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Jonas Merrick #1
The Crocodile Hunter
'Enthralling' - The Sunday Times
'Compelling' - The Times
A thrilling story of the secret services, their enemies and the society they operate in, building with unrelenting suspense to a superb climax, The Crocodile Hunter is Gerald Seymour writing at the top of his powers.
In the office at MI5 where he works, they call Jonas Merrick 'the eternal flame'. It isn't a compliment. It's because he never goes out. He never goes undercover, never does surveillance, never goes with the teams that kick down the doors or seize the suspects off the street. He commutes into work and sits at his desk and then he goes home.
But Jonas has qualities the hot-shots fail to a steely concentration, a ruthless ability to focus and find the enemy hiding in plain sight.
Hearing of a British Jihadi returning from Syria with murderous plans, Jonas sends out for a telling a crocodile, almost submerged, just its eyes above water as it waits for unsuspecting prey to drink at the riverbank.
Coming ashore near Dover, Cameron Jilkes is a young man from a broken home and a failed education, trained in the harshest theatre of war, driven to rage by loss and pain.
And this time, 'the eternal flame' must go out - to hunt the crocodile himself.
'A novel displaying all the author's many strengths, from his John le Carré-like ability to portray the intelligence world from top to bottom, to its line up of memorable supporting characters' The Sunday Times on BEYOND RECALL
Readers love THE CROCODILE HUNTER :
'Another winner from Gerald Seymour' 5*
'An outstanding book and thoroughly recommended' 5*
'Every year without fail . . . Gerald Seymour comes up with a masterful thriller . . . A wonderful read from a master of his craft' 5*
'Compelling' - The Times
A thrilling story of the secret services, their enemies and the society they operate in, building with unrelenting suspense to a superb climax, The Crocodile Hunter is Gerald Seymour writing at the top of his powers.
In the office at MI5 where he works, they call Jonas Merrick 'the eternal flame'. It isn't a compliment. It's because he never goes out. He never goes undercover, never does surveillance, never goes with the teams that kick down the doors or seize the suspects off the street. He commutes into work and sits at his desk and then he goes home.
But Jonas has qualities the hot-shots fail to a steely concentration, a ruthless ability to focus and find the enemy hiding in plain sight.
Hearing of a British Jihadi returning from Syria with murderous plans, Jonas sends out for a telling a crocodile, almost submerged, just its eyes above water as it waits for unsuspecting prey to drink at the riverbank.
Coming ashore near Dover, Cameron Jilkes is a young man from a broken home and a failed education, trained in the harshest theatre of war, driven to rage by loss and pain.
And this time, 'the eternal flame' must go out - to hunt the crocodile himself.
'A novel displaying all the author's many strengths, from his John le Carré-like ability to portray the intelligence world from top to bottom, to its line up of memorable supporting characters' The Sunday Times on BEYOND RECALL
Readers love THE CROCODILE HUNTER :
'Another winner from Gerald Seymour' 5*
'An outstanding book and thoroughly recommended' 5*
'Every year without fail . . . Gerald Seymour comes up with a masterful thriller . . . A wonderful read from a master of his craft' 5*
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2021
322 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Gerald Seymour
99 books288 followersGerald Seymour (born 25 November 1941 in Guildford, Surrey) is a British writer.
The son of two literary figures, he was educated at Kelly College at Tavistock in Devon and took a BA Hons degree in Modern History at University College London. Initially a journalist, he joined ITN in 1963, covering such topics as the Great Train Robbery, Vietnam, Ireland, the Munich Olympics massacre, Germany's Red Army, Italy's Red Brigades and Palestinian militant groups. His first book, Harry's Game, was published in 1975, and Seymour then became a full-time novelist, living in the West Country. In 1999, he featured in the Oscar-winning television film, One Day in September, which portrayed the Munich Olympics massacre.
Television adaptations have been made of his books Harry's Game, The Glory Boys, The Contract, Red Fox, Field Of Blood, A Line In The Sand and The Waiting Time.
The son of two literary figures, he was educated at Kelly College at Tavistock in Devon and took a BA Hons degree in Modern History at University College London. Initially a journalist, he joined ITN in 1963, covering such topics as the Great Train Robbery, Vietnam, Ireland, the Munich Olympics massacre, Germany's Red Army, Italy's Red Brigades and Palestinian militant groups. His first book, Harry's Game, was published in 1975, and Seymour then became a full-time novelist, living in the West Country. In 1999, he featured in the Oscar-winning television film, One Day in September, which portrayed the Munich Olympics massacre.
Television adaptations have been made of his books Harry's Game, The Glory Boys, The Contract, Red Fox, Field Of Blood, A Line In The Sand and The Waiting Time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
December 9, 2022
Maybe I'm just burned out on counter terrorism themed thrillers but the Crocodile Hunter is my least favorite Seymour novel that I've read. Not to say it's bad or anything. The novel is certainly above average for the genre but I didn't enjoy it as much as some of his other work.
There are two main issues with this book. The first is the lead characters are not very likeable. The second is Seymour's current practice of fixating on a motif which comes across as heavy handed in this novel.
The leads for this novel are (recurring) desk bound MI5 intelligence officer Jonas Merrick and his two sidekicks who go out and do his field work for him. Merrick's two sidekicks might have been intended to act as a relatable foil for him but they don't really get enough focus for the reader to identify with them and they have a generally pretty negative attitude to their jobs. I'm sure a lot of people would find the kind of work MI5 stimulating but these two characters are constantly "over it". Merrick ends up being the main character the reader travels through the world with but Merrick is also a pretty negative character and generally not very likeable. Merrick is sort of like George Smiley except kind of a jerk and lacking Smiley's charisma. He is overly dramatic and has an obsession with the idea that he's hunting a crocodile for some reason, which brings us to the second problem.
