Bog Hammer

Jon Hunt #5

by Larry Jeram-Croft

The Gulf at the end of the eighties is a powder keg. The war between Iran and Iraq may be over but tension in the whole region is high. Having been forced reluctantly to the negotiating table, Iran is still looking for a devastating counterstroke. Into this cauldron, the frigate HMS Prometheus is tasked to maintain the safety of British interests in the area as part of the Armilla patrol. Now commanded by the newly promoted Commander Jonathon Hunt with his friend Brain Pearce as his Operations officer, they are thrust into a situation that requires all their courage and ingenuity. The threat of 'Bog Hammers' - small armed speedboats that can cause chaos far in excess of their size, as well that posed by shore based missiles puts Jon and Brian in a precarious position as they try to counter an audacious attempt by an Iranian faction to bring chaos to the whole region.

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2014

About the author

Best selling author, Larry Jeram-Croft spent thirty years in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot and engineer. He then worked in industry for seven years before retiring. When he retired, he and his wife bought a yacht and went to live in the Caribbean. It was this experience that led to the idea for his 'Jacaranda trilogy'. The novels are based on true events in the West indies of Nelson's time and provide thrilling and exciting stories for all who love the sea and sailing. Brought up on the books of C S Forester and Patrick O'Brian he was surprised that no one was writing similar stories about the modern Royal Navy, especially with so much going on in previous decades. As he was himself a Lynx helicopter pilot during the Falklands War, he decided to start there, using his own extensive knowledge of the conflict. 'Sea Skimmer' was the result; a book based on many true stories, the main one being why the Argentinian Exocet missiles failed to explode. Directly involved in anti Exocet countermeasures and also with a grandstand seat of the final Exocet raid of the war, the book, although a novel, has an authenticity that cannot be bettered. More books have followed. The latest 'Diamant' is a historical novel set in 1805 about the Royal Navy setting up a garrison on Diamond Rock off Martinique an exercise that almost brought Nelson and the French together well before Trafalgar.
In addition to his fiction, last year he published his first non- fiction work, an operational history of the RN Lynx helicopter. Another about the RN Wasp helicopter is due out this year.
Larry now lives in Martock, Somerset and spends most of his time writing and playing golf extraordinarily badly.

You can keep up to date on his blog at: http://sowethereyet.blogspot.co.uk/

Reviews

[John A. Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth instalment of the Jon Hunt saga finds Hunt in command of the frigate HMS Prometheus, stuck in the middle of the Gulf in the late eighties. The Iran Iraq war has ended, albeit not in the way Iran would have liked, and they want revenge. The titular 'Bog Hammers' are small speedboats that can threaten the safety of much larger ships in the notoriously dangerous Gulf waters. However, Hunt and his ship are thrust into a much more dangerous situation, one which could ignite not just the Middle East.
Bog Hammers contains all the usual technical know-how we have come to expect from the series, and the plot is interesting, if a tad far fetched. Overall, pretty good, although I suspect there might be a few in the RN who begin to think Hunt is jinxed (or lucky depending on point of view) given his habit of running into every dangerous situation since the Falklands!

[Jim Rudolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five out of five!

What can I say? It’s another great read! I’m already worried that there are only 5 more left to enjoy. I do love historical fiction with accurate detailed flying scenes and believable plot lines!

[Kathy Fritschi · Rating 4 out of 5]

disaster averted

Jon comes through again. I liked the action; never a dull moment except when Jon is cooped up in the London naval office.

[Robert W Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Really liked this novel. Well done. I would love to read more by this author.Give me a chance to be happy.