Dead in the Water

by Terence J. Quinn

Journalist Jonno Bligh boasts a bestselling book and an Oscar for Best Screenplay. But along with the accolades he picks up a cocaine habit and a nasty case of writers’ block. Under pressure to deliver his next blockbuster, Jonno sails to the Indian Ocean in The Scoop Jon B where he takes refuge on a remote island, vowing to get clean. But pirate chief BangBang Budiman also uses the island to stash his spoils. Jonno watches in horror as he and his crew arrive with two abducted women before leaving them to die on the beach. He rescues one, Annie Greenwood, and they flee with the pirate loot on The Scoop, pursued by a vengeful BangBang. With the killers hot on their heels, Jonno and Annie are forced to come to terms with their own destructive demons – and a discovery that will change their lives.

ebook

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Terence J. Quinn grew up in Scotland. He had a successful international career as a newspaper journalist, editor and publisher in the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. He now lives in Noosa, Queensland. His first book in the Jonno Bligh series – The Scoop – was published by Simon & Schuster Australia in 2018; it was re-released in 2020 in ebook format as Dead in the Water. His second in the series – Deadline– was published by Simon & Schuster in February, 2020. His third – Deadbeat – was published on Amazon Kindle in December 2021.

Reviews

[Mary]

Jonno Bligh was an Aussie journalist, turned author, who then won a screenwriting Oscar. Along the way he picked up a coke and party habit and lost everyone who cared for him. Now he's alone on his boat somewhere near the Moluccan Straits. It seems idyllic. But he didn't count on pirates.

Annie is on a make or break second honeymoon with her husband, Martin, and another couple, yachting from Singapore through the Moluccan Straits. It's not going very well and getting worse. then the pirates arrive and it turns into a nightmare.

The pirates are working for the Chinesse Triad. With informers and corruption everywhere, they do a great trade hijacking trade shipping all across the waters of South East Asia. On their own behalf, they hijack leisure craft, stealing, raping and killing for fun and profit.

When they all collide who will survive?

This is an enjoyable, topical thriller. Some of it is not too believeable (not the violence - that's very believable). The very short chapters are probably symptomatic of journalism but I found them a bit annoying when I couldn't see the reason for them. But the story moves along at a very good pace. This is the first of a Jonno Bligh series.

Just a warning - the violence against women is pretty disturbing.

I gave it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.