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Marika Hartmann #2
Savage Tide
The second race-against-time thriller from the author of ROTTEN GODS, in the tradition of le Carre, Ludlum and Clancy.
Intelligence officer Marika Hartmann captures an extremist foot-soldier guilty of a massacre of school children and aid workers in Southern Somalia. Renditioned to a CIA 'black site' in Djibouti, the prisoner hints at a terror plot in the making. Marika and ex-Special Forces colleague PJ Johnson team up to investigate, uncovering a cold-blooded conspiracy that will decimate the cities of the West.
From the refugee camps of East Africa to the azure waters off the Iranian coast, the marshes of Iraq to Syria's parched eastern desert, SAVAGE TIDE is a manhunt, a quest for truth, and a desperate search for the legacy of a cruel regime bent on dominating the world.
Intelligence officer Marika Hartmann captures an extremist foot-soldier guilty of a massacre of school children and aid workers in Southern Somalia. Renditioned to a CIA 'black site' in Djibouti, the prisoner hints at a terror plot in the making. Marika and ex-Special Forces colleague PJ Johnson team up to investigate, uncovering a cold-blooded conspiracy that will decimate the cities of the West.
From the refugee camps of East Africa to the azure waters off the Iranian coast, the marshes of Iraq to Syria's parched eastern desert, SAVAGE TIDE is a manhunt, a quest for truth, and a desperate search for the legacy of a cruel regime bent on dominating the world.
496 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2013
13 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Greg Barron
24 books115 followersCrime, terrorism, history, international politics and the wide open spaces of outback Australia are all passionate interests of author Greg Barron. He has lived in North America, New South Wales and in and around Katherine, Northern Territory. He once crossed Arnhem Land on foot, and has a passion for the Top End landscape.
His books, published by HarperCollins Australia and Stories of Oz Publishing, are gutsy pageturners that tell the truth about the world. Rotten Gods was long listed for the prestigious Ned Kelly awards, and has been lauded as "one of the most sophisticated geopolitical thrillers ever written." Savage Tide was described by ABC Radio reviewer Rob Minshull as; "Both supremely intelligent and written at breathtaking pace."
Camp Leichhardt is the first of his Australian stories to see print, and was serialised in 2016 to wide acclaim. Rotten Gods, Savage Tide, Voodoo Dawn and Lethal Sky all feature Marika Hartmann, the Australian intelligence agent who has won the hearts of readers all over the world.
His books, published by HarperCollins Australia and Stories of Oz Publishing, are gutsy pageturners that tell the truth about the world. Rotten Gods was long listed for the prestigious Ned Kelly awards, and has been lauded as "one of the most sophisticated geopolitical thrillers ever written." Savage Tide was described by ABC Radio reviewer Rob Minshull as; "Both supremely intelligent and written at breathtaking pace."
Camp Leichhardt is the first of his Australian stories to see print, and was serialised in 2016 to wide acclaim. Rotten Gods, Savage Tide, Voodoo Dawn and Lethal Sky all feature Marika Hartmann, the Australian intelligence agent who has won the hearts of readers all over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 22, 2013
When the brutal murders of innocent women and children occurred in Somalia, on a day when their school bus delivered over forty children aged between five and twelve plus their teachers for a day of fun; their meagre amount of food providing a picnic for the youngsters, Australian Marika Hartmann had no idea her life was about to change. Marika was an intelligence officer for a secret off-shoot of MI6, based in London. She and her colleagues provided support to the local soldiers, assessing the Chakula refugee camp among others, helping with the training of good men from surrounding areas.
Marika’s local aide, Kifimbo, informed her of the presence of armed men in the area near the village, but even with the speed of assembling her men, they were too late to save the happily playing children and the accompanying adults. Their information lead them to believe they were following a terrorist cell, their leader the infamous Istikaan (known to everyone as The Hourglass), and his off-sider Saif al-Din. These two men were the most wanted terrorists in the world.
Marika and colleague PJ Johnson, who was ex-Special Forces, teamed up when a member of the extremist group who killed the children was captured. Their investigation was crucial, and with the prisoner only willing to speak to Marika, her calm demeanour was extremely difficult, but necessary. The conspiracy which seemed to be underway, if it was true, would devastate the western world. But could she trust this prisoner, who was a ruthless killer himself?