Seymour has this kind of weird practice of having a motif that is repeated throughout the novel. Battle Sight Zero for example had the phrase "battle sight zero" repeated every chapter. A Damned serious business had constant references to waterloo. In those two novels it came across as slightly clunky but was pretty inoffensive. The metaphor of hunting crocodiles in this novel would have worked if it was brought up maybe twice, but it comes up all the time and comes across as a little dramatic. I don't have a clue how Merrick survives from day to day when he's always acting like the sky is falling. No wonder no one listened to him most of his career.
The supporting cast is really good and at the level of Le carree. The ISIS operative who is the main antagonist, the members of the cell supporting him, his mother and literally every character he meets have clear motivations, act in a way that feels authentic and leave the reader guessing how everything will play out. The setting is so well described, it feels like you're there with the characters. The plot is pretty standard for Seymour but it's fine, if a bit drawn out. As usual for Seymour, the last one hundred pages are tense. Research is excellent as usual and I imagine this is probably as close as you'll get to the reality of a counter terrorism operation without being there.
I liked the references to his older novels. A character from The Outsiders and another from Traitor's kiss are mentioned in passing in this one, which are quite cool easter eggs.
There are two main issues with this book. The first is the lead characters are not very likeable. The second is Seymour's current practice of fixating on a motif which comes across as heavy handed in this novel.
The leads for this novel are (recurring) desk bound MI5 intelligence officer Jonas Merrick and his two sidekicks who go out and do his field work for him. Merrick's two sidekicks might have been intended to act as a relatable foil for him but they don't really get enough focus for the reader to identify with them and they have a generally pretty negative attitude to their jobs. I'm sure a lot of people would find the kind of work MI5 stimulating but these two characters are constantly "over it". Merrick ends up being the main character the reader travels through the world with but Merrick is also a pretty negative character and generally not very likeable. Merrick is sort of like George Smiley except kind of a jerk and lacking Smiley's charisma. He is overly dramatic and has an obsession with the idea that he's hunting a crocodile for some reason, which brings us to the second problem.
Seymour has this kind of weird practice of having a motif that is repeated throughout the novel. Battle Sight Zero for example had the phrase "battle sight zero" repeated every chapter. A Damned serious business had constant references to waterloo. In those two novels it came across as slightly clunky but was pretty inoffensive. The metaphor of hunting crocodiles in this novel would have worked if it was brought up maybe twice, but it comes up all the time and comes across as a little dramatic. I don't have a clue how Merrick survives from day to day when he's always acting like the sky is falling. No wonder no one listened to him most of his career.
The supporting cast is really good and at the level of Le carree. The ISIS operative who is the main antagonist, the members of the cell supporting him, his mother and literally every character he meets have clear motivations, act in a way that feels authentic and leave the reader guessing how everything will play out. The setting is so well described, it feels like you're there with the characters. The plot is pretty standard for Seymour but it's fine, if a bit drawn out. As usual for Seymour, the last one hundred pages are tense. Research is excellent as usual and I imagine this is probably as close as you'll get to the reality of a counter terrorism operation without being there.
I liked the references to his older novels. A character from The Outsiders and another from Traitor's kiss are mentioned in passing in this one, which are quite cool easter eggs.
March 19, 2021
How does he do it? Every year without fail as he has done for the past 40 years Gerald Seymour comes up with a masterful thriller.
His knowledge of tradecraft is exceptional, his characters are often deeply flawed but impeccably drawn and de[picyed and the plot is invariably topical and credible.
This one is well up to standard and is never less than exciting.
A wonderful read from a master of his craft.
His knowledge of tradecraft is exceptional, his characters are often deeply flawed but impeccably drawn and de[picyed and the plot is invariably topical and credible.
This one is well up to standard and is never less than exciting.
A wonderful read from a master of his craft.
May 17, 2021
I wrote this review originally for NetGalley at this URL: https://www.netgalley.com/book/218125...
Defending one’s country from threats internal and external involves feats of extreme bravery, daring adventures and a group of dashing, strong, physically fit people fighting it out on the field. But, it also involves hours and hours of plodding through tonnes of data, identifying patterns and predicting the moves of the enemies—all the time working closeted somewhere inside a multistorey building amidst voluminous paperwork. Though extremely vital, the contributions of the latter population goes unsung, unknown even to their closest family and friends due to security concerns, and The Crocodile Hunter by Gerald Seymour is the story of one such plodder.
Jonas Merrick is such a non-entity to his colleagues at the British Secret Service that, even after serving for more than three decades, nobody is going to care a dime once he retires and leaves the office one final time. Not that he himself has ever done anything to gain popularity: he never socialises, is curt to the point of rudeness, has never gone to any of the fields where the work is done on ground, and follows his own rigid schedule like clockwork irrespective of what happens around him. On the day of his retirement, Merrick does something totally out of character and prevents a catastrophe—an action that earns him a lot of respect in addition to having his retirement cancelled. Several months into his extended stint at the Service, Merrick is on the trail of someone who is very likely to carry out a deadly attack on English soil. Through his characteristic plodding, Merrick tries to identify the terrorist and anticipate his moves so as to prevent the impending attack. This time though, when the time finally comes to go on the field and apprehend the terrorist, the Service has no team available to execute the operation and Merrick opts to do something he has never done—even in the prime of his youth. Supported only by a couple of greenhorns at the Service and a couple of cops without a clue about the operation, will Merrick’s first foray onto the field be a success? Will the elderly hunter catch his crocodile or will he be devoured?
