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Lieutenant Danielle Lewis #1
Tenacity
Suicide is always investigated.
Especially when a Royal Navy submarine officer kills himself on board, only days after his wife's brutal murder.
Now Lieutenant Danielle Lewis, the Navy's finest Special Branch investigator, is two hundred metres below the surface.
Interrogating the tight-knit all-male crew of HMS Tenacity. Trying to determine if there's a link.
In the face of extreme hostility, justice must be served and only the most tenacious will survive.
For Dan pressure is inside. Outside. Everywhere...
Tense, dramatic, claustrophobic and brilliant, this is Headline's crime launch for 2015.
Especially when a Royal Navy submarine officer kills himself on board, only days after his wife's brutal murder.
Now Lieutenant Danielle Lewis, the Navy's finest Special Branch investigator, is two hundred metres below the surface.
Interrogating the tight-knit all-male crew of HMS Tenacity. Trying to determine if there's a link.
In the face of extreme hostility, justice must be served and only the most tenacious will survive.
For Dan pressure is inside. Outside. Everywhere...
Tense, dramatic, claustrophobic and brilliant, this is Headline's crime launch for 2015.
305 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2015
19 people are currently reading
1179 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Law
4 books31 followersJ.S Law joined the Royal Navy in 1993 as an apprentice and went on to serve for twenty years, the majority of that time spent in the Submarine Service. He rose through the ranks, taking a commission as an engineering officer in 2001, and serving as a Senior Engineer and Nuclear Reactor Plant Supervisor, where his responsibilities ranged from the safety and operation of the submarine’s nuclear power plant to hydraulic plants, fridges and toilets; it was the latter of these tasks that brought the majority of any pressure.
His final years in service were spent training future submariners in his role of Senior Lecturer in Nuclear Reactor Engineering.
Having written short stories and novels throughout his naval career, James completed an MA in Creative Writing at Portsmouth University shortly before leaving the navy in 2013, completing his debut novel, Tenacity, shortly afterwards.
James lives in Hampshire with his wife, Elaine, and two children. He spends what spare time he has riding his bike around the South Downs and travelling to Edinburgh to watch Scotland play rugby at Murrayfield stadium.
His final years in service were spent training future submariners in his role of Senior Lecturer in Nuclear Reactor Engineering.
Having written short stories and novels throughout his naval career, James completed an MA in Creative Writing at Portsmouth University shortly before leaving the navy in 2013, completing his debut novel, Tenacity, shortly afterwards.
James lives in Hampshire with his wife, Elaine, and two children. He spends what spare time he has riding his bike around the South Downs and travelling to Edinburgh to watch Scotland play rugby at Murrayfield stadium.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
August 6, 2015
Tenacity is a read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Its main character is Danielle Lewis (Dan for short) an investigator with the Royal Navy and I really liked this idea, it made a very welcome change from the usual scenarios in the genre.
A woman in a man’s world, who has already fallen foul of the establishment and seems to be hanging on to her career by a thread, she is investigating events around a suspected suicide on Tenacity, a nuclear submarine. This is a debut novel although you could be forgiven at times for thinking you are reading the second in a series, but all the little things that get you wondering about her past do eventually get explained.
If she thought she already suffered from being a woman in a male dominated environment, then Dan is in for a huge shock when she joins the company on Tenacy. She is in a situation where she is treated at best with contempt and at worst with absolute hostility. It seems that nobody wants her around. It made gripping reading as she slowly managed to put together the pieces of the puzzle surrounding the suicide especially in the extremely claustrophobic confines of the submarine, from which she could not escape if she wanted to. This really added to the tension of the read.
The story is original and well plotted, it really kept my interest right up to an ending which really took me by surprise. I love the way it heralded the start of a new series, and one which sounds as if it is going to be just that little bit different to a lot of crime series novels. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
A woman in a man’s world, who has already fallen foul of the establishment and seems to be hanging on to her career by a thread, she is investigating events around a suspected suicide on Tenacity, a nuclear submarine. This is a debut novel although you could be forgiven at times for thinking you are reading the second in a series, but all the little things that get you wondering about her past do eventually get explained.
If she thought she already suffered from being a woman in a male dominated environment, then Dan is in for a huge shock when she joins the company on Tenacy. She is in a situation where she is treated at best with contempt and at worst with absolute hostility. It seems that nobody wants her around. It made gripping reading as she slowly managed to put together the pieces of the puzzle surrounding the suicide especially in the extremely claustrophobic confines of the submarine, from which she could not escape if she wanted to. This really added to the tension of the read.
The story is original and well plotted, it really kept my interest right up to an ending which really took me by surprise. I love the way it heralded the start of a new series, and one which sounds as if it is going to be just that little bit different to a lot of crime series novels. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
December 31, 2015
An excellent debut thriller in what appears to be the first of a series.
Danielle (Dan) Lewis is a member of the Navy's Special Investigation Branch and is asked to investigate the suicide of Stuart Walker, a crew member of the nuclear submarine HMS Tenacity. Stuart's wife Cheryl had been raped and murdered only a few days previously while Stuart was still on the submarine and Dan has an inkling there is more to the story than a simple suicide. Dan has been in trouble previously in her career for not being a team player, nearly getting herself killed in following up a hunch about a serial killer four years ago. She is still recovering from the aftermath of that investigation and has just returned to work after a year sabbatical. When HMS Tenacity gets orders to return to sea before Dan and her partner have even had a chance to interview the crew members Dan decides to go along to complete the interviews on route and see what more she can find out on board. Life on board a submarine with an all male was never going to be easy but the captain and officers go out of their way to impede the investigation and make Dan's life difficult.
Choosing a Navy investigator and setting the story on a nuclear submarine was an inspired idea and works really well. It certainly helped to build the tension as Dan cooped up in a confined space starts to fear for her safety as there really is no escape. It's clear from the ending that there will be a sequel and I look forward to seeing Dan and her partner John again. Dan is a complex character and I would really like to see how she develops from here. Will she continue to be a maverick who breaks all the rules and severs her relationship with friends and family and doesn't trust anyone or will she finally learn how to work with John and let her family back into her life?
Danielle (Dan) Lewis is a member of the Navy's Special Investigation Branch and is asked to investigate the suicide of Stuart Walker, a crew member of the nuclear submarine HMS Tenacity. Stuart's wife Cheryl had been raped and murdered only a few days previously while Stuart was still on the submarine and Dan has an inkling there is more to the story than a simple suicide. Dan has been in trouble previously in her career for not being a team player, nearly getting herself killed in following up a hunch about a serial killer four years ago. She is still recovering from the aftermath of that investigation and has just returned to work after a year sabbatical. When HMS Tenacity gets orders to return to sea before Dan and her partner have even had a chance to interview the crew members Dan decides to go along to complete the interviews on route and see what more she can find out on board. Life on board a submarine with an all male was never going to be easy but the captain and officers go out of their way to impede the investigation and make Dan's life difficult.
Choosing a Navy investigator and setting the story on a nuclear submarine was an inspired idea and works really well. It certainly helped to build the tension as Dan cooped up in a confined space starts to fear for her safety as there really is no escape. It's clear from the ending that there will be a sequel and I look forward to seeing Dan and her partner John again. Dan is a complex character and I would really like to see how she develops from here. Will she continue to be a maverick who breaks all the rules and severs her relationship with friends and family and doesn't trust anyone or will she finally learn how to work with John and let her family back into her life?
May 15, 2015
I started Tenacity last night and apart from a short sleep, a work shift and you know, feeding the kids, I didnt put it down until I finished it just now. Really, don't start this book until you have a chunk of time free.
Tenacity is a claustrophobic, addictive and brilliantly constructed thriller that just won't let go, utterly gripping and pretty perfect. Dan, a woman in a man's world, is superbly drawn, anchoring the tale, allowing a lot of fairly dark themes to be explored all wrapped up in a truly terrific mystery story with a deeply disturbing but completely enthralling edge.
A lot of it is in the setting - a huge part of this novel takes place in the confines of a submarine - nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, Dan must track down a killer and she is entirely isolated in this task. This allows for some really creepy and edge of the seat moments that are written so well you may find it hard to breathe yourself. The author manages to bring the atmosphere to vivid life, descriptively speaking this is magnificent stuff, deceptively simple seeming prose that just gets into your head and puts you right there.
There is a hugely organic flow to the writing that keeps you staying up just "ten more minutes" for "just one more chapter" that then turns into a good few more chapters and a good many more minutes - the sign for me of a really really good book.
In the case of "Tenacity" there is no compromise on character to create thrills, the characters ARE the thrills, not only Dan but every single one, bad guys and good guys alike. If you want a thriller that truly works on every level then "Tenacity" is for you.
The ending made me beautifully madly insane - but was pitch perfect. I loved every minute of this, from the opening shots across the bow so to speak to the adrenalin filled final pages that had me madly downing sherbert dib dabs - yes I eat silly sweets when I'm tense - and I really cannot recommend it highly enough.
Just hurry along the next one for heavens sake. That is all!
Tenacity is a claustrophobic, addictive and brilliantly constructed thriller that just won't let go, utterly gripping and pretty perfect. Dan, a woman in a man's world, is superbly drawn, anchoring the tale, allowing a lot of fairly dark themes to be explored all wrapped up in a truly terrific mystery story with a deeply disturbing but completely enthralling edge.
A lot of it is in the setting - a huge part of this novel takes place in the confines of a submarine - nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, Dan must track down a killer and she is entirely isolated in this task. This allows for some really creepy and edge of the seat moments that are written so well you may find it hard to breathe yourself. The author manages to bring the atmosphere to vivid life, descriptively speaking this is magnificent stuff, deceptively simple seeming prose that just gets into your head and puts you right there.
There is a hugely organic flow to the writing that keeps you staying up just "ten more minutes" for "just one more chapter" that then turns into a good few more chapters and a good many more minutes - the sign for me of a really really good book.
In the case of "Tenacity" there is no compromise on character to create thrills, the characters ARE the thrills, not only Dan but every single one, bad guys and good guys alike. If you want a thriller that truly works on every level then "Tenacity" is for you.
The ending made me beautifully madly insane - but was pitch perfect. I loved every minute of this, from the opening shots across the bow so to speak to the adrenalin filled final pages that had me madly downing sherbert dib dabs - yes I eat silly sweets when I'm tense - and I really cannot recommend it highly enough.
Just hurry along the next one for heavens sake. That is all!
October 4, 2020
This is an excellent thriller, and way more polished than I would expect from a first time author. The protagonist is Danielle (Dan) Lewis, a member of the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Navy. Dan has recently returned to work after a traumatic experience and professional screw up. She has been specifically requested to be assigned to investigate a possible suicide on the submarine Tenacity.
The author is a former member of the Royal Navy Submarine Service. That experience pays off wonderfully in his fascinating description of the details of life on a submarine. He is also very good at describing how it feels to be a woman alone in a group of unwelcoming (and some actively intimidating) men. The book is very suspenseful and has an original plot. I did have a few problems with the characterization of Dan. For one thing, she doesn't seem to like anything "naval", such as discipline, team work or swimming tests, so I wondered why she ever joined the navy. For another, Dan repeatedly makes boneheaded decisions, stubbornly refuses to share vital information and appears to be incapable of learning from her mistakes. As an aside, Dan kept wondering why her presence had been requested in this investigation. I thought the reason was pretty obvious, which is just one example of Dan's poor judgement. It seems there is to be a second book in the Dan Lewis series. I will probably read it, but I hope she gets smarter, because her behavior was extremely frustrating.
While this is a standalone book, it does leave several things open for the next book. Also, if you are greatly disturbed by scenes of women being assaulted, you should probably steer clear of this book. One scene in particular could cause nightmares.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The author is a former member of the Royal Navy Submarine Service. That experience pays off wonderfully in his fascinating description of the details of life on a submarine. He is also very good at describing how it feels to be a woman alone in a group of unwelcoming (and some actively intimidating) men. The book is very suspenseful and has an original plot. I did have a few problems with the characterization of Dan. For one thing, she doesn't seem to like anything "naval", such as discipline, team work or swimming tests, so I wondered why she ever joined the navy. For another, Dan repeatedly makes boneheaded decisions, stubbornly refuses to share vital information and appears to be incapable of learning from her mistakes. As an aside, Dan kept wondering why her presence had been requested in this investigation. I thought the reason was pretty obvious, which is just one example of Dan's poor judgement. It seems there is to be a second book in the Dan Lewis series. I will probably read it, but I hope she gets smarter, because her behavior was extremely frustrating.
While this is a standalone book, it does leave several things open for the next book. Also, if you are greatly disturbed by scenes of women being assaulted, you should probably steer clear of this book. One scene in particular could cause nightmares.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
July 3, 2015
This is an unusual thriller, featuring Navy Officer and Special Investigator, Lieutenant Danielle Lewis. The story begins with a flashback of events in 2010, when Dan Lewis confronted murderer Christopher Hamilton. This investigation is to haunt Dan, cause a rift with her partner, John Granger, who had no idea she was intending to go off on her own without backup, and damage her reputation.
We now move forward to 2014 and find Dan living alone, still struggling with the aftermath of the Hamilton investigation and distanced from her family. She is summoned by Commander Roger Blackett, “Head of Kill,” as the Crimes Involving Loss of Lives Division is nicknamed. Stuart Walker was found dead, a suspected suicide, on board HMT Tenacity, a nuclear submarine and Dan is told to investigate. However, of course, things are never that simple and, to complicate matters, Stuart Walker’s wife was brutally beaten, raped and murdered shortly before his suicide. To complicate matters still further, Dan is told that John Granger has been chosen to be her assisting officer.
Although Dan has spent most of her adult life in the Navy, we are soon clear that submarines are a law until themselves. Run by Commanding Officer Melvin Bradshaw, otherwise known as the ‘Old Man’ it is soon clear to Dan that she is not welcome and her investigation viewed with suspicion. She suspects there is a link between the deaths of Stuart Walker and his wife, Cheryl, and also fears that there are links to the one case that overshadows her life. However, when she is forced to continue her case on board Tenacity, not only the investigation but her life is in danger…
This is an interesting novel, with an unusual setting and a good lead character. The author makes no effort to spare us from the realities of life on board – not only the claustrophobic setting, but the bullying and sexist behaviour that Dan both witnesses and experiences. At times, this is an uncomfortable read and Dan a flawed and realistic character, facing the hostility of the crew and officers and the outdated misogynist attitudes that prevail on board. As Dan is told, there are three places for her to be – in the bedroom, the kitchen or off the submarine. However, she has no intention of going anywhere until she gets justice for Cheryl Walker. Why was she afraid of Tenacity returning and did Stuart Walker really commit suicide, or was he murdered?
I hope that this book will have a sequel, because I would love to see how Dan Lewis progresses. I enjoyed the slightly uneasy quality of the storyline – nothing is clear cut and certainly events do not always go in Dan’s favour. Overall, a promising start to what will hopefully turn out to be a series. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
We now move forward to 2014 and find Dan living alone, still struggling with the aftermath of the Hamilton investigation and distanced from her family. She is summoned by Commander Roger Blackett, “Head of Kill,” as the Crimes Involving Loss of Lives Division is nicknamed. Stuart Walker was found dead, a suspected suicide, on board HMT Tenacity, a nuclear submarine and Dan is told to investigate. However, of course, things are never that simple and, to complicate matters, Stuart Walker’s wife was brutally beaten, raped and murdered shortly before his suicide. To complicate matters still further, Dan is told that John Granger has been chosen to be her assisting officer.
Although Dan has spent most of her adult life in the Navy, we are soon clear that submarines are a law until themselves. Run by Commanding Officer Melvin Bradshaw, otherwise known as the ‘Old Man’ it is soon clear to Dan that she is not welcome and her investigation viewed with suspicion. She suspects there is a link between the deaths of Stuart Walker and his wife, Cheryl, and also fears that there are links to the one case that overshadows her life. However, when she is forced to continue her case on board Tenacity, not only the investigation but her life is in danger…
This is an interesting novel, with an unusual setting and a good lead character. The author makes no effort to spare us from the realities of life on board – not only the claustrophobic setting, but the bullying and sexist behaviour that Dan both witnesses and experiences. At times, this is an uncomfortable read and Dan a flawed and realistic character, facing the hostility of the crew and officers and the outdated misogynist attitudes that prevail on board. As Dan is told, there are three places for her to be – in the bedroom, the kitchen or off the submarine. However, she has no intention of going anywhere until she gets justice for Cheryl Walker. Why was she afraid of Tenacity returning and did Stuart Walker really commit suicide, or was he murdered?
I hope that this book will have a sequel, because I would love to see how Dan Lewis progresses. I enjoyed the slightly uneasy quality of the storyline – nothing is clear cut and certainly events do not always go in Dan’s favour. Overall, a promising start to what will hopefully turn out to be a series. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
October 14, 2015
As you can see from the blurb, DI Danielle Lewis is female investigator in the Royal Navy’s Special Investigation Branch. She is called in to investigate an apparent suicide of a submariner on board submarine Tenacity. What we also find out is that the apparent suicide's wife has been murdered too. Are the two events linked? This is what drives our heroine 'Dan' on. Working in a very much male dominated world, Dan goes to great lengths to not play on her feminine side hence adopting the name Dan.
So, Dan is forced to embark onto Tenacity as it's sent out into waters again. Forced into a claustrophobic environment and being the only woman on board, Dan sets out to seek the truth and find out what actually happened. We're treated to an insight into the workings of a nuclear submarine, the terminology and how things are run. It's an interesting area and one I would normally shy away from, but Law weaves it all in a clever way. Facts are told with tension building storytelling that never really left me uninterested. Parts of the book are scary and indeed shocking but not wholly unexpected in an area where women are now usually allowed. In fact, I didn't know it was considered unlucky to have a woman aboard!
The whole thing is really well done, it's confidently written with some great characters that will either leave you cheering or wanting to vent in frustration. And as for the ending ..... I can see why it was done but .... grrrrr!
Will I be reading more? Definitely. I need answers .... so does the tenacious Dan!
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. Much was learnt and enjoyed!
So, Dan is forced to embark onto Tenacity as it's sent out into waters again. Forced into a claustrophobic environment and being the only woman on board, Dan sets out to seek the truth and find out what actually happened. We're treated to an insight into the workings of a nuclear submarine, the terminology and how things are run. It's an interesting area and one I would normally shy away from, but Law weaves it all in a clever way. Facts are told with tension building storytelling that never really left me uninterested. Parts of the book are scary and indeed shocking but not wholly unexpected in an area where women are now usually allowed. In fact, I didn't know it was considered unlucky to have a woman aboard!
The whole thing is really well done, it's confidently written with some great characters that will either leave you cheering or wanting to vent in frustration. And as for the ending ..... I can see why it was done but .... grrrrr!
Will I be reading more? Definitely. I need answers .... so does the tenacious Dan!
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. Much was learnt and enjoyed!
September 3, 2015
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.
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.
January 3, 2018
Such a high quality thriller with a fantastic and unusual location - tense and claustrophobic, it grips instantly. A great debut.
July 23, 2015
Tenacity – Exciting Crime Thriller Debut
JS Law blasts in to the world of crime fiction with a spectacular debut and introducing us to a tough but vulnerable Special Investigations Investigator in Lieutenant Danielle Lewis. Tenacity takes us in to the tough macho world of a submariner where women are as welcome as a pork pie at a bar mitzvah. JS Law has used his experience as a naval engineer to give an insight in to some of the mindset of the Royal Navy and gives us a hero we can admire for her own tenacity.
Tenacity takes us deep in to the claustrophobic world of a nuclear powered submarine, based at the Royal Navy Dockyard at Devonport. The language is taut powerful and evocative to the point that the closed claustrophobic world of Tenacity can feel suffocating to the reader at the same time it does for Danielle ‘Dan’ Lewis. Like an Exocet missile she finds her targets and like said missile also has the same area of collateral damage!
Tenacity opens with the final stages of a crime investigation which she captures a murderer from within the Navy and has to fight to save her own life. What we learn from this is that Dan Lewis is not afraid to place herself in the way of extreme danger not afraid to take the initiative not waiting for assistance and totally alienating her own colleagues and friends.
Dan Lewis is back on the job and has been given command in Portsmouth of her own team but as an Investigating officer in the Royal Navy, which is part of the Special Investigation Branch's Kill Team. Lewis also knows that she could be called to complete an investigation anywhere and this is what happens when she has been requested to investigate the suicide of ‘Whiskey’ Walker and as an aside his wife Cheryl has been badly beaten and then murdered.
Lewis had entered the service and completed Royal Navy training with ‘Whiskey’ back in the day and until he was found dead he was also the Chief Stoker on the nuclear submarine Tenacity, where his lifeless body was discovered.
Lewis sure that the murder and the suicide are connected in some way but she has been warned off from interfering with Devon & Cornwall Police’s murder investigation and that she should liaise with them but find out where all the men on the Tenacity were. Having seen the crime scene pictures of the victim she is sure that the perpetrator is on board the Tenacity and committed more crimes that had yet to be discovered.
Like all men that live cheek by jowl and see each other as family none is willing to break ranks and discuss the case with her, and she makes things even harder for herself when she decides to go to see with the ‘boat’ to complete the investigation. It is while she is out at sea she becomes more aware of how isolated she is and is looking for allies on board to keep her sane and help her do what she has come to do. She has to put up with verbal, physical and psychological attacks on board who are trying to break her in as many ways possible.
The pulsating pace and attacks keep on all the way through to its very dramatic ending which will leave you breathless and amazed. As you read and pick out your own villains of this thriller there are some lovely twists that really make you think.
This is a wonderful debut novel, with a great new hero and the book will be loved by all fans of psychological thrillers and as this is a beginning of a series of ‘Dan’ Lewis thrillers will leave you begging for the next outing. JS Law has turned the dark lonely world of the submarine in to a dark pulsating thriller that draws you in and leaves you feeling as battered as Lewis.
JS Law blasts in to the world of crime fiction with a spectacular debut and introducing us to a tough but vulnerable Special Investigations Investigator in Lieutenant Danielle Lewis. Tenacity takes us in to the tough macho world of a submariner where women are as welcome as a pork pie at a bar mitzvah. JS Law has used his experience as a naval engineer to give an insight in to some of the mindset of the Royal Navy and gives us a hero we can admire for her own tenacity.
Tenacity takes us deep in to the claustrophobic world of a nuclear powered submarine, based at the Royal Navy Dockyard at Devonport. The language is taut powerful and evocative to the point that the closed claustrophobic world of Tenacity can feel suffocating to the reader at the same time it does for Danielle ‘Dan’ Lewis. Like an Exocet missile she finds her targets and like said missile also has the same area of collateral damage!
Tenacity opens with the final stages of a crime investigation which she captures a murderer from within the Navy and has to fight to save her own life. What we learn from this is that Dan Lewis is not afraid to place herself in the way of extreme danger not afraid to take the initiative not waiting for assistance and totally alienating her own colleagues and friends.
Dan Lewis is back on the job and has been given command in Portsmouth of her own team but as an Investigating officer in the Royal Navy, which is part of the Special Investigation Branch's Kill Team. Lewis also knows that she could be called to complete an investigation anywhere and this is what happens when she has been requested to investigate the suicide of ‘Whiskey’ Walker and as an aside his wife Cheryl has been badly beaten and then murdered.
Lewis had entered the service and completed Royal Navy training with ‘Whiskey’ back in the day and until he was found dead he was also the Chief Stoker on the nuclear submarine Tenacity, where his lifeless body was discovered.
Lewis sure that the murder and the suicide are connected in some way but she has been warned off from interfering with Devon & Cornwall Police’s murder investigation and that she should liaise with them but find out where all the men on the Tenacity were. Having seen the crime scene pictures of the victim she is sure that the perpetrator is on board the Tenacity and committed more crimes that had yet to be discovered.
Like all men that live cheek by jowl and see each other as family none is willing to break ranks and discuss the case with her, and she makes things even harder for herself when she decides to go to see with the ‘boat’ to complete the investigation. It is while she is out at sea she becomes more aware of how isolated she is and is looking for allies on board to keep her sane and help her do what she has come to do. She has to put up with verbal, physical and psychological attacks on board who are trying to break her in as many ways possible.
The pulsating pace and attacks keep on all the way through to its very dramatic ending which will leave you breathless and amazed. As you read and pick out your own villains of this thriller there are some lovely twists that really make you think.
This is a wonderful debut novel, with a great new hero and the book will be loved by all fans of psychological thrillers and as this is a beginning of a series of ‘Dan’ Lewis thrillers will leave you begging for the next outing. JS Law has turned the dark lonely world of the submarine in to a dark pulsating thriller that draws you in and leaves you feeling as battered as Lewis.
November 26, 2015
Picked this book from the new shelf at the library yesterday, rushing to collect the book on Putin that I wanted to read before the holiday library closure. I see that this book is listed here as #1 in what will be an ongoing Lt. Danielle Lewis series. It is excellent for all the attributes expected from a tense thriller: pacing, setting, action, despicable baddies. On the attributes alone, Law's debut novel deserves 5 stars. But the protagonist! One third of the way into the book, I started mentally substituting a male for Dan. The story falls to shreds with a male lead, because this is from start to finish and onward into sequels a Female In Terrible Peril Who Thinks She Can Do It Alone But Is Ridiculously (soon to be Fatally) Wrong story. A damsel, begob. Lewis is an 18-year veteran in the British Navy for crying out loud! Impossible to believe based on her behavior: she demonstrates all the stupid decisions a rookie cop fresh out of training would make, repeatedly and in stupefying detail, and with the complicity of her secondary character friends and colleagues! Unbelievable. Completely. There are authors who do rogue females well - Carol O'Connell in the Mallory series an excellent example. O'Connell's Mallory is that rare bird - a semi-endearing sociopath. I don't know what Lewis is. I can't sort if this is a completely misogynistic read, just a blundering blind take on what being a female in a man's world is, or why in this world Law chose to write a woman lead.
November 10, 2015
Tenacity was an unexpected thriller (in a good way) that was refreshing, suspenseful, and introduces readers to a heroine in a unique situation.
Lieutenant Danielle “Dan” Lewis is an investigator for the Special Investigative Branch (SIB) of the British military, and the lone female investigator at that. Following an investigation that both heralded her as a hero and reviled her amongst her colleagues, Dan has come back to her roots after taking a year sabbatical. What her colleagues are unaware of is that Dan’s sabbatical was motivated after she was attacked and beaten on the one-year anniversary of the imprisonment of the man that made her a household name. Now another woman has been beaten and murdered and her husband has seemingly committed suicide. Only Dan sees the connection between her own attack and that of the murder victim's and that’s only because she’s never shared what happened to her.
Ostensibly investigating the apparent suicide, Dan is also bent on finding out more about her own attack. This investigation pairs Dan with her former partner, John Granger, whom is still holding a grudge because of Dan’s lone wolf tendencies. During the investigation many walls are thrown up against Dan and it’s clear that everything traces back to the nuclear submarine, Tenacity. Only by joining the crew on the Tenacity will Dan find out the truth, or at least, she hopes so.
Tenacity was a nail-biting read. Right off the hop so many questions were raised. What secret is Dan keeping? How does that secret relate to the rape and murder of a submariner’s wife? How does everything relate to the Tenacity? I was hooked from the get-go. Aside from the mystery, what really caught my attention was the unique perspective that the novel takes. Dan is a lone woman investigator in an all boys’ club, which means that absolutely nothing is easy for her. Suspects don’t want to talk to her. She’s blatantly harassed and disrespected. It’s basically an awful work environment. Add in the fact that Dan has not dealt with the aftereffects of her own attack – well, Dan, she’s one tough lady. Dan was a great character and I’m really impressed that the author showed the darker side of a woman worked in a male dominated field (a concept that I personally take for granted working in a female dominated career).
The suspense is really amped up once Dan is actually on the Tenacity. Submarine living is claustrophobic and this is made clear over and over again. The lack of sunlight, communication to the outside world, and being labeled an interloper all ramp up the tension and sense of forboding. No one wants Dan on the Tenacity and again this results in derogatory remarks and disrespect being aimed at Dan. The terror at Dan’s vulnerability in this situation is what I found really suspenseful about this book. Sure there's a murderer out there, but its Dan’s solitude that really had me flipping the pages. Anything could have happened to Dan and it would be her word against an entire company of tight-knit submariners.
Tenacity is a well-crafted mystery/thriller, but it really stands out in the genre because of its investigator, Danielle Lewis. Dan is a strong woman going against an established institution in the effort to find a murderer and discover a larger conspiracy, and it’s kind of terrifying. The author has done a superb job at creating a memorable character and a suspenseful plot, and Law leaves just enough threads dangling to guarantee that I will be back to find out more and to learn more about the life of a military police officer, a world that feels so foreign to me. Recommended to fans of the mystery genre that are looking for something outside the norm.
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
Lieutenant Danielle “Dan” Lewis is an investigator for the Special Investigative Branch (SIB) of the British military, and the lone female investigator at that. Following an investigation that both heralded her as a hero and reviled her amongst her colleagues, Dan has come back to her roots after taking a year sabbatical. What her colleagues are unaware of is that Dan’s sabbatical was motivated after she was attacked and beaten on the one-year anniversary of the imprisonment of the man that made her a household name. Now another woman has been beaten and murdered and her husband has seemingly committed suicide. Only Dan sees the connection between her own attack and that of the murder victim's and that’s only because she’s never shared what happened to her.
Ostensibly investigating the apparent suicide, Dan is also bent on finding out more about her own attack. This investigation pairs Dan with her former partner, John Granger, whom is still holding a grudge because of Dan’s lone wolf tendencies. During the investigation many walls are thrown up against Dan and it’s clear that everything traces back to the nuclear submarine, Tenacity. Only by joining the crew on the Tenacity will Dan find out the truth, or at least, she hopes so.
Tenacity was a nail-biting read. Right off the hop so many questions were raised. What secret is Dan keeping? How does that secret relate to the rape and murder of a submariner’s wife? How does everything relate to the Tenacity? I was hooked from the get-go. Aside from the mystery, what really caught my attention was the unique perspective that the novel takes. Dan is a lone woman investigator in an all boys’ club, which means that absolutely nothing is easy for her. Suspects don’t want to talk to her. She’s blatantly harassed and disrespected. It’s basically an awful work environment. Add in the fact that Dan has not dealt with the aftereffects of her own attack – well, Dan, she’s one tough lady. Dan was a great character and I’m really impressed that the author showed the darker side of a woman worked in a male dominated field (a concept that I personally take for granted working in a female dominated career).
The suspense is really amped up once Dan is actually on the Tenacity. Submarine living is claustrophobic and this is made clear over and over again. The lack of sunlight, communication to the outside world, and being labeled an interloper all ramp up the tension and sense of forboding. No one wants Dan on the Tenacity and again this results in derogatory remarks and disrespect being aimed at Dan. The terror at Dan’s vulnerability in this situation is what I found really suspenseful about this book. Sure there's a murderer out there, but its Dan’s solitude that really had me flipping the pages. Anything could have happened to Dan and it would be her word against an entire company of tight-knit submariners.
Tenacity is a well-crafted mystery/thriller, but it really stands out in the genre because of its investigator, Danielle Lewis. Dan is a strong woman going against an established institution in the effort to find a murderer and discover a larger conspiracy, and it’s kind of terrifying. The author has done a superb job at creating a memorable character and a suspenseful plot, and Law leaves just enough threads dangling to guarantee that I will be back to find out more and to learn more about the life of a military police officer, a world that feels so foreign to me. Recommended to fans of the mystery genre that are looking for something outside the norm.
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
October 19, 2015
Lieutenant Danielle Lewis is just coming off a year's leave and is assigned a case on a submarine wherein a sailor she knew from training committed suicide. His suicide comes quickly after his wife was killed after being raped and beaten. Her death was very like another attack that is haunting Dan and was a large factor in the reason she took her leave.
Dan finds herself investigating on a submarine where she is the only woman on board and the only outsider. She is subjected to sexual harassment and other techniques designed to thwart her investigation. Most of the sailors are obstructive at best. The Captain is a major despot who is beloved by his crew but who cycles between rages and being avuncular.
Dan has problems of her own having blown her reputation and credibility on an earlier investigation when she didn't keep her partner in the loop and went off to do her own "lone wolf" thing. Since a small woman facing a large enrage murderer doesn't usually come out well for the woman, Danny was badly hurt. However, the murderer was apprehended and tried. The problem came when some papers Danny wrote were leaked to the press making her a target. She called into question Navy procedures and floated the idea that the murderer wasn't working alone.
On the one year anniversary of the murderer's conviction, Danny is ambushed and beaten. For some reason that I still don't understand, she decided to keep it a secret, took her leave to try to get over it, and didn't seek any professional help. She is still a psychological mess when she is handed this new case which bring back all sorts of flashbacks for her.
The story was tense. I could feel the claustrophobic and hostile atmosphere of the submarine when Dan was trying to investigate. I will admit that the final exposure of the identity of the criminals and the reason for their activities took me by surprise. Like Danny, I am not happy with the resolution of the case provided in the story and wonder just how high up in Navy ranks the conspiracy actually reaches.
Fans of military thrillers will enjoy this suspenseful story.
Dan finds herself investigating on a submarine where she is the only woman on board and the only outsider. She is subjected to sexual harassment and other techniques designed to thwart her investigation. Most of the sailors are obstructive at best. The Captain is a major despot who is beloved by his crew but who cycles between rages and being avuncular.
Dan has problems of her own having blown her reputation and credibility on an earlier investigation when she didn't keep her partner in the loop and went off to do her own "lone wolf" thing. Since a small woman facing a large enrage murderer doesn't usually come out well for the woman, Danny was badly hurt. However, the murderer was apprehended and tried. The problem came when some papers Danny wrote were leaked to the press making her a target. She called into question Navy procedures and floated the idea that the murderer wasn't working alone.
On the one year anniversary of the murderer's conviction, Danny is ambushed and beaten. For some reason that I still don't understand, she decided to keep it a secret, took her leave to try to get over it, and didn't seek any professional help. She is still a psychological mess when she is handed this new case which bring back all sorts of flashbacks for her.
The story was tense. I could feel the claustrophobic and hostile atmosphere of the submarine when Dan was trying to investigate. I will admit that the final exposure of the identity of the criminals and the reason for their activities took me by surprise. Like Danny, I am not happy with the resolution of the case provided in the story and wonder just how high up in Navy ranks the conspiracy actually reaches.
Fans of military thrillers will enjoy this suspenseful story.
July 24, 2016
4.5 Stars
Despite getting off to a slightly slow start, plus an incredibly engaging prologue, Tenacity soon ramps up the compulsiveness of reading, with its claustrophobic setting and no clue how on earth it would turn out.
It's the location of this book that is the stand out and what attracted me to the book in the beginning. It is not often you get a book set on a submarine, written by an ex-Navy person. It is even rarer to be able to read a chilling murder and having just a singular Lieutenant carrying out all the interviews while the submarine is submerged, but that is exactly what is to occur on the HMS Tenacity.
What makes things tougher is that Dan is female, and women are not generally submariners, and its a very close knit male community on board, as it has to be with the the ships company able to close ranks and make life very uncomfortable should they choose to.
Now factor in that some crimes have been committed and the death count is at two, and Dan is alone beneath the ocean with a potential murderer, and no escape, and you get just a small feeling of what it is like to read Tenacity.
Right near the start I predicted what I thought would happen, and for a while, until the book got going fully, I was convinced that I would be right,, and then Dan boards the submarines and all my thoughts of predictions go out of the window, and I was completely wrong anyway.
Dan Lewis is a determined investigator who works mainly on gut feeling. She is gutsy and highly intelligent, but has issues trusting people, and her last big case was one huge nightmare. Seeing her attempt to deal with life on a submarine, when her treatment isn't the best, and the sense of isolation, was made so clear with the writing, I really felt for her.
Tenacity is an immersive experience, its compulsive with its need to make you turn pages, and to keep going. I am so impressed by this debut novel and am eager to see where the Dan Lewis series goes next.
Despite getting off to a slightly slow start, plus an incredibly engaging prologue, Tenacity soon ramps up the compulsiveness of reading, with its claustrophobic setting and no clue how on earth it would turn out.
It's the location of this book that is the stand out and what attracted me to the book in the beginning. It is not often you get a book set on a submarine, written by an ex-Navy person. It is even rarer to be able to read a chilling murder and having just a singular Lieutenant carrying out all the interviews while the submarine is submerged, but that is exactly what is to occur on the HMS Tenacity.
What makes things tougher is that Dan is female, and women are not generally submariners, and its a very close knit male community on board, as it has to be with the the ships company able to close ranks and make life very uncomfortable should they choose to.
Now factor in that some crimes have been committed and the death count is at two, and Dan is alone beneath the ocean with a potential murderer, and no escape, and you get just a small feeling of what it is like to read Tenacity.
Right near the start I predicted what I thought would happen, and for a while, until the book got going fully, I was convinced that I would be right,, and then Dan boards the submarines and all my thoughts of predictions go out of the window, and I was completely wrong anyway.
Dan Lewis is a determined investigator who works mainly on gut feeling. She is gutsy and highly intelligent, but has issues trusting people, and her last big case was one huge nightmare. Seeing her attempt to deal with life on a submarine, when her treatment isn't the best, and the sense of isolation, was made so clear with the writing, I really felt for her.
Tenacity is an immersive experience, its compulsive with its need to make you turn pages, and to keep going. I am so impressed by this debut novel and am eager to see where the Dan Lewis series goes next.
August 2, 2015
The prologue to Tenacity provides a gripping opening that grabs our attention from the first. In his debut novel author JS Law launches an exciting new female character in Lieutenant Danielle Lewis. It revolves around the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine HMS Tenacity. We quickly find ourselves submerged in the story as we enjoy this breathless paced thriller. A really excellent debut that is well written and a great read.
Cheryl Walker is found brutally murdered and shortly after her sailor husband Stewart ‘Whisky’ Walker hangs himself in the engine room of HMS Tenacity on which he served. Dan (Lieutenant Danielle Lewis) is sent to investigate and confirm ‘Whisky’ Walker’s death was actually suicide.
Dan has some heavy personal baggage to deal with from the past and the way her investigation develops her personal issues come back to haunt her. She’s a fascinating and complex character who makes mistakes but is hugely likeable. She then unexpectedly finds herself 200 metres under the sea in a claustrophobic submarine environment trying to carry out her interviews of the boat's company. Dan finds the whole experience tremendously uncomfortable as does the reader. This is not an environment many of us would want to work in, it is however a fascinating insight into life under the ocean waves. Dan finds a distinct lack of cooperation from the tightly-knit male company and maybe even her life is in danger as she delves deeper into this case.
JS Law brings this to a tense interesting conclusion which is frustratingly brilliant and leaves plenty of scope for more of the wonderful Lieutenant Danielle Lewis in the future. A well written debut that I’m sure anyone buying and reading it will thoroughly enjoy. (Received ARC)
September 21, 2016
This book was a decent thriller. It introduces Lt. Danielle Lewis as a member of Britain's Special Investigation Branch, military police I guess. She is to investigate suicide that occurred on a submarine. The submariner's wife had also just been brutally murdered and she was also to look into the alibis of the crew (sorry - ship'd company) at the time of that murder.
To cut a long story short, she ends up going on exercises on the submarine to continue her investigation. She is the only woman on board, there is no privacy and she is made very unwelcome. She is intimidated and threatened. You can imagine how it goes. Another sailor dies during a routine drill. Dan Lewis suspects murder. Eventually she discovers a lot more than she bargained for and has to fight for her life.
The book was very action packed and dramatic. The depictions of life on the submarine seemed authentic. I just question how realistic it was to have a woman in that pressure cooker environment. Especially as she was scared out of her wits for a lot of the time. She also seemed to make some terrible decisions which I guess were included to ratchet up the tension.
The book didn't so much end as point to an sequel - there is clearly more to the story. It is not over yet. However, I didn't really like Dan as a character, she was kind of annoying. Most of the supporting characters were loathsome, which was probably what you were supposed to think given what they did. The submarine Captain seemed downright scizophrenic. So even though I mainly enjoyed this I really don't think I'll read the sequel, I've had enough of Lt Dan Lewis.
To cut a long story short, she ends up going on exercises on the submarine to continue her investigation. She is the only woman on board, there is no privacy and she is made very unwelcome. She is intimidated and threatened. You can imagine how it goes. Another sailor dies during a routine drill. Dan Lewis suspects murder. Eventually she discovers a lot more than she bargained for and has to fight for her life.
The book was very action packed and dramatic. The depictions of life on the submarine seemed authentic. I just question how realistic it was to have a woman in that pressure cooker environment. Especially as she was scared out of her wits for a lot of the time. She also seemed to make some terrible decisions which I guess were included to ratchet up the tension.
The book didn't so much end as point to an sequel - there is clearly more to the story. It is not over yet. However, I didn't really like Dan as a character, she was kind of annoying. Most of the supporting characters were loathsome, which was probably what you were supposed to think given what they did. The submarine Captain seemed downright scizophrenic. So even though I mainly enjoyed this I really don't think I'll read the sequel, I've had enough of Lt Dan Lewis.
July 30, 2015
enacity is a fast-paced thriller. It's the first one I have across that's set on a submarine and I was engrossed from the start. It's a fascinating story, with great descriptions of submarine life. I feel like I learnt a lot by the end of the book.
Investigating the apparent suicide of a Royal Navy sailor, naval investigator Lieutenant Danielle 'Dan' Lewis finds herself on the submarine Tenacity, one woman surrounded by an all-male crew. There seems to be more to the case than meets the eye, but Dan could be putting her life at risk in her search for the truth. And the more time she spends on Tenacity, the more isolated she feels.
Dan is a strong female protagonist. She's a great investigator. She's plucky and not afraid to speak up for herself. And she always follows her convictions, even if it means going against authority figures. But her habit of going alone often puts her into tricky or even dangerous situations.
The submarine provides an intriguing setting, not just because of its size but also its claustrophobic environment, making the story chilling and highly atmospheric. Tenacity is a real roller coaster read and I held my breathe for the last 10%.
James Law is certainly one to watch and I hope there's another book on the way.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Investigating the apparent suicide of a Royal Navy sailor, naval investigator Lieutenant Danielle 'Dan' Lewis finds herself on the submarine Tenacity, one woman surrounded by an all-male crew. There seems to be more to the case than meets the eye, but Dan could be putting her life at risk in her search for the truth. And the more time she spends on Tenacity, the more isolated she feels.
Dan is a strong female protagonist. She's a great investigator. She's plucky and not afraid to speak up for herself. And she always follows her convictions, even if it means going against authority figures. But her habit of going alone often puts her into tricky or even dangerous situations.
The submarine provides an intriguing setting, not just because of its size but also its claustrophobic environment, making the story chilling and highly atmospheric. Tenacity is a real roller coaster read and I held my breathe for the last 10%.
James Law is certainly one to watch and I hope there's another book on the way.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2016
Received from Netgalley for honest review.
Set in a submarine and revolving around murder of Navy man and wife.
A quite thrilling book,which was quite a good read.This is the first in series,and I might go back again to read more about Dan.
Set in a submarine and revolving around murder of Navy man and wife.
A quite thrilling book,which was quite a good read.This is the first in series,and I might go back again to read more about Dan.
September 21, 2015
I particularly enjoy books that are set in places I’ve visited or lived in so this book appealed as I’m familiar with many of the locations in this book being a Forces child and from a Naval family that lived not too far from Plymouth. I liked that this book is different being set away from the bright lights of the bigger cities and also its unusual setting.
'They' say you should always write about what you know and it's clear that the author writes with passion and an obvious vast knowledge which offers the reader an insight into the difficulties of a Submariner lifestyle but also the comradery. On the flip side, our protagonist Dan, is subject to a series of sexism and an assault; totally, totally unacceptable but raises the question of how and will women ever be accepted working in the tight confined spaces of a submarine. On a human rights level, you’re aware it’s not fair but do the practicalities outweigh a person’s right to their choice of career? Interesting….what’s the author’s standpoint here I wonder? Mmm moving on…
The one thing that got slightly under my skin was the lead character’s name. Of course, in real life we’re all used to having our names shortened but this felt contrived. Dan, Danny – felt like as a female in a conceived man’s world it was trying to disguise it somehow, although the author addresses this it often it irritated me that she wasn’t just addressed as Danielle…just saying :)
Dan's only investigating the suicide but there's this implication that the civvy police are less than effective so she may looking into more. Not really sure on the benefits of the Detective Branok's character other than to remind me of Hamish Macbeth Columbo :) Maybe we'll see more of him in future books.
I did feel that the Dan made some questionable decisions and that on a professional and personal safety level had she learned anything from the Hamilton experience in the prologue; going in with this gun-ho attitude which again put herself and her investigation in danger. I just found myself tutting, shaking my head and having that ‘yell at the tv “don’t go in there” when a character in a horror/thriller movie opens the door/goes in the room where the baddie is’ moment.
I didn’t feel real tension until a certain event happened aboard Tenacity and then I raced through the last few chapters. I have to make a point and say that I really liked the ending. It wasn’t at all as expected and just emphasises the fact that justice often falls to what you can prove, not what you know!
Overall, I think Tenacity is a pretty decent crime drama/whodunit novel and I’d probably read the next one to see where Lieutenant Lewis progresses and develops and if she learns anything from her previous investigations. Lastly, this would make a good TV series; a UK NCIS, just like ITV did with Law & Order UK – I’d watch that!
Here's an interesting article I found on the BBC website on Submariners: What can a submariner teach you about living in cramped spaces?
'They' say you should always write about what you know and it's clear that the author writes with passion and an obvious vast knowledge which offers the reader an insight into the difficulties of a Submariner lifestyle but also the comradery. On the flip side, our protagonist Dan, is subject to a series of sexism and an assault; totally, totally unacceptable but raises the question of how and will women ever be accepted working in the tight confined spaces of a submarine. On a human rights level, you’re aware it’s not fair but do the practicalities outweigh a person’s right to their choice of career? Interesting….what’s the author’s standpoint here I wonder? Mmm moving on…
The one thing that got slightly under my skin was the lead character’s name. Of course, in real life we’re all used to having our names shortened but this felt contrived. Dan, Danny – felt like as a female in a conceived man’s world it was trying to disguise it somehow, although the author addresses this it often it irritated me that she wasn’t just addressed as Danielle…just saying :)
Dan's only investigating the suicide but there's this implication that the civvy police are less than effective so she may looking into more. Not really sure on the benefits of the Detective Branok's character other than to remind me of Hamish Macbeth Columbo :) Maybe we'll see more of him in future books.
I did feel that the Dan made some questionable decisions and that on a professional and personal safety level had she learned anything from the Hamilton experience in the prologue; going in with this gun-ho attitude which again put herself and her investigation in danger. I just found myself tutting, shaking my head and having that ‘yell at the tv “don’t go in there” when a character in a horror/thriller movie opens the door/goes in the room where the baddie is’ moment.
I didn’t feel real tension until a certain event happened aboard Tenacity and then I raced through the last few chapters. I have to make a point and say that I really liked the ending. It wasn’t at all as expected and just emphasises the fact that justice often falls to what you can prove, not what you know!
Overall, I think Tenacity is a pretty decent crime drama/whodunit novel and I’d probably read the next one to see where Lieutenant Lewis progresses and develops and if she learns anything from her previous investigations. Lastly, this would make a good TV series; a UK NCIS, just like ITV did with Law & Order UK – I’d watch that!
Here's an interesting article I found on the BBC website on Submariners: What can a submariner teach you about living in cramped spaces?
May 25, 2015
Tenacity, by JS Law, is a searing thriller set within the confines and traditions of the Royal Navy. The pressure rises when the unstoppable force of a tenacious investigator meets the immovable object of naval comradeship on board a submarine. The claustrophobic drama which unfolds is breathtaking.
Lieutenant Danielle Lewis, Dan, has just returned to active duty with the Crimes Involving Loss of Life division after a year long sabbatical. She has cut herself off from friends and family in an effort to deal with the fallout from a case she had worked on involving a senior naval officer whom she had single-handedly unmasked as a serial killer. Despite the break, her demons continue to haunt her.
An old family friend who is also her boss calls to inform her that she is to investigate the suicide of a crew member who has hung himself on board the submarine on which he was serving. Although foul play is not suspected the case is complicated by the fact that his wife was viciously attacked and then murdered just days before the crew member took his own life. The wife’s murder is in the hands of the civilian police force and Dan is informed that, although mutual assistance is permitted, she must not become involved in their investigation. It is an order that she struggles with when she sees pictures of the young woman’s body with injuries that are hauntingly familiar.
Her own task is hampered by the unwillingness of the submarine crew to break ranks and talk to her. With the boat due to sail she determines to pursue the case from on board. It soon becomes apparent that being a lone and unwelcome woman, two hundred meters below the ocean’s surface in the overcrowded environment of a working nuclear submarine, puts her in danger with no chance of escape. Desperately she seeks allies, relying on her instincts to decide whom to trust.
The progression of the plot is relentless and compelling. The author brings to life the cramped conditions, the closeness of the crew and their need to work as a team. It is clear that Dan is in over her head in more ways than one. As the reader gasps for air amidst the resentment and derision, willing Dan to somehow survive the relentless verbal and then physical attacks, the action somehow ramps up a gear towards the blistering denouement.
This is a must read for fans of psychological crime thrillers. The unusual setting with its uncompromising laws of the sea make Dan’s lone pursuit of justice seem untenable. That the author produces such a believable and satisfying story in these circumstances is impressive. I do hope that we are offered a sequel.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Headline.
Lieutenant Danielle Lewis, Dan, has just returned to active duty with the Crimes Involving Loss of Life division after a year long sabbatical. She has cut herself off from friends and family in an effort to deal with the fallout from a case she had worked on involving a senior naval officer whom she had single-handedly unmasked as a serial killer. Despite the break, her demons continue to haunt her.
An old family friend who is also her boss calls to inform her that she is to investigate the suicide of a crew member who has hung himself on board the submarine on which he was serving. Although foul play is not suspected the case is complicated by the fact that his wife was viciously attacked and then murdered just days before the crew member took his own life. The wife’s murder is in the hands of the civilian police force and Dan is informed that, although mutual assistance is permitted, she must not become involved in their investigation. It is an order that she struggles with when she sees pictures of the young woman’s body with injuries that are hauntingly familiar.
Her own task is hampered by the unwillingness of the submarine crew to break ranks and talk to her. With the boat due to sail she determines to pursue the case from on board. It soon becomes apparent that being a lone and unwelcome woman, two hundred meters below the ocean’s surface in the overcrowded environment of a working nuclear submarine, puts her in danger with no chance of escape. Desperately she seeks allies, relying on her instincts to decide whom to trust.
The progression of the plot is relentless and compelling. The author brings to life the cramped conditions, the closeness of the crew and their need to work as a team. It is clear that Dan is in over her head in more ways than one. As the reader gasps for air amidst the resentment and derision, willing Dan to somehow survive the relentless verbal and then physical attacks, the action somehow ramps up a gear towards the blistering denouement.
This is a must read for fans of psychological crime thrillers. The unusual setting with its uncompromising laws of the sea make Dan’s lone pursuit of justice seem untenable. That the author produces such a believable and satisfying story in these circumstances is impressive. I do hope that we are offered a sequel.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Headline.
July 30, 2015
Can I come up for air now?! Tenacity is absolutely brutal in its intensity and is quite easily one of the best debut thrillers of 2015. I received my review copy a couple of months ago but somehow managed to hold off reading it until July, despite the fact I had loads of people telling me on Twitter that I should be reading it (Grab This Book shouting the loudest)! Sometimes though part of the excitement of a book is knowing that you've got it coming up on your TBR.
A Royal Navy sailor kills himself on a nuclear submarine, only days after his wife's brutal murder. Lieutenant Danielle 'Dan' Lewis, the Navy's finest Special Branch investigator must interrogate the tight-knit, all-male crew of HMS Tenacity to determine if there's a link between the two. To say she isn't welcomed would be somewhat of an understatement, but Dan is nothing if not headstrong and is determined to uncover the truth. And she might just have to choose between the truth and her own survival when it is discovered there could be a possible killer on board the submarine.
The characterisation in Tenacity is fantastic. The character of Dan Lewis is so brilliantly well-drawn that she is such a believable character, easy to picture as a real person and she is somebody that you have no trouble rooting for once we witness everything that she has to contend with within the confines of this claustrophobic submarine. I found it refreshing to read a thriller like this which had a female investigator as its main lead, and written by a male author no less. It's been a while since a brand new character gripped me like this and she's somebody that I am looking forward to meeting again in the future.
As far as settings go, the submarine allows for some eerie and atmospheric scenes to play out as you read. It is a dark, tense, chilling and exciting read that I struggled to put down. If you are looking for an original setting for a thriller to take place, then I think you've found it with Tenacity. J.S. Law uses his own knowledge and experience to create an authentic picture of this life. The mystery element is brilliantly done, and is another highlight on a long list of what I loved about this book. It is a story where you don't always know where the danger is going to come from, and at times you wish you could jump into the book and warn and protect Dan (though truth be told I'd be no help at all!) from what's to come. The ending and the run up to it was nothing short of perfection. Tenacity is a must read debut this summer and deserves to be a runaway success. I can't wait to see what J.S. Law writes next.
A Royal Navy sailor kills himself on a nuclear submarine, only days after his wife's brutal murder. Lieutenant Danielle 'Dan' Lewis, the Navy's finest Special Branch investigator must interrogate the tight-knit, all-male crew of HMS Tenacity to determine if there's a link between the two. To say she isn't welcomed would be somewhat of an understatement, but Dan is nothing if not headstrong and is determined to uncover the truth. And she might just have to choose between the truth and her own survival when it is discovered there could be a possible killer on board the submarine.
The characterisation in Tenacity is fantastic. The character of Dan Lewis is so brilliantly well-drawn that she is such a believable character, easy to picture as a real person and she is somebody that you have no trouble rooting for once we witness everything that she has to contend with within the confines of this claustrophobic submarine. I found it refreshing to read a thriller like this which had a female investigator as its main lead, and written by a male author no less. It's been a while since a brand new character gripped me like this and she's somebody that I am looking forward to meeting again in the future.
As far as settings go, the submarine allows for some eerie and atmospheric scenes to play out as you read. It is a dark, tense, chilling and exciting read that I struggled to put down. If you are looking for an original setting for a thriller to take place, then I think you've found it with Tenacity. J.S. Law uses his own knowledge and experience to create an authentic picture of this life. The mystery element is brilliantly done, and is another highlight on a long list of what I loved about this book. It is a story where you don't always know where the danger is going to come from, and at times you wish you could jump into the book and warn and protect Dan (though truth be told I'd be no help at all!) from what's to come. The ending and the run up to it was nothing short of perfection. Tenacity is a must read debut this summer and deserves to be a runaway success. I can't wait to see what J.S. Law writes next.