The intense danger which gripped the investigative team was fuel for their adrenalin rush…it’s what kept them going. But with the terrorist cell appearing to know their every move, making them one step ahead of Marika and her team, their frustration and anger was great.
I absolutely loved this book! The full on action which occurred around the globe, from London and Iran, Iraq and Syria, the descriptions of the countries so clear it seemed like I was there (though I’m glad I wasn’t!) The story brought to mind some similarities with the writing of Jack Higgins, so much so that I was waiting for Sean Dillon to drop in to help Marika out!
I have no hesitation in highly recommending Aussie author Greg Barron’s Savage Tide to all who love a good thriller.
Thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
Marika’s local aide, Kifimbo, informed her of the presence of armed men in the area near the village, but even with the speed of assembling her men, they were too late to save the happily playing children and the accompanying adults. Their information lead them to believe they were following a terrorist cell, their leader the infamous Istikaan (known to everyone as The Hourglass), and his off-sider Saif al-Din. These two men were the most wanted terrorists in the world.
Marika and colleague PJ Johnson, who was ex-Special Forces, teamed up when a member of the extremist group who killed the children was captured. Their investigation was crucial, and with the prisoner only willing to speak to Marika, her calm demeanour was extremely difficult, but necessary. The conspiracy which seemed to be underway, if it was true, would devastate the western world. But could she trust this prisoner, who was a ruthless killer himself?
The intense danger which gripped the investigative team was fuel for their adrenalin rush…it’s what kept them going. But with the terrorist cell appearing to know their every move, making them one step ahead of Marika and her team, their frustration and anger was great.
I absolutely loved this book! The full on action which occurred around the globe, from London and Iran, Iraq and Syria, the descriptions of the countries so clear it seemed like I was there (though I’m glad I wasn’t!) The story brought to mind some similarities with the writing of Jack Higgins, so much so that I was waiting for Sean Dillon to drop in to help Marika out!
I have no hesitation in highly recommending Aussie author Greg Barron’s Savage Tide to all who love a good thriller.
Thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
November 23, 2015
WORLD ON FIRE.
"The world is a fine place and worth fighting for. I agree with the second part."- Bill Somerset.
=[4.1 stars rounded down to four]=
A interesting trend in spy fiction right now is to infuse it with elements of a dystopian nature. The benefits are quite fun. Sure, there's social decay and chaos, betrayal and psychological agony, but unlike Julia and Winston from 1984, spy fiction protagonists can take care of themselves. The hard way. A primary example of such work can be seen in "American Praetorians", a series revolving around a PMC which works in a world gone mad. Another, is the Marika Hartmann saga, a most unique counter-terrorist thriller story. Who would have thought that you could hide an environmentalist subtext inside a book belonging to a genre about politics, guns and men who want to watch the world burn? Well, Greg Barron pulled it off by setting it in a radically different Middle East, with Syria and Iran defeated in war and a social/environmental decay across Europe. His first book, Rotten Gods revolved around a hostage taking that shall never be topped, featuring every single world leader of consequence taken prisoner by some clever fanatics. In his second book, while the premise is a bit less unique, he manages to make the narrative rise to the level of a modern day Greek epic, a clash of automatic weapon wielding titans, to prevent a biowarfare attack on the most unassuming, yet brilliant target which no other author in the genre has ever thought of. Now to the review. What happens when the world media got it horribly wrong and it turns out Saddam Hussein did have WMDS?
The novel begins a few months before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Operatives from Saddam's intelligence service bury a cache of biological weapons with the intention of recovering them at a later date. We then cut to several decades later at the Chakula Refugee camp in Somalia. The main protagonist, Marika Hartmann is there to oversee security arrangements, due to the sensitive nature of the camps occupants. What appears to be an active shooter incident occurs with some Islamist extremists unloading a Kalashnikov on some children playing soccer. Racing to the scene too late, Hartmann eventually manages to corner them and take one of the perpetrators alive for questioning. During the interrogation, she learns that the terrorist group responsible for the hostage incident in book one is gearing up for another project, being coordinated by a man designated Istikaan. A secondary interview at Camp Lemonnier, the US military base on the horn of Africa reveals that the opposition knows several intimate details about Hartmann, signs that there is a rat among her employers. In Dubai, Saif Al Din, the antagonist of book 1, is heading for Syria, and in London, the rat who has compromised Hartmann continues to work. All these threads come together in a tsunami of violence, advanced weaponry and ideological extremism.
In terms of plot, while a bit more conventional, Greg Barron does make several major improvements. First, world building. We continue to see how screwed up the setting is. Iran's lost a war with the West, Syria is in shambles, the E.U is down the crapper with race riots and social decay and Africa is the new hotbed of Islamic Extremism. Next, the plot. A lot more complex than the first book. From hunting the most dangerous game across the Iraq desert using one of the world's fastest helicopters, to a brilliant action set-piece finale through the skies and swamps of the Horn of Africa, Savage Tide, ramps up the gunfire, death and exhilaration, taking advantage of the freedom from the constraints of the hostage taker scenario. The target of the biological warfare attack is also brilliant. It's not the usual diplomatic conference or Metro station, but one which is a lot more under-appreciated and yet far more nightmarish due to one simple fact which you'll find out reading the book. Finally, research, we get a lot more kit in this book compared to the last one. UAV's, portable bomb disposal robots, battle tactics and the mechanics on the deployment method for bioweapons, Mr Barron could easily claim the title of the Australian Tom Clancy for the surprising amount of real world detail he puts in his story.
Now, characters. Three standouts. First, Marika Hartmann. An Australian who has gone to work for a fictional paramilitary section of the UK SIS, she's forced to deal with the events of the previous novel, having lost her innocence during its events. The conflict she faces in the books is that of trying to keep her hope and morals, in a world which increasingly has no use for them. While she has the full blessing from the top brass, she's faced with situations where she's forced to continuously give bits of her humanity just to keep up with the opposition. In some ways, she's way more conflicted and angst ridden compared to say Mitch Rapp. But when push comes to shove and her hide is one the line, she is far more brutal and brilliant than Mr Rapp and Harvath in the art of survival, best exemplified when at one point, she's forced to gut a homicidal Islamic extremist with her bare hands before he can throttle her to death.
Second we have Mr Saif Al Din, perhaps the most intelligent fictional Islamic terrorists in the counter-terrorist thriller genre and one of my favorite antagonists. He's got vision, tenacity, is highly competent during the implementation and attempted execution of his terrorist attack and compared to the antagonists of a Flynn or Thor novel, is no pushover. Al Din is also bloody terrifying in combat, cunning as a jackal and as devastating as a enraged polar bear jumping on you. In his last stand against Hartmann, he nearly manages to kill her several times, taking full advantage of his superior firepower and the darkness to almost mortally wound her. And when he manages to get within grabbing distance....you will genuinely fear for Marika's survival and start praying as he goes in for the kill that she survives.
Finally, we have Nayan, a minor character introduced in the climax. A pilot who gets caught up in the attempt at stopping the terrorist incident. As the fight goes on and the well prepared terrorists manage to buy themselves time with counter-measures, he makes an executive decision to solve the problem. He had the brains to realize the problem, the moral backbone to accept the solution and the guts to carry it out to save untold millions from a pandemic which would have become global.
However, I do have some criticisms regarding this book. When you're putting in a subtext or message in a thriller, there's always going to be problems if you screw up the execution. The world building for instance which is used to highlight social decay and critique contemporary treatment of the environment would be more suited for a film montage rather than the written word. It comes off more as padding rather than something special which enriches the narrative that it is intended to. Secondly, we have a character, a special forces soldier who gets caught by the opposition twice throughout the book. This one was minor though, while I found it repetitive, the second time ended rather surprisingly. Finally, the rat. His final fate was quite lenient in my opinion. His actions nearly brought the world to disaster and he got exile. At the very least if I was in the position of his superior, I would have thrown him in jail or given him a skydiving lesson of the permanent variety.
So overall, Savage Tide? My verdict is that despite a few shortcomings, it's a good counter-terrorist thriller novel, which is a unique experience. You have a sensitive, yet brutal hero who is wrestling with her demons and morality, one of the most brilliant terrorists the genre has ever seen trying to bring the his enemies crashing down, and an epic chase across the Middle East and Africa. These three elements combined with the trappings expected only from American writers give this a radically different feel compared to other books in the genre for better or worse.
RELATIVELY RECOMMENDED.
"The world is a fine place and worth fighting for. I agree with the second part."- Bill Somerset.
=[4.1 stars rounded down to four]=
A interesting trend in spy fiction right now is to infuse it with elements of a dystopian nature. The benefits are quite fun. Sure, there's social decay and chaos, betrayal and psychological agony, but unlike Julia and Winston from 1984, spy fiction protagonists can take care of themselves. The hard way. A primary example of such work can be seen in "American Praetorians", a series revolving around a PMC which works in a world gone mad. Another, is the Marika Hartmann saga, a most unique counter-terrorist thriller story. Who would have thought that you could hide an environmentalist subtext inside a book belonging to a genre about politics, guns and men who want to watch the world burn? Well, Greg Barron pulled it off by setting it in a radically different Middle East, with Syria and Iran defeated in war and a social/environmental decay across Europe. His first book, Rotten Gods revolved around a hostage taking that shall never be topped, featuring every single world leader of consequence taken prisoner by some clever fanatics. In his second book, while the premise is a bit less unique, he manages to make the narrative rise to the level of a modern day Greek epic, a clash of automatic weapon wielding titans, to prevent a biowarfare attack on the most unassuming, yet brilliant target which no other author in the genre has ever thought of. Now to the review. What happens when the world media got it horribly wrong and it turns out Saddam Hussein did have WMDS?
The novel begins a few months before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Operatives from Saddam's intelligence service bury a cache of biological weapons with the intention of recovering them at a later date. We then cut to several decades later at the Chakula Refugee camp in Somalia. The main protagonist, Marika Hartmann is there to oversee security arrangements, due to the sensitive nature of the camps occupants. What appears to be an active shooter incident occurs with some Islamist extremists unloading a Kalashnikov on some children playing soccer. Racing to the scene too late, Hartmann eventually manages to corner them and take one of the perpetrators alive for questioning. During the interrogation, she learns that the terrorist group responsible for the hostage incident in book one is gearing up for another project, being coordinated by a man designated Istikaan. A secondary interview at Camp Lemonnier, the US military base on the horn of Africa reveals that the opposition knows several intimate details about Hartmann, signs that there is a rat among her employers. In Dubai, Saif Al Din, the antagonist of book 1, is heading for Syria, and in London, the rat who has compromised Hartmann continues to work. All these threads come together in a tsunami of violence, advanced weaponry and ideological extremism.
In terms of plot, while a bit more conventional, Greg Barron does make several major improvements. First, world building. We continue to see how screwed up the setting is. Iran's lost a war with the West, Syria is in shambles, the E.U is down the crapper with race riots and social decay and Africa is the new hotbed of Islamic Extremism. Next, the plot. A lot more complex than the first book. From hunting the most dangerous game across the Iraq desert using one of the world's fastest helicopters, to a brilliant action set-piece finale through the skies and swamps of the Horn of Africa, Savage Tide, ramps up the gunfire, death and exhilaration, taking advantage of the freedom from the constraints of the hostage taker scenario. The target of the biological warfare attack is also brilliant. It's not the usual diplomatic conference or Metro station, but one which is a lot more under-appreciated and yet far more nightmarish due to one simple fact which you'll find out reading the book. Finally, research, we get a lot more kit in this book compared to the last one. UAV's, portable bomb disposal robots, battle tactics and the mechanics on the deployment method for bioweapons, Mr Barron could easily claim the title of the Australian Tom Clancy for the surprising amount of real world detail he puts in his story.
Now, characters. Three standouts. First, Marika Hartmann. An Australian who has gone to work for a fictional paramilitary section of the UK SIS, she's forced to deal with the events of the previous novel, having lost her innocence during its events. The conflict she faces in the books is that of trying to keep her hope and morals, in a world which increasingly has no use for them. While she has the full blessing from the top brass, she's faced with situations where she's forced to continuously give bits of her humanity just to keep up with the opposition. In some ways, she's way more conflicted and angst ridden compared to say Mitch Rapp. But when push comes to shove and her hide is one the line, she is far more brutal and brilliant than Mr Rapp and Harvath in the art of survival, best exemplified when at one point, she's forced to gut a homicidal Islamic extremist with her bare hands before he can throttle her to death.
Second we have Mr Saif Al Din, perhaps the most intelligent fictional Islamic terrorists in the counter-terrorist thriller genre and one of my favorite antagonists. He's got vision, tenacity, is highly competent during the implementation and attempted execution of his terrorist attack and compared to the antagonists of a Flynn or Thor novel, is no pushover. Al Din is also bloody terrifying in combat, cunning as a jackal and as devastating as a enraged polar bear jumping on you. In his last stand against Hartmann, he nearly manages to kill her several times, taking full advantage of his superior firepower and the darkness to almost mortally wound her. And when he manages to get within grabbing distance....you will genuinely fear for Marika's survival and start praying as he goes in for the kill that she survives.
Finally, we have Nayan, a minor character introduced in the climax. A pilot who gets caught up in the attempt at stopping the terrorist incident. As the fight goes on and the well prepared terrorists manage to buy themselves time with counter-measures, he makes an executive decision to solve the problem. He had the brains to realize the problem, the moral backbone to accept the solution and the guts to carry it out to save untold millions from a pandemic which would have become global.
However, I do have some criticisms regarding this book. When you're putting in a subtext or message in a thriller, there's always going to be problems if you screw up the execution. The world building for instance which is used to highlight social decay and critique contemporary treatment of the environment would be more suited for a film montage rather than the written word. It comes off more as padding rather than something special which enriches the narrative that it is intended to. Secondly, we have a character, a special forces soldier who gets caught by the opposition twice throughout the book. This one was minor though, while I found it repetitive, the second time ended rather surprisingly. Finally, the rat. His final fate was quite lenient in my opinion. His actions nearly brought the world to disaster and he got exile. At the very least if I was in the position of his superior, I would have thrown him in jail or given him a skydiving lesson of the permanent variety.
So overall, Savage Tide? My verdict is that despite a few shortcomings, it's a good counter-terrorist thriller novel, which is a unique experience. You have a sensitive, yet brutal hero who is wrestling with her demons and morality, one of the most brilliant terrorists the genre has ever seen trying to bring the his enemies crashing down, and an epic chase across the Middle East and Africa. These three elements combined with the trappings expected only from American writers give this a radically different feel compared to other books in the genre for better or worse.
RELATIVELY RECOMMENDED.
June 24, 2013
I loved this book by Greg Barron, the sequel to Rotten Gods. It's an action packed thriller and I couldn't put it down! Wow! What a ride! It's a non stop adventure from the first page right up to the closing chapter. I've come to really care about these characters and found myself reading late into the night to find out what happened to them. Greg has woven lots of detail into his story which adds to the realism. I can't wait until the next one!
July 16, 2013
There are different levels to this book. If your preference is for a fast paced thriller - one that keeps you holding your breathe, and turning the pages to find out what happens next - this book will fulfil all your expectations!
If you are a thinking person - one who wonders where world problems are taking us into the future - this book will make you think even more! You will think more about terrorism - its causes and its effects.
Set in the near future, you will meet up with that fabulous Australian girl, Marika Hartmann, a dedicated intelligence officer for a subdivision of M16. Marika, whom you may have been fortunate enough to meet in Rotten Gods, takes you on a fascinating and frightening journey through Somalia, London, Iran, Iraq and Syria. You will meet other memorable characters - and have unforgettable experiences. Thank goodness for PJ! May we never meet up with the likes of some of the other characters!
You will be left with a greater insight of some of the international problems - and plenty more food for thought. You will be left waiting anxiously for the third book in this series.
i am not usually a reader of thrillers, but I sincerely give this book five stars!
If you are a thinking person - one who wonders where world problems are taking us into the future - this book will make you think even more! You will think more about terrorism - its causes and its effects.
Set in the near future, you will meet up with that fabulous Australian girl, Marika Hartmann, a dedicated intelligence officer for a subdivision of M16. Marika, whom you may have been fortunate enough to meet in Rotten Gods, takes you on a fascinating and frightening journey through Somalia, London, Iran, Iraq and Syria. You will meet other memorable characters - and have unforgettable experiences. Thank goodness for PJ! May we never meet up with the likes of some of the other characters!
You will be left with a greater insight of some of the international problems - and plenty more food for thought. You will be left waiting anxiously for the third book in this series.
i am not usually a reader of thrillers, but I sincerely give this book five stars!
June 29, 2013
Lots of action, clever plot and well rounded characters - this book has it all. Once I started reading it was impossible to put down. The quality of the writing as well as the amazing amount of research that must have been undertaken make the characters, events and places so vivid and real to the reader. Hope there are many more books featuring Marika and PJ to follow!
August 14, 2013
Wow, yet another great read by Greg Barron. This novel is complex and so detailed. I loved the 2 main characters and not surprisingly I hated the bad guys. Well done Greg, I cannot wait for the next book.
July 8, 2015
What a provoking, powerful book Savage Tide is. This is the third Greg Barron book I've read and the third featuring the wonderful female lead character, Marika Hartmann. Always I find a Greg Barron book takes the reader on a wild ride through so many of the issues fronting the world today. Climate change. Terrorism. Poverty. Third-world hunger. Disease. World politics. Greed.
You have to be prepared for bleak in a Greg Barron book because he doesn't sugar coat a single sentence. For example, when an opening scene includes a group of children near a refugee camp in Africa, and they're doing something as innocent as playing a game of football and having a picnic... you just know something awful is about to happen, because that's the way Barron writes. Expect the worse, and usually something more terrible happens. So you have to hold on tight if you're going to get through it - but this is also the way of the world for the people who live in these countries and the military and medical personnel who work there. A Barron book really makes you feel it.
What I really love is that amid the terror, there is beauty, and I found this to be a theme used in Savage Tide a lot. Often the lead characters of Marika and PJ and Kifimbo are trying to think of their favourite things, flowers, green fields, (for Kifimbo it is the flamingo migration on the huge lakes of Kenya - which is something I've seen in real life.) And while his characters are trying to think of something beautiful in the most dire times, Greg Barron will write a line that takes my breath away. This for example as PJ is thinking about Marika: "Strands of hair spill out of her cap. Her eyes are living proof that brown can be the deepest shade of all."
Oh!
The pacing in this is excellent. The characters are those we know and love, and the stakes for the characters and the world couldn't be higher.
This book was brilliant. I want my husband to read it. If he doesn't, after finishing Savage Tide tonight I am in a take-no-prisoners Marika mood, which means I might break his thumbs if he won't stop everything and pick this book up. :)
If you like action, Savage Tide deserves a spot on top of your reading list.
You have to be prepared for bleak in a Greg Barron book because he doesn't sugar coat a single sentence. For example, when an opening scene includes a group of children near a refugee camp in Africa, and they're doing something as innocent as playing a game of football and having a picnic... you just know something awful is about to happen, because that's the way Barron writes. Expect the worse, and usually something more terrible happens. So you have to hold on tight if you're going to get through it - but this is also the way of the world for the people who live in these countries and the military and medical personnel who work there. A Barron book really makes you feel it.
What I really love is that amid the terror, there is beauty, and I found this to be a theme used in Savage Tide a lot. Often the lead characters of Marika and PJ and Kifimbo are trying to think of their favourite things, flowers, green fields, (for Kifimbo it is the flamingo migration on the huge lakes of Kenya - which is something I've seen in real life.) And while his characters are trying to think of something beautiful in the most dire times, Greg Barron will write a line that takes my breath away. This for example as PJ is thinking about Marika: "Strands of hair spill out of her cap. Her eyes are living proof that brown can be the deepest shade of all."
Oh!
The pacing in this is excellent. The characters are those we know and love, and the stakes for the characters and the world couldn't be higher.
This book was brilliant. I want my husband to read it. If he doesn't, after finishing Savage Tide tonight I am in a take-no-prisoners Marika mood, which means I might break his thumbs if he won't stop everything and pick this book up. :)
If you like action, Savage Tide deserves a spot on top of your reading list.
June 29, 2013
Unsettling and thought-provoking from the outset- Savage Tide is a gripping read.
This is very different from the type of book I would normally read- Humvees, NGVs, AK-47s, IEDs and .357 Magnums - at first glance this book could seem very machismo, but with a strong female character in Marika,and Barron's appealing and innovative writing style, I found this book thoroughly engaging. Moments of humanity and hope balance with the more disturbing events in the plot and keep you thinking about the characters, even when you are not reading. Barron's strategic and seamless sprinkling of background information and the intelligence of his writing keep this book feeling authentic and current.
