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Furious: Sailing Into Terror
Trapped on a storm-damaged yacht, a grieving woman must conquer her worst fears and fight for her life, in a story described as The Shining on a yacht. Dr. Dagny Steele is on the verge of fulfilling her lifelong calling to become a pediatric surgeon when the sudden death of her daughter sends her into a crushing depression. Grief stricken and desperate to heal, she takes a leave of absence and sails across the Indian Ocean with her husband. Dagny begins to recover from her tragic loss when her voyage turns into a nightmare. Isolated and hunted at sea, can she survive a deadly crucible?
250 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2021
298 people are currently reading
420 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey James Higgins
14 books101 followersJeffrey James Higgins is a retired supervisory special agent who writes thrillers, short stories, creative nonfiction, and essays. He has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. He received the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor.
Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. He’s a #1 Amazon bestselling author with 18 literary awards, including the Claymore Award, PenCraft’s Best Fiction Book of 2022, and a Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal.
He has been a panelist at ThrillerFest, Killer Nashville, Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity, and other conferences.
Black Rose Writing published his first two novels, FURIOUS and UNSEEN, and THE FOREVER GAME launches on February 29, 2024.
Jeffrey is an active member of the Authors Guild, The Virginia Writers Club, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and the Royal Writers Secret Society. Discover his writing at https://JeffreyJamesHiggins.com.
Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. He’s a #1 Amazon bestselling author with 18 literary awards, including the Claymore Award, PenCraft’s Best Fiction Book of 2022, and a Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal.
He has been a panelist at ThrillerFest, Killer Nashville, Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity, and other conferences.
Black Rose Writing published his first two novels, FURIOUS and UNSEEN, and THE FOREVER GAME launches on February 29, 2024.
Jeffrey is an active member of the Authors Guild, The Virginia Writers Club, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and the Royal Writers Secret Society. Discover his writing at https://JeffreyJamesHiggins.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
July 20, 2024
Man, did this hit the spot. Loved everything about this tale of terror at sea. Cannot believe Furious is Jeffrey James Higgins debut novel. Hope to see more from this talented author in the future.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
July 30, 2024
A Castaway On A Yacht...
FURIOUS: Sailing Into Terror
by Jeffrey James Higgins
No spoilers. 3 1/2 stars. Dagny and her husband Brad, both doctors, will be sailing the 62 ft leased yacht, Karna, from Bali to the Maldives...
They'll be at sea in the Indian Ocean the entire month of December...
The trip was Brad's idea as a way of helping Dagny cope with the loss of their daughter Emma from SIDS...
But...
Before getting underway, Dagny had learned of Brad's infidelities with women he worked with at the hospital...
Also alarming...
Brad had a sudden and explosive temper, which frightened Dagny...
And...
He seemed to be hiding many secrets from his wife...
Before the ill-fated trip was over, the couple would encounter dangerous bats, bad weather, a great white shark, and an electrical short due to a lightning strike...
Finally becoming castaways on their yacht...
However, the worst was yet to come. Will the couple survive their vacation from hell? Will they survive the marriage from hell?
This story got off to a rocky start. The first 60% of the novel was repetitive and slow. The story is told from Dagny's POV, and I have to say that I hit a mental roadblock every time this unfortunate and ugly name appeared. Why not just give the woman a normal name?
I also had a hard time with the unlikable couple. They were both so self-serving that I really hoped the shark would eat them and just be done with it.
The last 40% somewhat redeemed the novel. Although some of the scenes were highly unlikely, they were nail-biters in the last half of the book.
If you like this kind of story, you might also like SEA WIFE by Amity Gaige.
FURIOUS: Sailing Into Terror
by Jeffrey James Higgins
No spoilers. 3 1/2 stars. Dagny and her husband Brad, both doctors, will be sailing the 62 ft leased yacht, Karna, from Bali to the Maldives...
They'll be at sea in the Indian Ocean the entire month of December...
The trip was Brad's idea as a way of helping Dagny cope with the loss of their daughter Emma from SIDS...
But...
Before getting underway, Dagny had learned of Brad's infidelities with women he worked with at the hospital...
Also alarming...
Brad had a sudden and explosive temper, which frightened Dagny...
And...
He seemed to be hiding many secrets from his wife...
Before the ill-fated trip was over, the couple would encounter dangerous bats, bad weather, a great white shark, and an electrical short due to a lightning strike...
Finally becoming castaways on their yacht...
However, the worst was yet to come. Will the couple survive their vacation from hell? Will they survive the marriage from hell?
This story got off to a rocky start. The first 60% of the novel was repetitive and slow. The story is told from Dagny's POV, and I have to say that I hit a mental roadblock every time this unfortunate and ugly name appeared. Why not just give the woman a normal name?
I also had a hard time with the unlikable couple. They were both so self-serving that I really hoped the shark would eat them and just be done with it.
The last 40% somewhat redeemed the novel. Although some of the scenes were highly unlikely, they were nail-biters in the last half of the book.
If you like this kind of story, you might also like SEA WIFE by Amity Gaige.
July 13, 2024
Un thriller que transcurre en un entorno cerrado.