June 27, 2015
From its shocking opening scenes to the tense finale Tenacity was a gripping read. Scenes play out in the claustrophobic confines of a submarine and James Law captures the tension on every page.
Lieutenant Danielle (Dan) Lewis is one of the Navy’s best investigators, however, as Tenacity opens we find Dan has placed herself into extreme peril by acting on her own initiative and has not waited for back-up from her colleagues to pursue her lead. The fallout of her actions have repercussions, Dan loses the trust of her peers and her judgement is questioned.
The story jumps forward a few months and Dan is called in to investigate a suicide on board submarine nuclear submarine Tenacity. Dan is concerned to learn that the wife of the dead submariner was brutally murdered just days before he chose to take his own life. Her orders, however, are that she is only to investigate the suicide and this is not sitting well with Dan.
Investigations are just beginning when Tenacity receive orders to return to sea – Dan’s impulsive nature takes over again and she finds herself joining the crew of Tenacity so that she may continue her quest to uncover the truth. She finds herself in a hostile environment which is ill-equipped to contend with a female investigator on board and facing a crew who are not happy with her presence or the nature of her investigation.
The scenes on Tenacity literally had me tightly gripping the book as I read. I felt that Dan was in constant danger while she was on board the submarine and my ire was stoked as she was bullied by crew members who were hindering her investigation and even restricting her access to meals. Brilliant writing from JS Law – institutional bullying of a vulnerable female lead character, you cannot help but root for Dan to overcome all the obstacles ‘they’ try to place in her way.
I don’t remember being this captivated by a debut novel since Lee Child published Killing Floor. I read Killing Floor about a month after publication and the wait for Die Trying was eternal. Reading Tenacity before publication is already making me anxious as to how long I may need to wait to see what happens next for Danielle Lewis. I cannot think of a better recommendation for a novel than the urge to immediately pick up the next book and keep the story going.
Tenacity has been a stand out read. A review score of 5/5 is a given, if I scored in stars they would need to be gold ones.
Lieutenant Danielle (Dan) Lewis is one of the Navy’s best investigators, however, as Tenacity opens we find Dan has placed herself into extreme peril by acting on her own initiative and has not waited for back-up from her colleagues to pursue her lead. The fallout of her actions have repercussions, Dan loses the trust of her peers and her judgement is questioned.
The story jumps forward a few months and Dan is called in to investigate a suicide on board submarine nuclear submarine Tenacity. Dan is concerned to learn that the wife of the dead submariner was brutally murdered just days before he chose to take his own life. Her orders, however, are that she is only to investigate the suicide and this is not sitting well with Dan.
Investigations are just beginning when Tenacity receive orders to return to sea – Dan’s impulsive nature takes over again and she finds herself joining the crew of Tenacity so that she may continue her quest to uncover the truth. She finds herself in a hostile environment which is ill-equipped to contend with a female investigator on board and facing a crew who are not happy with her presence or the nature of her investigation.
The scenes on Tenacity literally had me tightly gripping the book as I read. I felt that Dan was in constant danger while she was on board the submarine and my ire was stoked as she was bullied by crew members who were hindering her investigation and even restricting her access to meals. Brilliant writing from JS Law – institutional bullying of a vulnerable female lead character, you cannot help but root for Dan to overcome all the obstacles ‘they’ try to place in her way.
I don’t remember being this captivated by a debut novel since Lee Child published Killing Floor. I read Killing Floor about a month after publication and the wait for Die Trying was eternal. Reading Tenacity before publication is already making me anxious as to how long I may need to wait to see what happens next for Danielle Lewis. I cannot think of a better recommendation for a novel than the urge to immediately pick up the next book and keep the story going.
Tenacity has been a stand out read. A review score of 5/5 is a given, if I scored in stars they would need to be gold ones.
November 4, 2015
My husband served in the Royal Navy aboard a nuclear submarine, so I started with a vested interest in this book. I'd read very few pages before that incentive disappeared-- sucked into a fast-paced and fascinating narrative that I didn't want to put down.
The book's title also describes Dan Lewis. Once she gets an idea into her head not even dynamite is going to dislodge it. Her upbringing-- being a part of "Clan Lewis"-- has given her bad habits. Her family is an extremely competitive one that believes itself to be just that little bit better than the rest. This has made Dan almost incapable of asking for help and unable to be a real part of a team outside her family. She's the only truly fleshed out character in the book, and I found her to be both mesmerizing and completely infuriating. A previous investigation into a killer named Hamilton blew up in Dan's face, and no one really wants to work with her except her present partner, John Granger. But will Dan accept his help, his knowledge? No. Just like the Hamilton case, she insists on going alone into a deadly situation aboard the submarine. For a so-called brilliant investigator, Dan can plumb the depths of stupidity. But no matter how angry this character made me, I could not stop reading.
Yes, I wanted to know more about why Dan became the person she is, but I was also drawn into the portrait J.S. Law painted of life aboard a hot, smelly, claustrophobic submarine. He proves to be quite adept at knowing just how much information to impart to add real depth and verisimilitude to the story without bogging down the pace.
Dan and the life of submariners weren't the only draws in Tenacity. The mystery kept me guessing all the way through. Dan may be the only fully realized character, but don't dismiss the others as two-dimensional cardboard cutouts. Not all the jerks are bad guys, and not all the good guys are heroes. By the time I'd finished reading the last page, I was looking forward to Dan's next investigation. Bring it on!
The book's title also describes Dan Lewis. Once she gets an idea into her head not even dynamite is going to dislodge it. Her upbringing-- being a part of "Clan Lewis"-- has given her bad habits. Her family is an extremely competitive one that believes itself to be just that little bit better than the rest. This has made Dan almost incapable of asking for help and unable to be a real part of a team outside her family. She's the only truly fleshed out character in the book, and I found her to be both mesmerizing and completely infuriating. A previous investigation into a killer named Hamilton blew up in Dan's face, and no one really wants to work with her except her present partner, John Granger. But will Dan accept his help, his knowledge? No. Just like the Hamilton case, she insists on going alone into a deadly situation aboard the submarine. For a so-called brilliant investigator, Dan can plumb the depths of stupidity. But no matter how angry this character made me, I could not stop reading.
Yes, I wanted to know more about why Dan became the person she is, but I was also drawn into the portrait J.S. Law painted of life aboard a hot, smelly, claustrophobic submarine. He proves to be quite adept at knowing just how much information to impart to add real depth and verisimilitude to the story without bogging down the pace.
Dan and the life of submariners weren't the only draws in Tenacity. The mystery kept me guessing all the way through. Dan may be the only fully realized character, but don't dismiss the others as two-dimensional cardboard cutouts. Not all the jerks are bad guys, and not all the good guys are heroes. By the time I'd finished reading the last page, I was looking forward to Dan's next investigation. Bring it on!
August 3, 2015
It is hard to believe that this is a debut book it is so very well written. Living in a Naval city and coming from Naval stock I am quite familiar with this side of things in the book and I was a little nervous when I first started reading that it wouldn't reach my expectations. I shouldn't have been worried, this author definitely knows his stuff (and so he should given his own background) and it came across on the written page as very realistic. At times I was myself transported to the submarine and that brought back happy memories of when I visited subs myself with my father. Of course, my visit was nothing like Dan's! I am not saying everything is 100% accurate as I have never served, but it all came across as real within my personal experiences.
My only real main concern was that Dan, at times, came across as a little bit flaky. This did not quite sit right with me, knowing how you need to be to get on in a very male dominated profession and there were times when I couldn't quite believe that she had got to where she was in her career with that side of her so visible. Especially as the rest of her personality was so hard and formidable. But, these thoughts aside, she and indeed the rest of the characters came across as very well developed and on the whole credible.
The action is pretty much there throughout the book. We are given a lot of information about the Navy and submarines but the majority of which was pertinent to the story and I found them to be well explained and interesting throughout so they didn't take me away from the story at all. In fact, sometimes I was quite glad of the respite from all the action.
All in all, this was a quick satisfying read for me, keeping my attention right from first through to the last page. Definitely a book I didn't want to put down.
The blurb says that this is the start of a new series and I, for one, will be eagerly awaiting the next book.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My only real main concern was that Dan, at times, came across as a little bit flaky. This did not quite sit right with me, knowing how you need to be to get on in a very male dominated profession and there were times when I couldn't quite believe that she had got to where she was in her career with that side of her so visible. Especially as the rest of her personality was so hard and formidable. But, these thoughts aside, she and indeed the rest of the characters came across as very well developed and on the whole credible.
The action is pretty much there throughout the book. We are given a lot of information about the Navy and submarines but the majority of which was pertinent to the story and I found them to be well explained and interesting throughout so they didn't take me away from the story at all. In fact, sometimes I was quite glad of the respite from all the action.
All in all, this was a quick satisfying read for me, keeping my attention right from first through to the last page. Definitely a book I didn't want to put down.
