or to obey his orders and defy the villain. Gareth Lloyd Jones finds a third way, but the issue he faces does offer opportunity for debate by the readers.
September 27, 2013
Good Read
November 5, 2013
Excellent reading! Highly recommended!
August 7, 2015
Old British frigate foils a revolution in Minorca.
October 26, 2023
A bit slow to start
February 10, 2017
Ok, it moves ok, but it was not my favorite Innes book.
June 29, 2021
Fantastic locations. Started small, local; became global in scale. The first half was better than the second.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews