Arrow's Fall (2)

by Joel Scott

There’s nowhere to hide in the Great Sea Reef in this heart-stopping thriller of a yarn In this follow-up to 2018’s Arrow’s Flight, a tale of an 18th-century sunken ship and a fortune in gold sends Arrow and her crew on a venture that seems harmless enough. That is, until it attracts the attention of the flamboyant owner of the Golden Dragon, a 240-foot sailing machine crewed by cashiered ex-marine Lord Barclay Summers and his band of mercenaries. When Arrow and her crew are viciously attacked, they seek shelter in the treacherous Great Sea Reef where they become ensnared in a life-and-death sailing match against the murderous crew of the Golden Dragon. Continuing the same heart-pounding excitement of Arrow’s Flight, Joel Scott weaves together terrific storytelling, breathtaking action, and an in-depth knowledge of sailing. Arrow’s Fall will be a battle of instinct versus science, old versus new, wood and cloth against steel and technology, with destruction and death waiting on a missed tack.

344 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2019

Reviews

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 1 out of 5]

Depraved sex at sea - I was expecting an exciting treasure hunt and all I got was vicious torture! I read to the halfway point and called it quits!

Not all was in vain - I did a lot of Googling of the areas mentioned. I didn’t know New Zealand is actually two islands or that Fiji consists of 300 islands with most of the population on the two largest ones. Also, the Minerva Reef is just amazing. Read and learn.

DNF, glad I just skimmed through the second half, it got a lot worse!

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I read the Kindle edition.

This is a great novel. There is action, intrigue and excitement as Danny and Jared sail the beautiful – and dangerous – waters of the Great Sea Reef.

I enjoyed this book. I have no idea why, but I have always liked to read seagoing adventures. (Maybe because I am a Pisces and I love being in the water.) Mr. Scott did not fail to include interesting descriptions of the sailboat on which Jared and Danny traveled. Some were technical terms that I did not quite understand, but got the meaning from the context of the book. Joel Scott is a competent write who can turn a phrase to make it thrilling. I liked the descriptions of the beautiful scenery and Sinbad was a hoot.

I want to thank NetGalley and ECW Press for forwarding to me a copy of this good book for me to read, enjoy and review.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an adventure story! Jared and Danny both have a lot of bad stuff in their backgrounds (alcohol, prison, and so on) but both thought they had a second chance when Jared inherited Arrow, a boat nicer than the ones he used as a fisherman. They've decided to go treasure hunting but the Great Sea Reef is not an easy place - and there's evil lurking out there in the Golden Dragon, skippered by an ex-Marine who is, let's face it, a pirate. Lord Barclay Summers is swine, the Dragon's crew dreadful, and you'll find yourself rooting for the smaller and less well equipped Arrow. The characters are good, the plot well done, and it's a fast, entertaining read. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This would make a good movie!

[Jim Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. In Arrow's Flight, I discovered a great action-packed sailing adventure with Jared and Danny sailing the wooden ketch Arrow by the seat of their pants and staying just ahead of trouble. In Arrow's Fall, the author tries to continue with the same formula, but we have as the villain, a super-rich Richard Branson type (only a sadistic one) and the quest for gold. The plotline is more James Bond than anything: a super-yacht, henchmen, beautiful women and a deadly Asian woman with razor blades for fingernails. Ho-hum.
Nevertheless, the plot is intense and rarely lets up, much like its predecessor.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like books about treasure hunting, sailing and diving, you will love this book. The author brings the characters and ocean to life. This story is a thriller building with suspense with each chapter and I couldn't put it down until I finished.

[De · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joel Scott should not have gone after the treasure. Arrow's flight was wonderful. Arrow's fall lives up its title. Rather disappointing finish after a ongoing tale about ongoing failure and disaster. Too bad.

[Les Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiled by bizarre wildlife behavior that was unexplained, and over the top unnecessary depictions of non-consensual sex.

[Bill Steeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining story. Lots of action