The blurb says that this is the start of a new series and I, for one, will be eagerly awaiting the next book.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2017
The Dark Beneath, previously marketed as Tenacity by J. S. Law has been on my radar (no pun intended) since it was first released, but I hadn’t gotten around to buying it until recently! Having heard that there was a second instalment coming featuring Dan Lewis (The Fear Within), it was high time I bought this. I’m a huge thriller fan, and I love all things nautical/naval, so I had a feeling this would be one I’d enjoy. Couple that with the RAVE reviews from bookish friends, I had a feeling I’d enjoy it. And I wasn’t wrong.
In TDB, we meet Dan, a naval officer. In the prologue, she is face to face with a colleague, who also happens to be a killer. In the wake of the investigation, Dan is publicly shamed and denounced by her peers when a paper she has written is leaked. Fast forward to 2014, she is called on to investigate the apparent suicide of a naval officer, whose wife had been found murdered, on board Tenacity, a naval submarine.
I’m not going to say any more about the plot because you NEED to read this book for yourself. Law’s writing is superb, and attention to detail is second to none. I really enjoyed learning more about Naval protocols, and most especially about the submarine itself. I am a big fan of all things nautical, so The Dark Beneath was a no -brainer for me as regards reading it.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Dan is a great female lead and I look forward to catching up with her in the next book. A cracking plot, one of the best prologues I’ve read in a long time and excellent characterisation means this book is just all kinds of great!
Highly recommended!
In TDB, we meet Dan, a naval officer. In the prologue, she is face to face with a colleague, who also happens to be a killer. In the wake of the investigation, Dan is publicly shamed and denounced by her peers when a paper she has written is leaked. Fast forward to 2014, she is called on to investigate the apparent suicide of a naval officer, whose wife had been found murdered, on board Tenacity, a naval submarine.
I’m not going to say any more about the plot because you NEED to read this book for yourself. Law’s writing is superb, and attention to detail is second to none. I really enjoyed learning more about Naval protocols, and most especially about the submarine itself. I am a big fan of all things nautical, so The Dark Beneath was a no -brainer for me as regards reading it.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Dan is a great female lead and I look forward to catching up with her in the next book. A cracking plot, one of the best prologues I’ve read in a long time and excellent characterisation means this book is just all kinds of great!
Highly recommended!
December 24, 2015
Lieutenant Danny Lewis is a member of the Special Investigation Branch's Kill Team in the British Navy. Having broken a famous case several years earlier, and almost been broken by enemies within the Royal Navy, she is assigned to the obvious suicide of a crew member of a nuclear attack submarine. The case is viewed by those above her as something to dispose of neatly, but she doesn't work that way. When it is clear to her (and to a maverick cop named Felicity Green) that there is a connection between the rape and murder of the dead man's wife just before his sub made port and his own suicide, Danny digs deeper into the case. And when the sub (the Tenacity) itself goes to sea on a training exercise, taking all of the suspects with it, she goes on board to conduct her investigation. The environment is dangerous and hostile, from the sub's skipper, its officers and petty officers, and most of the crew, some of whom are being intimidated.
Dnny Lewis is not one to be intimidated, having been beaten up in the past and threatened by the Navy's brass with the loss of her career. That doesn't mean that she isn't free of nerves, but her dogged determination carries her into situations (repeatedly) in which her steel will overcomes her fears. She is an admirable character without being a particularly likable one. As she says to her long-suffering comrade, Master at Arms John GRanger, she's a lousy, distrusting, headstrong friend. But she's always interesting, and I look forward to the next book in what is clearly to be a series.
Dnny Lewis is not one to be intimidated, having been beaten up in the past and threatened by the Navy's brass with the loss of her career. That doesn't mean that she isn't free of nerves, but her dogged determination carries her into situations (repeatedly) in which her steel will overcomes her fears. She is an admirable character without being a particularly likable one. As she says to her long-suffering comrade, Master at Arms John GRanger, she's a lousy, distrusting, headstrong friend. But she's always interesting, and I look forward to the next book in what is clearly to be a series.
August 1, 2015
Tenacity is a stunning debut which has a unique setting for the vast majority of the book that helped to make it the absorbing read that it is. The main character is complex, interesting and likeable. The quality of writing is remarkable, especially since the main character is a woman and the author is a man. The only other book that I have read with a female main character written in such a believable way by a male author was Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson, and although these two books are entirely different in every other respect of the storyline, that same strength in character development shines through both.
My only complaint is that while I thought the plot was perfectly paced for 3/4 of the novel, the author really picked up the pace for last 1/4 of the novel which I found disappointing because I wanted it to continue at the same speed as before. However, as that is a personal preference because I was enjoying my read so much rather than a fault with the writing of the novel I have given it the 5 stars it deserves.
I am looking forward to reading more books by J. S. Law, and I predict that he is going to become one of the big names in the crime genre.
I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
My only complaint is that while I thought the plot was perfectly paced for 3/4 of the novel, the author really picked up the pace for last 1/4 of the novel which I found disappointing because I wanted it to continue at the same speed as before. However, as that is a personal preference because I was enjoying my read so much rather than a fault with the writing of the novel I have given it the 5 stars it deserves.
I am looking forward to reading more books by J. S. Law, and I predict that he is going to become one of the big names in the crime genre.
I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
August 11, 2015
When you don't like being under water, not at your most comfortable in the dark and really don't like enclosed spaces Tenacity was always to be a read that was a little bit uncomfortable.
Dan has to investigate a suicide/murder and due to circumstances has to do so from the submarine called Tenacity. She isn't happy with her surroundings, problems she has had previously are affecting her judgement and she is receiving horrendous treatment from some of the naval crew.
She definitely has her faults and you could understand the frustration felt by her those closest to her. Very obstinate, she prefers to do things her way which doesn't always go according to plan. The constant abuse both mental and physical that she has to put up with is awful and there were times when I could quite happily have 'poked somebody in the eye.'
Parts of the novel I found quite difficult to read, one scene in particular stayed with me for quite a while. I understand that this book could be the first in a series and I am looking to forward to getting to know more about Dan and her team in future novels.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy via netgalley.
Dan has to investigate a suicide/murder and due to circumstances has to do so from the submarine called Tenacity. She isn't happy with her surroundings, problems she has had previously are affecting her judgement and she is receiving horrendous treatment from some of the naval crew.
She definitely has her faults and you could understand the frustration felt by her those closest to her. Very obstinate, she prefers to do things her way which doesn't always go according to plan. The constant abuse both mental and physical that she has to put up with is awful and there were times when I could quite happily have 'poked somebody in the eye.'
Parts of the novel I found quite difficult to read, one scene in particular stayed with me for quite a while. I understand that this book could be the first in a series and I am looking to forward to getting to know more about Dan and her team in future novels.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy via netgalley.
July 30, 2015
A thriller in a submarine: why hasn’t it been done before? Well, it has, in a way — in the (cold) war time story worlds and Tom Clancy et al — but not like this.
Danielle (‘Dan’) Lewis is the willful and likeable Royal Navy special investigator at the centre of a plot that rattles along, as she looks into a related murder and suicide.
Two things jumped out at me about this book.
One is the author’s rich knowledge of this world — not just the up-to-date details of nuclear reactors and emergency breathing systems, but also the naval history and folkways.
Second (but related), the depth: descending into the underwater world of HMS Tenacity, like going down into the mental substrata of these characters, making it a more-than-usually-satisfying thriller.
JSLaw conjures up a fascinating story world and animates it adroitly. Highly recommended
Danielle (‘Dan’) Lewis is the willful and likeable Royal Navy special investigator at the centre of a plot that rattles along, as she looks into a related murder and suicide.
Two things jumped out at me about this book.
One is the author’s rich knowledge of this world — not just the up-to-date details of nuclear reactors and emergency breathing systems, but also the naval history and folkways.
Second (but related), the depth: descending into the underwater world of HMS Tenacity, like going down into the mental substrata of these characters, making it a more-than-usually-satisfying thriller.
JSLaw conjures up a fascinating story world and animates it adroitly. Highly recommended
July 2, 2015
Enjoyed this book. Opening prologue chapter quite gripping. Really caught the claustrophobic atmosphere of being in such close quarters of a submarine. Also enjoyed getting to understand the terminology and daily routines on a submarine and how much of a disruption having just one woman aboard is. And our heroine knows she's on board (with no way out) with a killer who's obviously aware of her investigations. 99% of the male crew are totally sexist and don't hold back their feelings about having her on board which leads to several uncomfortable and intimidating situations. My only disappointment was the ending .... but it's obviously deliberately intended to have a sequel. And I'd happily read that too!
September 19, 2015
Disclaimer: I was given this book as a First Reads winner.
Like the title warns, this thriller is tenacious, and will not easily let you go. It has been a long time since a book prevented me from doing anything else (including sleep) before I finished it. Law did an excellent job of offering just enough detail to move the story, while also not revealing enough to easily guess the final result. Add in the complexity and tense nature of a submarine setting and you have the perfect mix of suspense and progressive action, worth the time to see it through to the end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Like the title warns, this thriller is tenacious, and will not easily let you go. It has been a long time since a book prevented me from doing anything else (including sleep) before I finished it. Law did an excellent job of offering just enough detail to move the story, while also not revealing enough to easily guess the final result. Add in the complexity and tense nature of a submarine setting and you have the perfect mix of suspense and progressive action, worth the time to see it through to the end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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