Gerald Seymour is known for creating taut, gripping thrillers and The Crocodile Hunter is no exception. It is an intense, slow-burn of a thriller that has well drawn characters, deep know-how of the trade, believable action and a relevant theme. Seymour’s characters, right from the lead actors to the minor ones, are skilfully drawn and his descriptions of places and actions are likewise lifelike. In spite of having plenty of action, this novel is not for the reader who is in a rush. It deserves to be read at leisure to fully experience the author’s flair at bringing multiple strands of the story together. Though the climax is quite fitting for the overall plot, a few threads of the story have been left unfinished. Despite that, I found The Crocodile Hunter to be an absorbing read and would like to thank its author and publishers for the e-ARC through NetGalley in return for my unbiased review.
Defending one’s country from threats internal and external involves feats of extreme bravery, daring adventures and a group of dashing, strong, physically fit people fighting it out on the field. But, it also involves hours and hours of plodding through tonnes of data, identifying patterns and predicting the moves of the enemies—all the time working closeted somewhere inside a multistorey building amidst voluminous paperwork. Though extremely vital, the contributions of the latter population goes unsung, unknown even to their closest family and friends due to security concerns, and The Crocodile Hunter by Gerald Seymour is the story of one such plodder.
Jonas Merrick is such a non-entity to his colleagues at the British Secret Service that, even after serving for more than three decades, nobody is going to care a dime once he retires and leaves the office one final time. Not that he himself has ever done anything to gain popularity: he never socialises, is curt to the point of rudeness, has never gone to any of the fields where the work is done on ground, and follows his own rigid schedule like clockwork irrespective of what happens around him. On the day of his retirement, Merrick does something totally out of character and prevents a catastrophe—an action that earns him a lot of respect in addition to having his retirement cancelled. Several months into his extended stint at the Service, Merrick is on the trail of someone who is very likely to carry out a deadly attack on English soil. Through his characteristic plodding, Merrick tries to identify the terrorist and anticipate his moves so as to prevent the impending attack. This time though, when the time finally comes to go on the field and apprehend the terrorist, the Service has no team available to execute the operation and Merrick opts to do something he has never done—even in the prime of his youth. Supported only by a couple of greenhorns at the Service and a couple of cops without a clue about the operation, will Merrick’s first foray onto the field be a success? Will the elderly hunter catch his crocodile or will he be devoured?
Gerald Seymour is known for creating taut, gripping thrillers and The Crocodile Hunter is no exception. It is an intense, slow-burn of a thriller that has well drawn characters, deep know-how of the trade, believable action and a relevant theme. Seymour’s characters, right from the lead actors to the minor ones, are skilfully drawn and his descriptions of places and actions are likewise lifelike. In spite of having plenty of action, this novel is not for the reader who is in a rush. It deserves to be read at leisure to fully experience the author’s flair at bringing multiple strands of the story together. Though the climax is quite fitting for the overall plot, a few threads of the story have been left unfinished. Despite that, I found The Crocodile Hunter to be an absorbing read and would like to thank its author and publishers for the e-ARC through NetGalley in return for my unbiased review.
January 1, 2022
Long-winded and boring.
It’s the first book I’ve read by Gerald Seymour. I chose the book because I’ve heard so much about his previous writing. Unfortunately, the book left me underwhelmed.
It starts with Jonas Merrick, disappearing from his retirement party. He leaves his guests to enjoy the spread management have supplied while he, someone who has never worked in the field before, ventures out of his office, and finds a young boy with a bomb strapped to his chest. Jonas talks the boy into allowing him to remove the bomb and throw it into the Thames.
Jonas’ main task in his job of thirty-five years working for A4, a part of the British security services, is to track the paperwork for known terrorists. He never stays late after work. Returns home each night on the same train. His wife and he love going on camping holidays. Now, thanks to removing the bomb, he becomes the new head of a department. Still looking for terrorists, this time those returning from ISIS. Youngsters joining the services could learn a lot from him. However, he’s so boring and so set in his ways that they’d rather forget about a future in keeping the country safe and take their talents elsewhere.
Jonas’ interest is peaked when a boat carrying refugees is spotted and followed. One of the refugees happens to be an ex-choirboy who left the UK to fight alongside ISIS. He compares tracking and looking for this man to tracking and killing a crocodile.
I’m afraid I lost interest after the first couple of paragraphs and had to speed-read. I’d jump a few pages and then wonder if I had because we were still looking at the maps of where Jonas and his wife were going to go on their next holiday.
Rony
Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.
It’s the first book I’ve read by Gerald Seymour. I chose the book because I’ve heard so much about his previous writing. Unfortunately, the book left me underwhelmed.
It starts with Jonas Merrick, disappearing from his retirement party. He leaves his guests to enjoy the spread management have supplied while he, someone who has never worked in the field before, ventures out of his office, and finds a young boy with a bomb strapped to his chest. Jonas talks the boy into allowing him to remove the bomb and throw it into the Thames.
Jonas’ main task in his job of thirty-five years working for A4, a part of the British security services, is to track the paperwork for known terrorists. He never stays late after work. Returns home each night on the same train. His wife and he love going on camping holidays. Now, thanks to removing the bomb, he becomes the new head of a department. Still looking for terrorists, this time those returning from ISIS. Youngsters joining the services could learn a lot from him. However, he’s so boring and so set in his ways that they’d rather forget about a future in keeping the country safe and take their talents elsewhere.
Jonas’ interest is peaked when a boat carrying refugees is spotted and followed. One of the refugees happens to be an ex-choirboy who left the UK to fight alongside ISIS. He compares tracking and looking for this man to tracking and killing a crocodile.
