Depth Charge

by Jason Heaton

Julian “Tusker” Tusk, an American archaeologist, is excavating a shipwreck half a world from home when a research boat catches fire and sinks, killing an old friend. The tragedy sets in motion a dangerous quest for truth that pulls Tusker into a sinister plot spanning 75 years, from World War II Ceylon to modern day Sri Lanka. Along the way, he matches wits with a psychopathic mercenary, discovers a long lost ship with an explosive secret, and falls for a beautiful marine biologist who is at least as strong as he is. In the end, Tusker finds that the truth may lie at the bottom of the sea, with only one way back to the surface. Depth Charge is an old school thriller in the tradition of Fleming, Maclean, and Cussler, with an eye for detail, cunning villains, and narrow escapes. The story is full of wartime secrets, the intersection of religion and politics, and the arcane world of deep technical diving. It takes readers from the smoky halls of 1940s London to the volatile, seductive heat of Sri Lanka and sixty fathoms under the Indian Ocean. Try not to hold your breath.

Genres: Thriller, Novels, Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

Published April 29, 2021

About the author

Jason Heaton has a decade-long history of adventure, travel, wristwatch, and gear writing, and his work has appeared in Outside magazine, Gear Patrol, Men’s Journal, Wired, Australian Geographic, and Hodinkee. The New York Times once called him, “a test pilot for the world’s most illustrious undersea timepieces.” He is also the co-host of the popular podcast, The Grey NATO.

A certified technical diver, Heaton has been underwater all over the world, from the Galapagos to New Zealand to the Caribbean, and since 2015, he has been a member of the prestigious Explorers Club. He lives with his wife, Gishani, and their two cats in Minneapolis.

Reviews

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book at random. I was reading Hodinkee when I saw an article about it, the premise instantly intrigued me.

It’s a techno-thriller centered around scuba diving and watches, which meant I’m basically the ideal core demographic!

The story itself is interesting and the writing style is approachable. The book centers around divers in Sri Lanka and a downed WWII ship holding crucial cargo. However it does feel too basic at times and, without spoiling anything, I was felt let down by the ending. Perhaps being spoilt from my current obsession of the “Bond” books made me expect more.

Where this book truly shines is when the narrative dives underwater. Heston does an excellent job portraying the wonder and spectacle of diving; whilst at the same time recreating the sense of danger, dread and paranoia that can arise.

[A Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book.
It initially caught my attention via Instagram. I was somewhat familiar with Jason Heaton via his podcast and I know we share a lot of the same interests. Then reading some of the promo blurbs calling it “an old school thriller in the tradition of Fleming...” ordering a copy was a no brainer.
I received my signed copy ($15 on his website) a few days ago and was psyched to jump in. Due to the size of the book, I assumed it’d be a few days worth of reading. Nope. Despite a slight hangover and work I finished it in one day. It was a page turner that I could not put down.
The story is very fast paced, (relatively..? For a thriller) realistic, and enjoyable with likable characters I ended up rooting for.
It checked a lot of boxes for me- crime/ thriller, international politics anchored in real history, foreign travel and culture, with some commentary on world politics without getting preachy.
Highly recommend.

[Nate Solberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading Depth Charge, the first novel from Twin Cities writer Jason Heaton! I've followed Jason's podcast, The Gray NATO, for a number of years, and was intrigued as he reported his writing progress for this work. I picked up my Kindle edition immediately upon release, and was very pleased that I did. I am, and will probably always be, a desk diver, but the underwater scenes had me feeling incredibly claustrophobic. The story is tight, and he has created an exciting, well-written page turner (virtual, in my case). It was a fun read, and I'm very hopeful that we'll see another Tusker adventure in the future.

[Stefan O · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exciting and engaging plot, particularly in the second half, where the pace and energy don’t let up.
Has all the elements of a great thriller: exotic locations, adventure and romance, with heavy doses of intrigue, danger, suspense and macabre.

I was initially worried the story would lean heavily on the tropes of the thriller genre, but was pleasantly surprised; the plot revolving around technical diving was unique (to myself, anyways), and made it feel very fresh.

The writing is somewhat stiff and clunky at times, and lacks some of the ‘cruel poetry’ which would help to develop the sinister atmosphere and drama of the story.

Overall, an entertaining read and a commendable first effort by the author. Looking forward to reading more adventures of Tusker in the future!

[Elbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book in a while I devoured. Heaton is a modern Fleming

[Jerome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great old school thriller taking place in modern times. Big adventure. Exotic location. A lot of (underwater) suspense and action. The story may be a little simple and linear but it is a very enjoyable read. Very well written too. One of these books that you just can't put down and made me miss a few hours of sleep!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this book delivers on the promise of a dive-themed thriller. It's not the world's greatest thriller, but you definitely get what you paid for. The plot is intriguing and fun, the characters are well-defined (though I had difficulty telling some of them apart at the beginning). It was a quick read and I enjoyed it.

I came to this book as a fan of the author, Jason Heaton's, podcast "The Grey Nato", curious to read his first novel. He clearly took to heart the "write what you know" advice – diving, watches, Sri Lanka, Land Rovers and Land Cruisers, winter in the MidWest, and even being left-handed. While perhaps distracting at times, as a fan, it was fun to get these little "shout-outs" sprinkled throughout the novel. Yet, while I generally enjoyed the writing style, there were places where the prose was a bit clunky, particularly when the author needed to provide technical background information (e.g., on saturation diving). The style would jump from a narrative to a non-fiction, informational tone and back. I look forward to reading Heaton's follow-on novel, "Sweetwater".