Una pareja de cirujanos inicia un viaje de 1 mes en un yate. Es una vía de escape hacia la curación después de la muerte de su bebé.
Este viaje, que empieza tranquilo, se transforma en la peor de las pesadillas y sin tener donde huir. Solo hay mar, no hay salida.
No está mal esta lectura. Tiene momentos angustiosos y es bastante cinematográfica.
Una pareja de cirujanos inicia un viaje de 1 mes en un yate. Es una vía de escape hacia la curación después de la muerte de su bebé.
Este viaje, que empieza tranquilo, se transforma en la peor de las pesadillas y sin tener donde huir. Solo hay mar, no hay salida.
No está mal esta lectura. Tiene momentos angustiosos y es bastante cinematográfica.
June 22, 2021
This is really the Perils of Pauline! How anyone could take this book seriously is beyond me. The heroine is depressed over the loss of her child.She agrees to go sailing across the Indian Ocean not knowing a thing about sailing or swimming since the "tragedy" years ago. Her husband turns into a madman, they get hit by lightening,storms,communication is lost,they are in the doldrums,sunburned, broken bones,starving and he has terrible infection with no medicine. And at one part our heroine ends up sitting naked on a mast 60 feet above the water to escape her husband. Oh,did I mention the shark that is also following them everywhere? It's a great white shark,naturally who for some reason thinks it's starring in Jaws.
This story is so ridiculous it is comical. My daughter walked in while the audio was being read at the part where Madman Husband is squirting semen on the locked shower door trying to get to his wife. Daughter couldn't believe I was listening to this drivel. But the story was very exciting and funny because of one perilous,impossible event following another.
You can call this a page turner so instead of one star I gave it two as I am a generous 😉 person. The ending is like part of a B horror movie.
No woman could write this book, that's for sure. And very few women would react as the heroine did to all these disasters unless trained by Special Forces or trained as a Seal in the Marines.🤣😅🙄
This book is beyond credible. Don't say I didn't warn you.
This story is so ridiculous it is comical. My daughter walked in while the audio was being read at the part where Madman Husband is squirting semen on the locked shower door trying to get to his wife. Daughter couldn't believe I was listening to this drivel. But the story was very exciting and funny because of one perilous,impossible event following another.
You can call this a page turner so instead of one star I gave it two as I am a generous 😉 person. The ending is like part of a B horror movie.
No woman could write this book, that's for sure. And very few women would react as the heroine did to all these disasters unless trained by Special Forces or trained as a Seal in the Marines.🤣😅🙄
This book is beyond credible. Don't say I didn't warn you.
May 14, 2021
Higgins's debut paints a cinematic picture of one woman's will to survive as she struggles with terror on the high seas.
After the sudden death of her infant daughter, Dagny Steele joins her husband on a sailing voyage with the hopes of beginning to heal from such a terrible tragedy. Their yachting adventure quickly devolves into a true nightmare, testing Dagny's physical strength and intelligence at every twisting turn.
Higgins writes with precision and expertise, pulling back the curtain on Dagny's wounded psyche, as well as illuminating the true dangers of being at sea. A page-turner that will have your heart racing until the very end, "Furious: Sailing into Terror" will have you checking the waters around you.
*I received an ARC of Furious through NetGalley*
After the sudden death of her infant daughter, Dagny Steele joins her husband on a sailing voyage with the hopes of beginning to heal from such a terrible tragedy. Their yachting adventure quickly devolves into a true nightmare, testing Dagny's physical strength and intelligence at every twisting turn.
Higgins writes with precision and expertise, pulling back the curtain on Dagny's wounded psyche, as well as illuminating the true dangers of being at sea. A page-turner that will have your heart racing until the very end, "Furious: Sailing into Terror" will have you checking the waters around you.
*I received an ARC of Furious through NetGalley*
April 2, 2021
This is a skillfully constructed and fast-moving tale of a mother, mourning the death of her infant daughter, who takes to the sea aboard a yacht to re-assemble her life and save a teetering marriage.
However, it’s not that simple. Told from the point of view of Dagny, an attractive and conscientious pediatric surgeon, the journey begins as a “surprise” arranged by her husband, a wealthy, narcissistic blue blood who has a few of his own psychological kinks to iron out. He believes such a journey will help his wife emerge from her depression, knowing full well that Dagny has an acute fear of water and swimming, thanks to a childhood trauma.
The husband, Brad, has a dark backstory of his own, along with simmering anger and fidelity issues. The combined marital tension of Dagny’s suspicions and the iffy logic behind this ill-advised trip across the Indian Ocean sets the tone for what becomes a terror-filled high seas drama.
The journey begins innocently enough in tropical Bali as the couple tries to relax before departing for the Maldives. However, Dagny’s hope for an escape from her troubles quickly unravels into a terrifying maritime mashup of The Shining-Meets-Moby Dick as she battles unexpected psychological and physical evil aboard the vessel that was supposed to be her salvation. The yacht becomes a gruesome, floating terror show.