I’m afraid I lost interest after the first couple of paragraphs and had to speed-read. I’d jump a few pages and then wonder if I had because we were still looking at the maps of where Jonas and his wife were going to go on their next holiday.
Rony
Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.
July 17, 2021
As a sign of respect for the memorable times we spent together I promise to be understanding, I swear. But this wasn’t our best encounter. And, I’m afraid to say it’s all you, not me; I read in the same iPad, on the same armchair as I read all my other books.
You, on the other hand, you wrote weird; you changed your style, dropped pronouns and fucked up timelines. Also, you left enough loose ends for a proud writer to go hang himself. Think about it, Gerry.
I persisted with my reading because memorable times spend together, etc. Also, I could see characters intersecting and the circumstances were intriguing, More so than the characters.
It happens to every reader that now and then one comes across a book best described as “un-put-down-able”. You’ve been there, I’m sure. My average for devouring one of those books is two days at most; “The Crocodile Hunter” took me two weeks. Most “Must-put-down-able”. Just like the crocodile I had to come up for air now and then.
So, here’s my sincere request: Write another book but go back to basics and craft it, OK? Otherwise, if this is your last piece it’d be like remembering John Lennon for one of songs he recorded with Yoko.
You, on the other hand, you wrote weird; you changed your style, dropped pronouns and fucked up timelines. Also, you left enough loose ends for a proud writer to go hang himself. Think about it, Gerry.
I persisted with my reading because memorable times spend together, etc. Also, I could see characters intersecting and the circumstances were intriguing, More so than the characters.
It happens to every reader that now and then one comes across a book best described as “un-put-down-able”. You’ve been there, I’m sure. My average for devouring one of those books is two days at most; “The Crocodile Hunter” took me two weeks. Most “Must-put-down-able”. Just like the crocodile I had to come up for air now and then.
So, here’s my sincere request: Write another book but go back to basics and craft it, OK? Otherwise, if this is your last piece it’d be like remembering John Lennon for one of songs he recorded with Yoko.
April 26, 2021
An exciting and slightly tongue in cheek spy thriller. Quite topical about a returning jihadi, and starring a unexpectedly upwardly moving bureaucrat. Ably assisted by a pair of inexperienced country cops and two agents in training. Very well written, keeps you on the edge of your seat and you can read it in one long go.
May 29, 2021
What a wonderfully crafted story! Jonas and Cammy are worlds apart but their stories intertwined to entice the reader into both of their worlds. Brilliant.
January 8, 2023
My first book from Gerald Seymour and unfortunately it will be my last. I was intrigued by the introduction but found the prose very heavy and unimaginative. There are some great nuggets - the confusion of his probationers for instance, and Cameron himself but for me it was a chore to get to the end. Jonas was less interesting and didn’t fulfil the promise in the first few pages. The outcome was quite predictable. I think I skimmed the last half as I don’t like giving up. But the prose just wasn’t for me.
January 1, 2022
I found this pretty hard going. It’s slow, and certain ideas or character traits are imparted by force of sheer repetition which becomes tedious, particularly in the first half. The main protagonists is unsympathetic and the supporting cast are quite thinly drawn. The second half is better and there is some sense of tension as things move towards a conclusion. Overall this was reasonably well-written but forgettable and dull.
May 20, 2022
The first book I read by Gerald Seymour was Harry’s Game and I loved it, I have not read a book by him for many years and sadly this book did not meet my expectations, that is not the authors fault but my own in expecting the same response to previous books, it’s a competent story but very reminiscent of the Slough House books without the humour
December 21, 2021
I've read everything by this author over the years and a lot of his early books were must reads every time they were released. I enjoyed this one but found it all a bit too slow with a fairly predictable outcome and hence my three star rating.
March 17, 2022
You've got to hand it to Gerald Seymour. He's being chronicling our troubled times since 1975's "Harry's Game" with tremendous regularity & consistent high quality. From "the troubles" in Ireland , through the Cold War and apartheid South Africa to the conflicts in Iraq & Afghanistan, he's written a series of authoritative thrillers. This book focuses on a current threat that faces the West - the return from Syria of battle-hardened jihadists, in this case one Cameron Jilkes or Cami-Al-Britani.
We get inside the characters heads with topical depictions of refugees crossing the Channel, overstretched security officers and insurgents with a range of motives. The lines are blurred and it's left to an unlikely hero - desk bound analyst Jonas Merrick - to prevent the next terrorist atrocity.
It's perverse of the author to pick such a dull chap as his first recurring main character (he's due to reappear in 'The Foot Soldiers'). Jonas is the antithesis of James Bond - a caravan holiday to Devon with the wife is his holy grail of excitement. That said, he's clever and brave and we come to warm to him throughout the course of the book...a bit anyway.
Biggest problem for me here is the damp squib of an ending. The gradual build up of tension is always a big factor in Gerald's books but the finale fell flat for me. The secondary characters, other than Jonas & Cameron, were a bit nondescript too, often speaking in the same clipped laconic style. The "action" takes place over just 24 hours, interspersed with flashbacks to Syria (more exciting by far than the main story).
Maybe not vintage Seymour but still well-written & convincing. There's a teaser of the next book at the back and it looks good: a bit like at the end of the 007 films where it used to say "Bond will return in..." Jonas Merrick will return in "The Foot Soldiers" and I'll be signing up to join him.
We get inside the characters heads with topical depictions of refugees crossing the Channel, overstretched security officers and insurgents with a range of motives. The lines are blurred and it's left to an unlikely hero - desk bound analyst Jonas Merrick - to prevent the next terrorist atrocity.