The simple, yet ingenious positioning of the maps at the head of each chapter has the effect of zooming the reader in to the next location, creating a sense that the reader is monitoring the mission.
I can't wait to read more from Greg Barron and I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in international relations or to anyone who just likes a damn good story.
This is very different from the type of book I would normally read- Humvees, NGVs, AK-47s, IEDs and .357 Magnums - at first glance this book could seem very machismo, but with a strong female character in Marika,and Barron's appealing and innovative writing style, I found this book thoroughly engaging. Moments of humanity and hope balance with the more disturbing events in the plot and keep you thinking about the characters, even when you are not reading. Barron's strategic and seamless sprinkling of background information and the intelligence of his writing keep this book feeling authentic and current.
The simple, yet ingenious positioning of the maps at the head of each chapter has the effect of zooming the reader in to the next location, creating a sense that the reader is monitoring the mission.
I can't wait to read more from Greg Barron and I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in international relations or to anyone who just likes a damn good story.
October 26, 2013
Savage Tide is Greg Barron’s second instalment of the series starring hard hitting intelligence officer, Marika Hartmann. Let me tell you, the pace of this novel does not ease up from start to finish. It flows smoothly with powerful, well developed characters. Probably my favourite character was a pilot by the name of Nayan whose extraordinary courage beggars belief. He is only a minor character, but plays a vital role that I did not see coming.
The story itself surrounds a group of extremists who have acquired old Iraqi biological weapons. Their intention? To destroy the western world. Marika must lead her team into hostile territory where one wrong move will spell death. The pace is fast, the story utterly believable, and Marika, as always, is inspiring.
Highly recommended!
The story itself surrounds a group of extremists who have acquired old Iraqi biological weapons. Their intention? To destroy the western world. Marika must lead her team into hostile territory where one wrong move will spell death. The pace is fast, the story utterly believable, and Marika, as always, is inspiring.
Highly recommended!
July 8, 2013
This was an excellent book. I wouldn say that this is my favourite genre and at the beginning I did get a bit dis-interested in the details surrounding the weapons and acronyms for the various government departments. This dropped off significantly about half way through the first section of the book. The rhythm and pace carried me along through this rollicking adventure and I was totally immersed in the world of Marika and PJ.
July 4, 2013
Having read Greg Barron's first book 'Rotten Gods',I couldn't wait to get my hands on this his next book 'Savage Tide',Well I haven't been disappointed .engrossing page turner from start to exciting finish.Well written,well researched,great characters,Highly recommended...if I could I'd give it ten stars!
July 18, 2013
A real page turner, the way Greg's mind works is amazing, the storytelling and plot were gripping and I couldn't put it down.Can't wait to see if P.J comes back, or if Marika gets a new partner.
August 13, 2013
This is a follow up to Rotten Gods and like that book is a bit slow to start with, but does pick up with lots of action to move the story along. Set in the near future this hints at the effects climate change will have on this world. Mostly enjoyable.
However...................
There are two aspects to this book that annoy me and make it less enjoyable than it should be. The first is the way in which the "unknown Syrian" was treated. He was clearly a risk, a plant and playing with them, but yet DRFS fell for it all and in the end allowed him to escape. He should have had a bullet to the head. He should not have been given a seaside holiday with internet access. Any organisation that would grant such access to a terrorist is just totally inept. This is something I do not think would ever happen in reality, no matter what was promised. This is such a let down in the story. The other issue is the spy in the DRFS. The handling of this was just wrong and when they came for him, he just walked out the door. This sequence of events was just a bit too far from reality for me.
I know this is a work of fiction, however, in some books straying too far from a reality is just unbelievable.
I can see it now, the "Unknown Syrian" being the terrorist of the moment in the next book.
However...................
There are two aspects to this book that annoy me and make it less enjoyable than it should be. The first is the way in which the "unknown Syrian" was treated. He was clearly a risk, a plant and playing with them, but yet DRFS fell for it all and in the end allowed him to escape. He should have had a bullet to the head. He should not have been given a seaside holiday with internet access. Any organisation that would grant such access to a terrorist is just totally inept. This is something I do not think would ever happen in reality, no matter what was promised. This is such a let down in the story. The other issue is the spy in the DRFS. The handling of this was just wrong and when they came for him, he just walked out the door. This sequence of events was just a bit too far from reality for me.