With its script-ready and relentless pace of action, this novel screams, “…make me into a movie!” The author’s law enforcement and journalism background is on display as well as he details life aboard a sailing vessel and, in this case, a dark and violent domestic horror story that’s well-worth reading.
With its sense of place and fully-developed characters, Furious: Terror at Sea is a page-turning pleasure.
However, it’s not that simple. Told from the point of view of Dagny, an attractive and conscientious pediatric surgeon, the journey begins as a “surprise” arranged by her husband, a wealthy, narcissistic blue blood who has a few of his own psychological kinks to iron out. He believes such a journey will help his wife emerge from her depression, knowing full well that Dagny has an acute fear of water and swimming, thanks to a childhood trauma.
The husband, Brad, has a dark backstory of his own, along with simmering anger and fidelity issues. The combined marital tension of Dagny’s suspicions and the iffy logic behind this ill-advised trip across the Indian Ocean sets the tone for what becomes a terror-filled high seas drama.
The journey begins innocently enough in tropical Bali as the couple tries to relax before departing for the Maldives. However, Dagny’s hope for an escape from her troubles quickly unravels into a terrifying maritime mashup of The Shining-Meets-Moby Dick as she battles unexpected psychological and physical evil aboard the vessel that was supposed to be her salvation. The yacht becomes a gruesome, floating terror show.
With its script-ready and relentless pace of action, this novel screams, “…make me into a movie!” The author’s law enforcement and journalism background is on display as well as he details life aboard a sailing vessel and, in this case, a dark and violent domestic horror story that’s well-worth reading.
With its sense of place and fully-developed characters, Furious: Terror at Sea is a page-turning pleasure.
April 8, 2021
Jeffrey James Higgins debut thriller, Furious, is exhilarating-- a relatable look into the depressed mind and its ever-lingering hold on relationships. Higgins handles this delicately and delivers a chilling and nail-biting experience from beginning to end. You'll never look at the ocean the same again... and that may be for the best! I couldn't put it down.
April 26, 2021
This book is so fun! A real page-turner. It's the perfect blend of suspense, thrill, and moving characters. It's also a great travel book in that you feel like you're sailing the high seas (while safe and sound in your reading chair). Highly recommend!
May 31, 2023
A great example of men writing women terribly. Also completely far-fetched and tediously repetitive.
April 5, 2021
Dagney is suffering an unending depression after the loss of their 3 month of old daughter to SIDS. In an attempt to help her, and their relationship, Brad convinces his wife to join him on a month long solo yacht sail from Bali. Although Dagney has an intense fear of water, she relents and off they go.
The sail begins well and Dagney’s fear begins to be replaced with a sense of peace and confidence in her husband’s skills. He teaches her to sail. Things seem better. What could possibly go wrong?
The open sea is beautiful and wild. It can be peaceful and dangerous. A watercraft at sea can be impossible to find, but with today’s technology that risk is mitigated. Then there are storms, sharks, fire is really bad, even piracy is possible. However, the biggest risk to Dagney will be one no one would have ever imagined.
Furious tells the story of a couple struggling in marriage due to loss, depression and career issues. The both needed this get-away. Perhaps it’s fate, but staying one extra day in Bali to avoid a storm set them on a course for disaster. Once they set sail the novel reads at a feverish pace. I had figured out what was happening before the author told us (maybe because of like line of work), but that didn’t lesson the trepidation at all. It might have even increased it. This is an excellent, edge of your seat, tale that I recommend for anyone wanting a quick read that ominously builds to an epic run-hide-fight on a small space surrounded by the sea and one persistent shark.
#Netgalley #Furious:SailingIntoTerror
The sail begins well and Dagney’s fear begins to be replaced with a sense of peace and confidence in her husband’s skills. He teaches her to sail. Things seem better. What could possibly go wrong?
The open sea is beautiful and wild. It can be peaceful and dangerous. A watercraft at sea can be impossible to find, but with today’s technology that risk is mitigated. Then there are storms, sharks, fire is really bad, even piracy is possible. However, the biggest risk to Dagney will be one no one would have ever imagined.
Furious tells the story of a couple struggling in marriage due to loss, depression and career issues. The both needed this get-away. Perhaps it’s fate, but staying one extra day in Bali to avoid a storm set them on a course for disaster. Once they set sail the novel reads at a feverish pace. I had figured out what was happening before the author told us (maybe because of like line of work), but that didn’t lesson the trepidation at all. It might have even increased it. This is an excellent, edge of your seat, tale that I recommend for anyone wanting a quick read that ominously builds to an epic run-hide-fight on a small space surrounded by the sea and one persistent shark.
#Netgalley #Furious:SailingIntoTerror
May 12, 2021
This book was extremely fast paced and I had a hard time putting it down between readings during a busy week. For fans of Stephen King, Riley Sager, and any horror or psychological thrillers - this is the one for you!
The book starts with a mother losing her infant daughter, and the inevitable unraveling a person experiences when dealing with a tragedy of that magnitude. Her less-than-supportive husband springs a month long sailing voyage on her to “get her mind off things.”
I don’t want to spoil anything for this one - so let’s just say that chaos ensues almost as soon as the couple sets sail. Not only does the main character, Dagny, have a fear of water, but is inexperienced at sailing and at the mercy of her husband to keep them safe on the water.
This book was SCARY and towards the end I could barely keep my eyes from flicking ahead to see what would happen next. The pace is especially amazing and I would recommend this book to anyone! Jeffrey James Higgins has a winner here and I can’t wait to see what he comes out with in the future!
**Thank you to Netgalley and Black Rose Writing for the eARC of this terrifying title!**
The book starts with a mother losing her infant daughter, and the inevitable unraveling a person experiences when dealing with a tragedy of that magnitude. Her less-than-supportive husband springs a month long sailing voyage on her to “get her mind off things.”
I don’t want to spoil anything for this one - so let’s just say that chaos ensues almost as soon as the couple sets sail. Not only does the main character, Dagny, have a fear of water, but is inexperienced at sailing and at the mercy of her husband to keep them safe on the water.
This book was SCARY and towards the end I could barely keep my eyes from flicking ahead to see what would happen next. The pace is especially amazing and I would recommend this book to anyone! Jeffrey James Higgins has a winner here and I can’t wait to see what he comes out with in the future!
**Thank you to Netgalley and Black Rose Writing for the eARC of this terrifying title!**
June 23, 2021
Perfectly titled stories don't come along all that often actually. Some are veiled or try to be clever, but Jeffrey James Higgins lets readers know right up front what he's devised for them with his first book - could that be the case? Or have I been misinformed? The story is impeccably researched or he's a surgeon sailor or incredibly good at sounding plausible which lends everything such authority we are compelled to speed along with Dagney and Brad on...well a furious sail into...terror. Truly.
If you're interested in reading this book you can find the main thread of the story on the many other reviews but I'll simply say for me that it felt like one of those stories that make me feel great both while reading and after the last page. Good LORD! My life is great in that I didn't lose a baby, marry the wrong guy, I'm not stuck on that yacht, on and on.
Terror is certainly Jeffrey James Higgins' forte. He'll give Stephen King a run for his money in this genre!
--Anna Eriksson Bendewald
If you're interested in reading this book you can find the main thread of the story on the many other reviews but I'll simply say for me that it felt like one of those stories that make me feel great both while reading and after the last page. Good LORD! My life is great in that I didn't lose a baby, marry the wrong guy, I'm not stuck on that yacht, on and on.
Terror is certainly Jeffrey James Higgins' forte. He'll give Stephen King a run for his money in this genre!
--Anna Eriksson Bendewald
May 4, 2021
Dagny is grieving the death of her baby to SIDS and battling depression when her husband proposes a lengthy voyage across the Indian Ocean on a sailing yacht. She reluctantly agrees and, to her surprise, feels some release from the burden of grief. But what was supposed to be a healing journey turns into a nightmare.
At the outset of the novel, I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was very wrong. The author sets the stage and skillfully develops his characters before unleashing a heart-thumping, nail-biting, keeping-me-awake-at-night story. At certain points, I had to stop and take a calming breath before I could read further. If you’re looking for something to keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages, this is the book for you.
At the outset of the novel, I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was very wrong. The author sets the stage and skillfully develops his characters before unleashing a heart-thumping, nail-biting, keeping-me-awake-at-night story. At certain points, I had to stop and take a calming breath before I could read further. If you’re looking for something to keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages, this is the book for you.
March 21, 2025
This was MUCH different from the thrillers I usually read and I enjoyed it a lot. Very messed up 😅
October 20, 2024
DNF. I hate not finishing a book, especially since it started out so promising. Seemed like a bunch of similar stories rolled to one. Plus, technically, it missed the mark several times
May 21, 2021
Reminiscent of one of my favorite open water thrillers, Dead Calm
Not since Dead Calm, has terror on the sea been more convincingly communicated. Higgins's promise has me looking forward to his next delivery.
Timothy Gene Sojka, author Payback Jack
Not since Dead Calm, has terror on the sea been more convincingly communicated. Higgins's promise has me looking forward to his next delivery.
Timothy Gene Sojka, author Payback Jack
September 25, 2023
Easily the worst book of the year. I only finished it because I was listening to it while doing things around the house and had to see what ridiculous thing the author would come up with next.
Started with an interesting premise. A couple sailing to the Maldives to reconnect and heal after the loss of their infant daughter. A bat encounter in Bali leads to the husband co tring rabies while on their private sailboat in the middle of the ocean. Wife now in danger. The husband deteriorates, the wife whines.
A shark circles the yacht. Wife blames herself for everything and whines some more.
I won’t even get into what the how and does to some random sailor who tries to help them.
And last bit not least the book was narrated by the female protagonist but read by a male. And it just didn’t work. Doubt if any woman would agree to the job.
So bad. Avoid.
Started with an interesting premise. A couple sailing to the Maldives to reconnect and heal after the loss of their infant daughter. A bat encounter in Bali leads to the husband co tring rabies while on their private sailboat in the middle of the ocean. Wife now in danger. The husband deteriorates, the wife whines.
A shark circles the yacht. Wife blames herself for everything and whines some more.
I won’t even get into what the how and does to some random sailor who tries to help them.
And last bit not least the book was narrated by the female protagonist but read by a male. And it just didn’t work. Doubt if any woman would agree to the job.
So bad. Avoid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2024
Need a real sailor to edit/review
The title intrigued me. I'm a real sailor and I became even more interested in reading this trash after learning that the chartered sailboat that the action takes place on, is identical to a boat I am working on (I am a licensed USCG Captain and teach sailing) teaching the new owners how to sail. I suppose that I shouldn't give away too many of the "terrors" in the book, but the most egregious of many is when the boat fuel explodes toward the end. Diesel doesn't "explode." Hell, it wouldn't light if you held a match to a jar of it. The heroine of the story actually shoots her husband at point blank range with a flare gun but the man survives to rave after her. Nonsene! I could go on and on but I'll leave it at this- this is perhaps the worst book I've ever read!
The title intrigued me. I'm a real sailor and I became even more interested in reading this trash after learning that the chartered sailboat that the action takes place on, is identical to a boat I am working on (I am a licensed USCG Captain and teach sailing) teaching the new owners how to sail. I suppose that I shouldn't give away too many of the "terrors" in the book, but the most egregious of many is when the boat fuel explodes toward the end. Diesel doesn't "explode." Hell, it wouldn't light if you held a match to a jar of it. The heroine of the story actually shoots her husband at point blank range with a flare gun but the man survives to rave after her. Nonsene! I could go on and on but I'll leave it at this- this is perhaps the worst book I've ever read!
March 7, 2024
Wow, a real page turner!!!!!!
Edge of your seat kind of book!!!
Edge of your seat kind of book!!!
November 8, 2024
Do not bother
I do not recommend this book. I am sorry, but it was awful. No real story, the writing was terrible, just don't bother. I am so mad I wasted my time
I do not recommend this book. I am sorry, but it was awful. No real story, the writing was terrible, just don't bother. I am so mad I wasted my time
November 2, 2021
Book Review: Furious: Sailing into Terror, by Jeffrey James Higgins
Debut novelist Jeffrey Higgins has written a thriller that makes The Shining look as subdued as a cricket match.
The story opens six months after the crib-death of Dagny and Brad’s three-month old infant child. Their lives go downhill from there.
As a prophylaxis to curtail Dagny’s depression, Brad takes it upon himself to rent a sixty-two-foot sailing yacht to ply the waters from Indonesia to the Maldives, off the coast of India. He’s had sailing experience on the Atlantic and convinced that the challenge of sailing exotic waters will extricate Dagny from her emotional and career-impairing funk. (They’re both doctors.) Besides, the yacht is appointed with all the modern electronics and practically sails itself…or so Brad says. She is hesitant, consults with friends, but in the end, accedes to the month-long trip, believing it may work as planned.
Higgins does a masterful job meting out the ever-increasing volume and severity of perils—at first to the couple, then to Dagny—presented while on the trip. During the voyage, the story takes on a locked room vibe when mysteries arise as to the baby’s death, Brad’s physical condition, an ominous Great White shark stalking the boat, whether Brad has been faithful, whether the boat is dependable, whether the weather will hold out…whew! The issues remain mysteries and not resolved until the last quarter of the book. This is the sort of book doctors counsel insomniacs not to read at bedtime.
The first-person point of view, Dagny’s, allows for more depth of character than typically found in thrillers—in which thrills are the objective and characters merely cyphers to place at risk. Dagny is fully realized—both insecure and strong, troubled but competent, uncertain yet confident. And she’s frightened, Jesus, she’s frightened! The author doesn’t pander to the zeitgeist by making Dagny a super-woman; instead, she’s wholly human and imperfect, adding to her vulnerability to life-endangering risk.
While the story is delightfully and rigorously bang-bang, there were a few things about the writing—mostly stylistic preferences of my own—I’d like to have been different.
Some may consider this a nit, but Higgins never met a contraction he liked. Doesn’t is does not; won’t is will not; can’t is cannot, etc. I found it slightly distracting in the first half of the book. It rendered much of the speech formal-sounding and stiff, not the way everyday Americans speak, even doctors. The uncontracted versions of those parts of speech are appropriate in certain contexts, but in Furious, they're deployed throughout.
There were also a few instances of telling vs. showing. In fairness, the vehicle of the story, i.e., a yacht at sea, is not as simple a story to unfold as would be an everyday town or neighborhood under siege by malevolent forces. Nor did these instances unduly impede the action.
Also, Higgins is either a brilliant researcher or has significant sailing experience or both. The descriptions of sailing principles, equipment, and challenges inform much of the drama. And though the author, via his Brad character, explains the layout of the yacht and how its equipment is operated, the jargon as well as the nomenclature of different sections of the boat went over my head, especially as the pace of the action accelerated. However, it doesn’t impede the propulsive sense of threat the characters are under. In other words, it’s the threat that counts, not whether it occurs at the bow or the stern or starboard or port or along the gunwales.
“Furious” is a gripping, exciting, page-turner. The plot is well-executed and the characters sharply drawn. The protagonist, Dagny Steele, is thankfully given an inner landscape beyond the usual tropes for female characters in thrillers. You will care for her, fear for her, and urge her on.