It's perverse of the author to pick such a dull chap as his first recurring main character (he's due to reappear in 'The Foot Soldiers'). Jonas is the antithesis of James Bond - a caravan holiday to Devon with the wife is his holy grail of excitement. That said, he's clever and brave and we come to warm to him throughout the course of the book...a bit anyway.
Biggest problem for me here is the damp squib of an ending. The gradual build up of tension is always a big factor in Gerald's books but the finale fell flat for me. The secondary characters, other than Jonas & Cameron, were a bit nondescript too, often speaking in the same clipped laconic style. The "action" takes place over just 24 hours, interspersed with flashbacks to Syria (more exciting by far than the main story).
Maybe not vintage Seymour but still well-written & convincing. There's a teaser of the next book at the back and it looks good: a bit like at the end of the 007 films where it used to say "Bond will return in..." Jonas Merrick will return in "The Foot Soldiers" and I'll be signing up to join him.
May 6, 2022
Jonas Merrick has worked for MI5 for decades, always following a fixed routine, arriving at and departing from the office at the same times every day, and avoiding any attention from his colleagues. This all changes on his last day before retirement. Dreading the imminent ordeal of a presentation, he ducks out of the office and goes for a walk, ending up in one of the park areas near the Houses of parliament. There his years of silent dedication to his work come to fruition, and he recognises the lonely figure seated on a bench as one of the potential radicalised targets whom his department had been tracking. Merrick accosts the man, and his actions avert a terrorist outrage.
As a consequence, he is asked to stay on beyond his scheduled retirement and to analyse high risk participants in jihadi campaigns overseas. This leads him to focus his attention on Cameron Jilkes, a young man who had grown up in Canterbury but had departed to join Islamist extremists engaged in military action in Syria. Various intelligence leads suggest that a new terrorist action is planned, and Merrick is watching for any possible suspects returning from radicalising experiences overseas.
The novel then follows various separate threads, including that of Jilkes’s return to the UK, and that of a couple of pensioners who had chosen to supplement their dwindling income by agreeing to act as couriers, bringing a concealed weapon back from their driving holiday in Germany. Seymour manages these separate story lines very capably, building the tension throughout. His characters are very empathetic and plausible too.
I was less keen on his writing style, which almost drove me to give up on the book at various points, but I am glad I persevered to the end.
As a consequence, he is asked to stay on beyond his scheduled retirement and to analyse high risk participants in jihadi campaigns overseas. This leads him to focus his attention on Cameron Jilkes, a young man who had grown up in Canterbury but had departed to join Islamist extremists engaged in military action in Syria. Various intelligence leads suggest that a new terrorist action is planned, and Merrick is watching for any possible suspects returning from radicalising experiences overseas.
The novel then follows various separate threads, including that of Jilkes’s return to the UK, and that of a couple of pensioners who had chosen to supplement their dwindling income by agreeing to act as couriers, bringing a concealed weapon back from their driving holiday in Germany. Seymour manages these separate story lines very capably, building the tension throughout. His characters are very empathetic and plausible too.
I was less keen on his writing style, which almost drove me to give up on the book at various points, but I am glad I persevered to the end.
July 2, 2025
The story itself is interesting: a jihadi terrorist returning to Britain to commit a terror act, the Establishment trying to catch him. The characters Jonas Merrick and Cameron Jilkes were also fascinating in their own way. Two people from different backgrounds but in some ways they were very alike. I think this story is quite a sad tale of two lonely people who are very driven to achieve their goals.
I was more interested in the terrorist's story (Jilkes), which is relevant to society today. The young guy who showed promise in his youth who then went bad. I felt a lot of sympathy for him. Where did it all go wrong for this guy? It wasn't that clear by the end of the novel. What we did get was a backstory of the Black Flags which he joined along with some comrades in Syria, and they became close friends. It was a painful story of war, hunger, death, and comradeship . There was also his story of a dysfunctional broken home in the UK, and his opportunities to escape to a better life.
The Secret service guy (Merrick) was also interesting in very mundane, middle of the road, old guy who everyone seems to hate. He is not an engaging person, but he isn't as nasty as his colleagues think. He is a crocodile enthusiast, and the crocodile hunter is a metaphor for what he does for a living.
I almost gave this a higher score of 4 but I found some of the dialogue confusing - who was speaking to whom? and I didn't understand why Jilkes was so driven to kill. He didn't seem like a fanatic, which is what I expected, so I needed more convincing. The kindness of all the do-gooders towards this mystery man who turns up on the coast of England was quite amusing, and there is a thrilling climax at the end, but it is quite a sad story.
I was more interested in the terrorist's story (Jilkes), which is relevant to society today. The young guy who showed promise in his youth who then went bad. I felt a lot of sympathy for him. Where did it all go wrong for this guy? It wasn't that clear by the end of the novel. What we did get was a backstory of the Black Flags which he joined along with some comrades in Syria, and they became close friends. It was a painful story of war, hunger, death, and comradeship . There was also his story of a dysfunctional broken home in the UK, and his opportunities to escape to a better life.
The Secret service guy (Merrick) was also interesting in very mundane, middle of the road, old guy who everyone seems to hate. He is not an engaging person, but he isn't as nasty as his colleagues think. He is a crocodile enthusiast, and the crocodile hunter is a metaphor for what he does for a living.
I almost gave this a higher score of 4 but I found some of the dialogue confusing - who was speaking to whom? and I didn't understand why Jilkes was so driven to kill. He didn't seem like a fanatic, which is what I expected, so I needed more convincing. The kindness of all the do-gooders towards this mystery man who turns up on the coast of England was quite amusing, and there is a thrilling climax at the end, but it is quite a sad story.