I know this is a work of fiction, however, in some books straying too far from a reality is just unbelievable.
I can see it now, the "Unknown Syrian" being the terrorist of the moment in the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2013
Greg Barron has topped his incredible debut novel, Rotten Gods, with this astounding second instalment of his Marika Hartmann trilogy, setting the stage for what is bound to be one heck of a third act. Like Rotten Gods, the pace is relentless - the pages properly fly past - with the story growing in complexity and mystery. Yet again, this is a book with a message, with its environmental asides thoughtful rather than didactic. He's clearly done a great deal of research which has enhanced the feel of this book no end. Fast and furious, to knock over a tome like this in five days says it all. Gripping, un-put-downable, and like all great story tellers, Greg leaves you begging for more.
August 4, 2013
When I learnt that Australian girl, the highly talented,well trained and super sensitive, Marika Hartmann was returning to fight the forces of evil, in Greg Barron's second book, Savage Tide, - I just had to read it in a hurry! In less than two days, I lived in the future, travelled to unlikely places and faced many of the world's problems - mainly including terrorism. What a page turner! I still can't stop thinking about it!
July 2, 2013
A perfectly paced novel that will keep you turning the pages right until the end. This book, however, is more than just a page turner, it will make you think and make you care about the world we live in. Barron's characters will stay with you long after you finish reading.
July 17, 2013
I love a good rollicking adventure tale and this is a crackerjack one. I also enjoyed the setting of the book, in the near future, and Barron's intelligent handling of the future that may already be.
An enjoyable rollercoaster, Savage Tide is both thought provoking and heart pounding.
March 11, 2014
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads, yippee! Fast paced, entertaining, strong female character. Excellent!
November 28, 2017
Really good read, full of action. I admire the amount of research that must go into Greg's book in order for them to sound authentic. The two main characters are extremely likable., especially the main character - Australian Marika Hartmann. Can't wait to read the next one now.
December 24, 2023
A really enjoyable book. I like that the main character is Australian, and female!
Considering how complex the story is, it is extremely well written.
Considering how complex the story is, it is extremely well written.
April 29, 2014
A rip-roaring tale set in that edgy world that's just a decade or so into the future. All the global fears of today have come true and the world is seriously coming apart at the seams. But the human factor - the characteristics of courage and resilience, resourcefulness and kindness have not changed and are still opposing the forces of darkness. Marika Hartmann is an exciting character, heading a cast of some truly evil people.
July 1, 2014
Ooooh, I enjoyed this one. My only gripe, which I will get out of the way now, is how many acronyms are used. I had to keep trying to remember what they all stood for as I read this book! Quite the mixture of intrigue, betrayal, blood and guts which kept me wanting to read this without stopping. Really enjoyed this.
July 5, 2015
Action thriller which delivers suspense and lots of action surrounding a terrorist plot and our heroine's attempts to thwart it. Many scenes take place behind the closed doors of terrorist cells and they were interesting and believable. This is not deep literature but is enjoyable summer reading - this small book took me less than one day from start to finish!
May 13, 2015
Another brilliant piece by Greg!
His descriptive writing and passion for detail drew me into the action. A thrilling ride of religious fanaticism and power plays.
Well done, Greg. Lethal Sky is next on my list!
His descriptive writing and passion for detail drew me into the action. A thrilling ride of religious fanaticism and power plays.
Well done, Greg. Lethal Sky is next on my list!
February 6, 2015
This second book in the series featuring gutsy Australian Marika and heroic PJ is filled with action. An enjoyable read that has all the elements of a good story with very descriptive and believable characters. If you like political thrillers then this is the book for you.
August 29, 2013
Manages to be both exciting and thought provoking. A great new Aussie talent proves to be no one hit wonder with his second outing.
Read
October 25, 2013Normally I quite like political thrillers, but this one wasn't for me.
April 9, 2015
Enjoyable.
August 12, 2015
Realpolitik meets rollercoaster in this fast-paced adventure.
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