I give the book four-and-a-half stars out of five. When I publish this review, you may see five stars for the simple reason some sites don’t accommodate half-star rating.
I anticipate the reading public will anxiously await the next from Jeffrey James Higgins. For certain, I will.
But first, feast on Furious: Sailing into Terror.
I may also suggest you not read this in bed at night.
Lanny Larcinese
11/01/21
Debut novelist Jeffrey Higgins has written a thriller that makes The Shining look as subdued as a cricket match.
The story opens six months after the crib-death of Dagny and Brad’s three-month old infant child. Their lives go downhill from there.
As a prophylaxis to curtail Dagny’s depression, Brad takes it upon himself to rent a sixty-two-foot sailing yacht to ply the waters from Indonesia to the Maldives, off the coast of India. He’s had sailing experience on the Atlantic and convinced that the challenge of sailing exotic waters will extricate Dagny from her emotional and career-impairing funk. (They’re both doctors.) Besides, the yacht is appointed with all the modern electronics and practically sails itself…or so Brad says. She is hesitant, consults with friends, but in the end, accedes to the month-long trip, believing it may work as planned.
Higgins does a masterful job meting out the ever-increasing volume and severity of perils—at first to the couple, then to Dagny—presented while on the trip. During the voyage, the story takes on a locked room vibe when mysteries arise as to the baby’s death, Brad’s physical condition, an ominous Great White shark stalking the boat, whether Brad has been faithful, whether the boat is dependable, whether the weather will hold out…whew! The issues remain mysteries and not resolved until the last quarter of the book. This is the sort of book doctors counsel insomniacs not to read at bedtime.
The first-person point of view, Dagny’s, allows for more depth of character than typically found in thrillers—in which thrills are the objective and characters merely cyphers to place at risk. Dagny is fully realized—both insecure and strong, troubled but competent, uncertain yet confident. And she’s frightened, Jesus, she’s frightened! The author doesn’t pander to the zeitgeist by making Dagny a super-woman; instead, she’s wholly human and imperfect, adding to her vulnerability to life-endangering risk.
While the story is delightfully and rigorously bang-bang, there were a few things about the writing—mostly stylistic preferences of my own—I’d like to have been different.
Some may consider this a nit, but Higgins never met a contraction he liked. Doesn’t is does not; won’t is will not; can’t is cannot, etc. I found it slightly distracting in the first half of the book. It rendered much of the speech formal-sounding and stiff, not the way everyday Americans speak, even doctors. The uncontracted versions of those parts of speech are appropriate in certain contexts, but in Furious, they're deployed throughout.
There were also a few instances of telling vs. showing. In fairness, the vehicle of the story, i.e., a yacht at sea, is not as simple a story to unfold as would be an everyday town or neighborhood under siege by malevolent forces. Nor did these instances unduly impede the action.
Also, Higgins is either a brilliant researcher or has significant sailing experience or both. The descriptions of sailing principles, equipment, and challenges inform much of the drama. And though the author, via his Brad character, explains the layout of the yacht and how its equipment is operated, the jargon as well as the nomenclature of different sections of the boat went over my head, especially as the pace of the action accelerated. However, it doesn’t impede the propulsive sense of threat the characters are under. In other words, it’s the threat that counts, not whether it occurs at the bow or the stern or starboard or port or along the gunwales.
“Furious” is a gripping, exciting, page-turner. The plot is well-executed and the characters sharply drawn. The protagonist, Dagny Steele, is thankfully given an inner landscape beyond the usual tropes for female characters in thrillers. You will care for her, fear for her, and urge her on.
I give the book four-and-a-half stars out of five. When I publish this review, you may see five stars for the simple reason some sites don’t accommodate half-star rating.
I anticipate the reading public will anxiously await the next from Jeffrey James Higgins. For certain, I will.
But first, feast on Furious: Sailing into Terror.
I may also suggest you not read this in bed at night.
Lanny Larcinese
11/01/21
July 4, 2024
I selected this book as I’m also a writer documenting an imagined Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Not being a sailor, I needed to learn the language of the yacht parts and boating conventions. This book delivered this in spaces. I had considered my book to be thriller, but after reading 'Furious', have modified the description to Lite Suspense.
Goodness. What a read, Furious: Sailing into Terror is. A book of two halves; of two emotional experiences. The tale starts slowly and peacefully:
‘The yacht pitched up and down, but I had my sea legs and barely notices. Now the motion relaxed me, and when I lay in bed it lulled me to sleep.’
‘I had grown acclimated to the miles of shimmering blue seas, the salty air, the relentless sun.’
And then somewhere around chapter 18 the tension and madness begins.
‘The bow pierced the crest of a wave and the yacht hovered for a moment, before canting forward and taking a frothy, avalanchine slide into the trough. My stomach turned as if I was skydiving.’
Like other reviewers, I can see this story making it the big screen, with more tension than Deep Calm and Jaws combined.
I liked the final scene and our heroines obvious character development. Well done to Jeffrey James Higgins. 4.5 stars from me.