May 16, 2021
Gerald Seymour is one of my 'go to' thriller writers. You know the writing will be good and often there is a link to his previous career as a journalist.
This book is largely based on the character Jonas Merrick. He is supposed to be retiring after a long career with MI5, but on his retirement day he has a chance meeting with a suicide bomber and is able to turn the situation around and throw the bomb into the Thames. Suddenly, he is taken much more seriously at work and even begins to mentor new staff. He teaches them to hunt for a submerged crocodile - looking for a glint of eye or a nostril just above the surface. I really liked how this analogy linked to the title of the book and the main plot.
The character development is great in this book. Jonas seems to be a bit of a misfit and a bit of a loner. He keeps to himself and relies on his traditional methods and even catches the same train to and from work each day. But you also know that he has an instinct for the work and can be brave when faced with what to most of us is an unthinkable situation. The staff around him call him Wobby or wise old bird and his thoughts often drift to his caravan and a peaceful campsite in Devon. It is charming but it is also terrifying as the terror plot that runs throughout the book is very real and plausible.
A great read, highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is largely based on the character Jonas Merrick. He is supposed to be retiring after a long career with MI5, but on his retirement day he has a chance meeting with a suicide bomber and is able to turn the situation around and throw the bomb into the Thames. Suddenly, he is taken much more seriously at work and even begins to mentor new staff. He teaches them to hunt for a submerged crocodile - looking for a glint of eye or a nostril just above the surface. I really liked how this analogy linked to the title of the book and the main plot.
The character development is great in this book. Jonas seems to be a bit of a misfit and a bit of a loner. He keeps to himself and relies on his traditional methods and even catches the same train to and from work each day. But you also know that he has an instinct for the work and can be brave when faced with what to most of us is an unthinkable situation. The staff around him call him Wobby or wise old bird and his thoughts often drift to his caravan and a peaceful campsite in Devon. It is charming but it is also terrifying as the terror plot that runs throughout the book is very real and plausible.
A great read, highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 1, 2021
Long time readers of Seymour's fabulous secret service novels will remember early books that had sad and depressing endings. When the final chapters became more upbeat I thought somebody must have told Mr. Seymour that he could make the story as dreadfully depressing as he liked but the denouement was to be cheerful or his books would not be published.
Spoiler Alert
This, I am guessing, lead to the completely implausible survival of an old fellow who went on a sniping rampage in support of Kurds who had once helped him and his return to a countryside shooting club where his friends watched in awe as he shot a perfect day. Over the years I have been fascinated by the examination of entirely plausible people who have populated Seymour's novels: the homebody forced back into bomb making and the minder who needed to return to the office world of theorists and analysis. My particular favorite was a sniper who almost got himself killed because he tried to bring back from a war zone, all the kit, he had 'signed for'.
The Crocodile Hunter develops the idea that the skill set of a single person can outdo the myriad abilities of computers and committees then provides a whimsical reward for the central character. There is also an excellent thread exploring personalities that just do not want to be spies.
Spoiler Alert
This, I am guessing, lead to the completely implausible survival of an old fellow who went on a sniping rampage in support of Kurds who had once helped him and his return to a countryside shooting club where his friends watched in awe as he shot a perfect day. Over the years I have been fascinated by the examination of entirely plausible people who have populated Seymour's novels: the homebody forced back into bomb making and the minder who needed to return to the office world of theorists and analysis. My particular favorite was a sniper who almost got himself killed because he tried to bring back from a war zone, all the kit, he had 'signed for'.
The Crocodile Hunter develops the idea that the skill set of a single person can outdo the myriad abilities of computers and committees then provides a whimsical reward for the central character. There is also an excellent thread exploring personalities that just do not want to be spies.
July 13, 2022
Gerald Seymour has found a good formula for churning out novels almost, it seems, at will. This reader has read many of them over the years and has usually found them current, realistic and well researched. Each are different from one another and on this occasion, this reader thought that even though it was a bit slow in places, the novel itself felt authentic, quite believable with realistic characters and situations. This person thought that he was actually on the bus (in chapter 16) looking over at the park where Jonas and the surveillance team were stationed with Sadie Jilkes badgering the bus driver to stop. Quite an accomplishment by the author.
Also, it was one of the rare times this reader has read a novel and finished it without really liking any of the characters in the story! Yet, even though it was a character driven story, this person still enjoyed the novel immensely. The author , this person thought, was trying to show the grim side of counter-intelligence work (MI5) and the cost it has on their lives. It was through Seymour's powerful writing that he could take a simple storyline and, even with a predictable conclusion, still give the reader a spellbinding story. 4 STARS.
Here are twenty four Gerald Seymour novels ranked accordingly.
5 Stars: ‘A Line in the Sand’ and ‘Home Run’. (2).
4 Stars: ‘The Waiting Time’, ‘Holding the Zero’, ‘The Dealer and the Dead’,‘No Mortal Thing’, ‘The Outsiders’, ‘A Deniable Death’, ‘A Damn Serious Business’, ‘Archangel’, ‘No Mortal Thing’, ‘The Crocodile Hunter', 'Foot Soldiers', 'The Collaborator’,‘Killing Ground’, 'The Journeyman Tailor’, ’Tinker, Taylor, Soldier Spy’, ‘Field of Blood’, ‘Harry’s Game’. (17).
3 Stars: ‘A Song in the Morning', 'In Honour Bound’ & ‘The Untouchable’. (3).
2 Stars: ‘The Corporal’s Wife’ & 'The Unknown Soldier’. (2)
Also, it was one of the rare times this reader has read a novel and finished it without really liking any of the characters in the story! Yet, even though it was a character driven story, this person still enjoyed the novel immensely. The author , this person thought, was trying to show the grim side of counter-intelligence work (MI5) and the cost it has on their lives. It was through Seymour's powerful writing that he could take a simple storyline and, even with a predictable conclusion, still give the reader a spellbinding story. 4 STARS.