[Aleksandar · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I heard from Jason (on The Gray Nato podcast), about this book as old school thriller in style of Fleming and Clive Cussler with great timepieces in it, it was no brainer to sign me in. Growing up on Cussler's books and Indiana Jones movies I got mix of both in this book. Main character, Tusker is little bit of Indi and little bit of Dirk, diver archeologist, down to earth college professor that is not appearing as un-human in some moments as Cussler's Dirk.
Good plot, bad guys you just love to hate, a little bit of Sri Lanka's history and bad ass women characters you fell in love from the moment she jumps from old Land Rover. Written with simple language, that even someone who never went in the sea deeper than 10m, can understand what is going own when you are diving in 50 fathoms.
Great first novel, and can't wait to see more from Jason.

[J.R. Seeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Heaton’s first novel is outstanding. Set in Sri Lanka, the story focuses on a “treasure hunt” that begins in the early years of WWII and ends in the 21st century.

Heaton’s descriptions of scuba and mixed gas diving and the dangers of deep dives offer white knuckle reading as both the protagonist and the nemesis race to recover a long lost weapon.

Along the way, the author provides the reader with a great feeling for life in the tropics and the characters (both good and bad) who live on coastlines in South Asia.

Excellent first go! I hope we see a sequel.

[Robert Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Heaton’s Depth Charge is equal parts Fleming and Cussler combined with obvious passion for the topics portrayed in the book. Mr. Heaton was very particular in his descriptions of the culture and environment, leading to a kind of immersion into the landscape. It had action, romance and you left feeling like you learned something. The book was fast paced and was hard to put down. I’m hoping to see more from this author very soon.

[A.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a classic thriller, a la Bond or others written in the 60s. The writing is tight and the descriptions are expert but accessible, the diving sequences in particular are fantastic, and the technical aspects of it are described in detail but not boring whatsoever, a hard task to accomplish. If you are looking for that feeling you got when you first read Casino Royale this is a quick read worthy of your time.

[Jillian Alig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, fast-paced thriller centered around scuba diving. Heaton writes well, builds his characters, and has the historical and technical know-how to tell a story that really draws you in. To top it off, this book is also edited and proofed immaculately. Definitely looking forward to following this up with his second book, Sweetwater.

[Brennen Lutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book of the year... so far. It really does follow through on the premise of if Indiana Jones was a diver. Clearly the author knows his way around diving, because the portions describing the various dives that make up the plot are all breathtaking. Anyway, I loved this. I'm going to tell all my friends about it.

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick read. Obviously well researched as it pertains to the technical aspects of diving. He also clearly knows the geography and culture of Sri Lanka well which is an interesting and atypical setting for many novels. Very enjoyable.

[Wilbur McKesson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing first novel! The author did an excellent job telling the story of Tusker. Seeing as I’ve been to Sri Lanka, everything was perfectly written in the story, from the traffic to the interactions with people. Solid work

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite similar to Clive Cussler (Dirk Pitt) and Ian Fleming (James Bond) books ... danger lurks, guy raises to the rescue, guy meets girl, they get the bad guys, etc. For divers, it's much more interesting as the author is quite detailed on what goes on at 300 feet below the surface.

[Adelbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny experience. I confess the first time I read this I did not enjoy it and made myself power through it. Decided to pick it up again a year later and re-read it in preparation for the next novel and thoroughly enjoyed it, enough to give it a 5/5.

[Paul Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason’s first foray into novel writing was nothing short of inspiring. A beautifully written and highly researched piece that gripped me from cover to cover. I have since booked my PADI open water course here in Queensland, Australia and cant wait to read the next instalment “Sweetwater”

[Konstantinos Gustad Padazopoulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic adventure novel oozing with maritime action and exotic locations!

Loved the writing of Jason and the historical aspect of the story! This is a page-turner for fans of Fleming, Maclean & Cussler!

[Casey Klotz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Depth Charge is a tech forward thriller novel. Jason’s writing really shines during the dive sequences, and he does a great job of drawing historical fiction elements into the story. Overall, I enjoyed it. This is a low commitment, fun read that I think anyone would enjoy.

[Kevin Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Jason Heaton, I’ve wanted to read this one for a while. Fun fast read and glad I finally got this one done. Loved meeting Tusker and learning some things about scuba and dive culture. Also loved all the watch references. 4.5 stars

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Really enjoyed the very descriptive underwater scenes. Also, learned some Sri Lanka history. Looking forward to reading more Tusker adventures.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in almost one sitting , very enjoyable and action packed whilst not really my favorite genre these days the story and description was done well , for a first novel very impressive

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty enjoyable. Apt comparisons to Cussler due to diving and the storytelling format. I hope Heaton writes more books.

[Jack Henshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic debut

I raced through this book whilst on holiday. Exciting plot, great characters and informative for a non diver. A great debut novel.

[Paul Rivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good first effort from a new novel writer. A solid story with interesting characters. The plot is a little predictable but still enjoyable. I look forward to reading Mr. Heaton's next book.

[Evgeniy Oleinik · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book doesn't pretend to be anything groundbreaking - it's a fast-paced, old-school thriller with good research and likeable (albeit 2-dimensional) characters. Great read!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this first book by Jason Heaton. Hope he turns this into a series! A great thriller, adventure and spy novel set in exotic locations. A future classic.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great debut novel. Lacking in substance at times but a fun easy read nonetheless.

[Dino · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Jason is a writer I like, and this was a good story.