Goodness. What a read, Furious: Sailing into Terror is. A book of two halves; of two emotional experiences. The tale starts slowly and peacefully:
‘The yacht pitched up and down, but I had my sea legs and barely notices. Now the motion relaxed me, and when I lay in bed it lulled me to sleep.’
‘I had grown acclimated to the miles of shimmering blue seas, the salty air, the relentless sun.’
And then somewhere around chapter 18 the tension and madness begins.
‘The bow pierced the crest of a wave and the yacht hovered for a moment, before canting forward and taking a frothy, avalanchine slide into the trough. My stomach turned as if I was skydiving.’
Like other reviewers, I can see this story making it the big screen, with more tension than Deep Calm and Jaws combined.
I liked the final scene and our heroines obvious character development. Well done to Jeffrey James Higgins. 4.5 stars from me.
September 28, 2024
Unputdownable
Unputdownable. A relatively new word added to our modern vernacular. I always smiled a little at that mildly absurd word whenever I saw it bandied about with abandon everywhere reviews for books abounded. Until now.
Furious: Sailing into Terror by Jeffery Higgins epitomizes that word to a tee. Well written with excellent prose, Mr. Higgins writes well and his ability to describe and illuminate the story he’s relating is superb. No less impressive is his character-building talent. His descriptions of things both material and emotional is superb. His talent for describing the world he’s created and the things that take place in it are actually genuinely inspiring and intimate.
But it’s Mr. Higgins ability to tell one hell of an amazing tale that really amazed me. The sheer excitement, dread and yes—terror, are simply astounding! I was locked inexorably into reading this incredible novel in a way almost…well, how can I describe it? Unputdownable! That’s the word.
So do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Furious. It is literally one of the most addictive novels I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I envy anyone who’s diving in for the first time (pun intended) into the experience that awaits them in Furious: Sailing into Terror.
Unputdownable. A relatively new word added to our modern vernacular. I always smiled a little at that mildly absurd word whenever I saw it bandied about with abandon everywhere reviews for books abounded. Until now.
Furious: Sailing into Terror by Jeffery Higgins epitomizes that word to a tee. Well written with excellent prose, Mr. Higgins writes well and his ability to describe and illuminate the story he’s relating is superb. No less impressive is his character-building talent. His descriptions of things both material and emotional is superb. His talent for describing the world he’s created and the things that take place in it are actually genuinely inspiring and intimate.
But it’s Mr. Higgins ability to tell one hell of an amazing tale that really amazed me. The sheer excitement, dread and yes—terror, are simply astounding! I was locked inexorably into reading this incredible novel in a way almost…well, how can I describe it? Unputdownable! That’s the word.
So do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Furious. It is literally one of the most addictive novels I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I envy anyone who’s diving in for the first time (pun intended) into the experience that awaits them in Furious: Sailing into Terror.
April 27, 2021
Thank you Netgalley and Black Rose Writing for the eARC.
Dagny is still suffering from a deep depression 6 months after her 3-month old baby daughter died of SIDS. Her husband is getting fed up with her and suggests a long tropical trip by yacht, even though she is terrified of water and swimming after a childhood disaster. She reluctantly agrees and both of them take a few months off from their jobs as doctors, sailing a luxurious yacht borrowed from a friend.
Up to this part I enjoyed the book, but then one thing after another goes horribly wrong. It almost becomes a horror story and the unending dramas they survived felt a bit tedious. There are some good chapters on sailing and interesting medical factoids, but I got tired of the creepy details. I couldn't understand the decisions Dagny made and disliked her husband intensely. Not being a fan of sailing myself, I think I'm in the minority for only giving the book 3 stars, it's probably a good read for people who are less squeamish than I am!
Dagny is still suffering from a deep depression 6 months after her 3-month old baby daughter died of SIDS. Her husband is getting fed up with her and suggests a long tropical trip by yacht, even though she is terrified of water and swimming after a childhood disaster. She reluctantly agrees and both of them take a few months off from their jobs as doctors, sailing a luxurious yacht borrowed from a friend.
Up to this part I enjoyed the book, but then one thing after another goes horribly wrong. It almost becomes a horror story and the unending dramas they survived felt a bit tedious. There are some good chapters on sailing and interesting medical factoids, but I got tired of the creepy details. I couldn't understand the decisions Dagny made and disliked her husband intensely. Not being a fan of sailing myself, I think I'm in the minority for only giving the book 3 stars, it's probably a good read for people who are less squeamish than I am!
July 19, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. Dagny met a very attractive doctor and quickly got pregnant by him. When he asked her to marry him she said yes so that her baby would have a stable family life. Baby Emma died after only 3 months and Dagny became seriously depressed. She was not able to work or hardly function at all. Her husband suggests going on a month long sailing trip to get her mind off of things. Dagny unfortunately has a severe phobia of the water due to an incident when she was a child but finally is pressured by her husband to take the trip.
Dagny's husband becomes seriously ill during the trip so Dagny is now faced with a sick and deranged husband who has been keeping secrets from her, she has to figure out how to sail a huge yacht by herself, deal with her phobia of the ocean, her phobia of heights, and deal with a great white shark that is circling the boat. I really like books where the women overcome obstacles and really kick ass and this is one of those books.