Here are twenty four Gerald Seymour novels ranked accordingly.
5 Stars: ‘A Line in the Sand’ and ‘Home Run’. (2).
4 Stars: ‘The Waiting Time’, ‘Holding the Zero’, ‘The Dealer and the Dead’,‘No Mortal Thing’, ‘The Outsiders’, ‘A Deniable Death’, ‘A Damn Serious Business’, ‘Archangel’, ‘No Mortal Thing’, ‘The Crocodile Hunter', 'Foot Soldiers', 'The Collaborator’,‘Killing Ground’, 'The Journeyman Tailor’, ’Tinker, Taylor, Soldier Spy’, ‘Field of Blood’, ‘Harry’s Game’. (17).
3 Stars: ‘A Song in the Morning', 'In Honour Bound’ & ‘The Untouchable’. (3).
2 Stars: ‘The Corporal’s Wife’ & 'The Unknown Soldier’. (2)
July 19, 2022
Once bitten....
As an avid reader of Mr Seymour I was expecting the unexpected not the first of a series of spy novels featuring such an uncharismatic protagonist as Jonas Merrick. I prefer novels where the reader has absolutely no idea who will survive. That is where Gerald Seymour excells as a thriller writer. Not in this story however. Whilst Bond is abroad bedding all the villains' mistresses and Len Deighton's 'unnamed' narrator is seemingly casing any exotic restaurants HIS opponents in the world of espionage may frequent, old Jonas is looking forward to the weekend and a spot of caravanning away from the unglamorous bit of intelligence that he's employed in. But with Gerald Seymour his readership learns to expect to be surprised by what his characters stumble across so I probably will be reading the follow up, I just hope it will be less wooden and more...thrilling!
As an avid reader of Mr Seymour I was expecting the unexpected not the first of a series of spy novels featuring such an uncharismatic protagonist as Jonas Merrick. I prefer novels where the reader has absolutely no idea who will survive. That is where Gerald Seymour excells as a thriller writer. Not in this story however. Whilst Bond is abroad bedding all the villains' mistresses and Len Deighton's 'unnamed' narrator is seemingly casing any exotic restaurants HIS opponents in the world of espionage may frequent, old Jonas is looking forward to the weekend and a spot of caravanning away from the unglamorous bit of intelligence that he's employed in. But with Gerald Seymour his readership learns to expect to be surprised by what his characters stumble across so I probably will be reading the follow up, I just hope it will be less wooden and more...thrilling!
August 7, 2022
At MI5, Jonas Merrick is called "the eternal flame" because he never goes out. He never goes undercover or on surveillance. If he's studying a map, he's probably planning his caravan holiday. But he has a steely concentration, a ruthless ability to find the enemy who hides in plain sight like a submerged crocodile, waiting for prey.
Cameron Jilkes is a young man from a broken background who has been trained as a Jihadi in the harshest theatre of war. Coming ashore near Dover, he plans to live unnoticed, before unleashing a terrifying strike.
Jonas Merrick must go out to hunt the crocodile himself.
I've enjoyed previous Gerald Seymour books but I just thought that Jonas was boring and the story itself was tedious and too uneventful for the majority of the time.
Good but not the riveting read I had expected. I thought it would be something like Forsyth's The Fourth Protocol but it was nowhere near as good as that.
Cameron Jilkes is a young man from a broken background who has been trained as a Jihadi in the harshest theatre of war. Coming ashore near Dover, he plans to live unnoticed, before unleashing a terrifying strike.
Jonas Merrick must go out to hunt the crocodile himself.
I've enjoyed previous Gerald Seymour books but I just thought that Jonas was boring and the story itself was tedious and too uneventful for the majority of the time.
Good but not the riveting read I had expected. I thought it would be something like Forsyth's The Fourth Protocol but it was nowhere near as good as that.
May 2, 2022
I enjoy a spy thriller but hadn't read any of Gerald Seymour's books. So when I read very positive reviews about his latest book which was a stand alone novel, I thought I might be onto something. Sadly I found the writing to be very staccato and neither the main character nor the ISIS baddie elicited any real feelings of empathy from me. I ended up speed reading a fair bit of the book as the story was too plodding and dare I say it unbelievable at times. Having read other reviews I maybe in the minority, but I won't be searching out other Gerald Seymour novels at this stage. Having just seen the ITV adaption of The Iprcess File, I'm tempted to revisit some Len Deighton novels as I do remember those books very fondly.
March 4, 2023
Was hovering between a 3 and a 4 for this one.
I bought it wanting to get stuck into an easy to read new spy novel, highly trained but troubled hero, dangerous and dastardly villain.
In Jonas Merrick you found a very unconventional hero, old, reclusive and purposefully not very likeable and a villain in Cameron Jilkes you liked and sympathised with far more.
Likewise the writing style was unique(ish) it jumped from different protagonists and told the story from their part at an increasingly frantic pace.
All of this at first didn’t really pull me in, but as it gathered pace and your handle on the style and storyline improves so too does the book and I finished actually really enjoying the refreshing approach.
Sequel onto the read list!
I bought it wanting to get stuck into an easy to read new spy novel, highly trained but troubled hero, dangerous and dastardly villain.
In Jonas Merrick you found a very unconventional hero, old, reclusive and purposefully not very likeable and a villain in Cameron Jilkes you liked and sympathised with far more.