Dagny's husband becomes seriously ill during the trip so Dagny is now faced with a sick and deranged husband who has been keeping secrets from her, she has to figure out how to sail a huge yacht by herself, deal with her phobia of the ocean, her phobia of heights, and deal with a great white shark that is circling the boat. I really like books where the women overcome obstacles and really kick ass and this is one of those books.
August 31, 2023
This is my opinion & should not determine if suited for another reader
This could have been a riveting story with the couple's relationship issues being the core. A seemingly dysfunctional married couple who do not use the multitude of supportive services available for very few. The author's couple are MD and the female has taken time off from a Fellow in a Pediatric Speciality after SIDS crushed her.
The whining, the revenge, the control issues and the bizarre events nade the reading taxing. Why this author chose a disease rarely seen and then miminized the horrors of being on a Yaht in the Southern Ocean with a character out of King horror story. I did not find the story frightening, realistic, or sound in science.
Hopefully, the author is stretching his writing style and seriously researching his next topic.
This could have been a riveting story with the couple's relationship issues being the core. A seemingly dysfunctional married couple who do not use the multitude of supportive services available for very few. The author's couple are MD and the female has taken time off from a Fellow in a Pediatric Speciality after SIDS crushed her.
The whining, the revenge, the control issues and the bizarre events nade the reading taxing. Why this author chose a disease rarely seen and then miminized the horrors of being on a Yaht in the Southern Ocean with a character out of King horror story. I did not find the story frightening, realistic, or sound in science.
Hopefully, the author is stretching his writing style and seriously researching his next topic.
April 6, 2022
Furious is a fast-paced, beautifully written thriller that will grip you hard and not let you go.
The story is told in first-person through the eyes of a woman who has suffered a tragedy. She and her husband decide to sail through the Indian Ocean to get away from it all and rejuvenate their relationship. Their circumstances go downhill quickly, with the terror level rising in every chapter. The reader is treated to the thoughts and actions of a woman who must dig deeply into a well of resolve she’d never known she had. Higgins writes like the reporter he once was, telling you what you need to know without any unnecessary window-dressing. Start this book early on a day when you can devote the day to it, because you will not stop reading till you’ve finished it.
The story is told in first-person through the eyes of a woman who has suffered a tragedy. She and her husband decide to sail through the Indian Ocean to get away from it all and rejuvenate their relationship. Their circumstances go downhill quickly, with the terror level rising in every chapter. The reader is treated to the thoughts and actions of a woman who must dig deeply into a well of resolve she’d never known she had. Higgins writes like the reporter he once was, telling you what you need to know without any unnecessary window-dressing. Start this book early on a day when you can devote the day to it, because you will not stop reading till you’ve finished it.
October 8, 2021
Unusual, but not in a good way
I don't doubt that Huggins is very intelligent and capable of writing a riveting story. However, Furious is not that story.
With essentially only two characters, interest wanes. Add to this the limitation of almost the entire story happening on a sailboat - and how could it not be tedious, repetitive, slow-moving, and frequently boring? The disgusting gore near the end is a pitiful attempt to "mix things up".
The entire effort falls flat, stalls, if you will. I might try one more by this writer. If he bases a novel on a much better concept than this one, he might provide something worth reading.
I don't doubt that Huggins is very intelligent and capable of writing a riveting story. However, Furious is not that story.
With essentially only two characters, interest wanes. Add to this the limitation of almost the entire story happening on a sailboat - and how could it not be tedious, repetitive, slow-moving, and frequently boring? The disgusting gore near the end is a pitiful attempt to "mix things up".
The entire effort falls flat, stalls, if you will. I might try one more by this writer. If he bases a novel on a much better concept than this one, he might provide something worth reading.
September 10, 2021
A Real Nail Biter
This was a great read. The characters were very well done and the story moved along at a record clip. I won't spoil the story for you but let me say you will never see the twist in the plot and what happens.to those on board a yacht. This one kept me up for two nights and I had to finish it before could do my house work today. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants.a.terrific story with a lot of surprises in store for the reader.
This was a great read. The characters were very well done and the story moved along at a record clip. I won't spoil the story for you but let me say you will never see the twist in the plot and what happens.to those on board a yacht. This one kept me up for two nights and I had to finish it before could do my house work today. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants.a.terrific story with a lot of surprises in store for the reader.
November 17, 2021
what an incredible, exciting book!
This was probably the best book of its kind that I have read, and I read a book every few days. We are sailors, so knew all of the terminology. I can’t imagine sailing across an ocean with just two people on board, but the author made it all believable. Such a nightmare circumstance. Believable characters, and descriptive situation. I loved it. And will look for more books by this author.
This was probably the best book of its kind that I have read, and I read a book every few days. We are sailors, so knew all of the terminology. I can’t imagine sailing across an ocean with just two people on board, but the author made it all believable. Such a nightmare circumstance. Believable characters, and descriptive situation. I loved it. And will look for more books by this author.
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