Likewise the writing style was unique(ish) it jumped from different protagonists and told the story from their part at an increasingly frantic pace.
All of this at first didn’t really pull me in, but as it gathered pace and your handle on the style and storyline improves so too does the book and I finished actually really enjoying the refreshing approach.
Sequel onto the read list!
September 9, 2021
Seymour at his best ,topical and relevant
I have read every one of Gerald Seymours novels and eagerly await his annual offering.
I just wish he could write quicker!
If you want action and mindless violence then his books are not for you.
If you want a carefully woven plot that is relevant to the current world give it a try.
Characters are built with care and thoroughness that allows the reader to really understand their complexity.You really feel that you know them as the plot slowly comes to a crescendo.
By far my favourite author.
I have read every one of Gerald Seymours novels and eagerly await his annual offering.
I just wish he could write quicker!
If you want action and mindless violence then his books are not for you.
If you want a carefully woven plot that is relevant to the current world give it a try.
Characters are built with care and thoroughness that allows the reader to really understand their complexity.You really feel that you know them as the plot slowly comes to a crescendo.
By far my favourite author.
September 13, 2021
Six stars for the beautiful writing.
Three stars for the plot.
Having said that, part of Seymour's huge talent is that he can do so much with such a slight premise; and all the more so because the reader is always able to see both sides of the hunter/hunted equation.
I was irritated by the loose ends - whatever happens to the two co-conspirator strands? - and the ending itself, which, while clever, was also an anticlimax, at least, for me.
Seymour is one of our best and most under-rated thriller writers, quietly producing a book a year.
Nine out of ten. Recommended.
Three stars for the plot.
Having said that, part of Seymour's huge talent is that he can do so much with such a slight premise; and all the more so because the reader is always able to see both sides of the hunter/hunted equation.
I was irritated by the loose ends - whatever happens to the two co-conspirator strands? - and the ending itself, which, while clever, was also an anticlimax, at least, for me.
Seymour is one of our best and most under-rated thriller writers, quietly producing a book a year.
Nine out of ten. Recommended.
October 8, 2021
Wobby & The Crocodile
As always when you read a Gerald Seymour novel you are drawn into the novel and inevitably are pushed to "pick a side" In this book the question is which side do you pick, Wobby or the crocodile, as you get drawn into the book, your choice bares more impact. A low level intelligence operative at Thames house on one side and a British born Jihadi terrorist on the other side. The tale is told from both sides as they move towards each other in a classically written Seymour novel. Chose carefully!! Fantastic story telling
As always when you read a Gerald Seymour novel you are drawn into the novel and inevitably are pushed to "pick a side" In this book the question is which side do you pick, Wobby or the crocodile, as you get drawn into the book, your choice bares more impact. A low level intelligence operative at Thames house on one side and a British born Jihadi terrorist on the other side. The tale is told from both sides as they move towards each other in a classically written Seymour novel. Chose carefully!! Fantastic story telling
July 24, 2022
I had high expectations starting this novel, with critics comparing it to John Le Carré's work. I then actually stopped reading it more than half way through, although I usually would persist at that stage. The repetitions, especially in describing the main characters, are piling up, becoming more and more pervasive, with the result that I got really bored and then annoyed with the writing. I found the characters' descriptions stereotypical and in parts not very credible. The description of sex would have qualified for a Bad Sex in Fiction Award... All in all very disappointing.
June 11, 2021
Fans of Seymour will love this!
An embittered fighter is making his way back to Britain from the Caliphate wars in the Middle East, with a vow of vengeance. Against him is a quiet, stubborn MI5 agent, with few friends, and less support. Highly topical, as ever, and told with his unique cadences, detail, and believable characters. This is Gerald Seymour at his best! Pacey, with his signature accuracy, and realism. Not to be missed!
An embittered fighter is making his way back to Britain from the Caliphate wars in the Middle East, with a vow of vengeance. Against him is a quiet, stubborn MI5 agent, with few friends, and less support. Highly topical, as ever, and told with his unique cadences, detail, and believable characters. This is Gerald Seymour at his best! Pacey, with his signature accuracy, and realism. Not to be missed!
August 5, 2022
Gerald Seymour's 37th book - and the first one I've read. It moves excruciatingly slowly - Le Carré is positively supersonic by comparison - but he slowly ratchets up the tension. The central character Jonas Merrick is an old-style spy catcher relying on filing cards and carefully collated information. His target, Cammy Jilkes, is returning from fighting in Syria with a deeply held grudge against his homeland - and the chase ensues.
March 2, 2023
I’m a big fan of Gerald Seymour. He is an excellent writer…and that certainly is the case for this book. I enjoyed it but not as much as I expected. I think the reason is that I didn’t feel a connection with the main character, Jonas. I didn’t hate him but I didn’t necessarily like him…found him boring. Definitely a good story…I found myself wanting more chapters/sentences devoted to the kid, Cameron.
June 9, 2023
This book was just not for me, sorry Gerald Seymour as I have enjoyed another book by you (The Dealer and the Dead) but I couldn’t get into this one, written with many short staccato sentences some of which lacked context. The writing style reminded me a bit of the lazy way we have got into with texts, twitter and even email. I am sure this story would appeal to many others but the way it was written had me putting the book down after every few pages.
November 13, 2025
I have been reading my Dad's copies of Gerald Seymour's books back when I was a child. My friend Ian introduced me to his later works and character Jonas Merrick. Crocodile Hunter explains the back story why a caravan-loving middle-aged 'underachieving' MI5 officer had been given so much latitude. Merrick then becomes the metaphorical crocodile hunter of the title in a game of wits with an experienced veteran of the Syrian civil war and Iraq conflicts in the environs of Canterbury.
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