THE CROW’S NEST REVIEWS
MANHATTAN REVIEW OF BOOKS
The Crow's Nest
By Richard Meredith
Moonshine Cove Publishing LLC, $15.00, 293 pages, Format: Trade
https://manhattanbookreview.com/product/the-crows-nest/
Star Rating: 5/5
Life on the open seas can be rough and unforgiving. The fishing industry, depending on the season and area fished, is capable of bringing riches or disappointment. Chase Brenner works as an assistant engineer on the Bella, a fishing vessel seeking mainly tuna in the Pacific Ocean. Chase is a husband and father of two young children; his months away at sea leave him longing for his family in the worst way. However, two months of successful fishing will net him a princely sum, which will help support his family. Events unfolding a little further out to sea will soon create complications for Chase and the rest of the Bella.
Jonny is a ship captain waiting on his own big payday. Jonny is involved in more illicit operations, which provide more danger than the shifting seas. Jonny is privy to a high-tech drug smuggling operation that is being run by the head of a powerful drug cartel named El Cuervo. Jonny puts a plan into motion where he would reap the benefits of some misplaced cocaine, yet plans go awry when El Cuervo appoints his chief enforcer to aid in locating the missing drugs. The cartel also plans to utilize the Bella in the recovery of the loot. The crew of the Bella is informed of their task, yet not told everything by their captain. This could ultimately prove fatal for all involved.
El Cuervo has cemented his reputation in the Mexican underworld. His rise was spurred by revenge, yet his staying power is a result of his intellect and calculated maneuvering. The retrieval of the missing drugs is paramount to the integrity of El Cuervo’s organization. The loss of money on the scuttled shipment is only part of the quandary. Any perceived weakness from friend or foe could lead to his removal from the organization. The stage is set for a possible showdown on the open water, where hiding places are few and far between.
The Crow’s Nest is supreme fun on the high seas. The characters are an eclectic group, from troubled ex-sailor Chase to the rogue captain Jonny to the deadly enforcer Cuda to cartel chieftain El Cuervo. The backstories that are supplied to each character draws the reader in thoroughly. Author Richard Meredith utilizes his knowledge of the ocean and initiates the reader into nautical terminology and life on the ocean. He has penned a suspenseful thriller which delivers in every way. A+ read.
Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro
***
MEN READING BOOKS
Men Reading Books
This is my first novel by Richard Meredith, and I’m not sure that he has taken on such a genre before this one, but he has written one can’t-put-it-down adventure. One of his reviewers wrote that this story, The Crow’s Nest, was a mixture of Don Winslow and Clive Cussler, and I fully agree with that high praise.
Captain Jonny was driving one of a fleet of crude submarines from Columbia to northern Baja where he was delivering pure cocaine which was intended for sale in the U.S. The street value of this shipment was about $125 million. It was the second such delivery Jonny was making over the course of a month. But, Jonny had a plan of how to capture the cargo for himself rather than deliver it to La Hermandad – the Brotherhood, who controlled the border territory East of Tijuana. Drug wars had led to various cartels controlling various patches of territory, and there was always a threat of one of the cartels making a move on another. Jonny scuttled the sub and released the contraband in 50 bales of material which were designed to float about 75 feet below the surface while sending to those who were there to collect the material for a specific retailer.
La Hermandad was ruthlessly run by El Cuervo, the Raven, and his enforcer was El Baracuda, or just Cuda. A huge and deadly man who frightened everyone who met him. Meanwhile, there was a tuna fleet which Cuervo had purchased in order to launder his money, but when the sub went missing, Cuervo sent his nearest tuna boat to protect the submerged stash so it wouldn’t end up in the wrong hands before he could collect it. Cuda was on the way to handle all the dirty work that would happen. The assistant to the chief engineer Chase Brenner who lived in San Diego where his wife Maria and t of here children were desperately missing Chase who had been gone for 90 days on a tuna fishing trip. But, the boat was almost full of tuna and the crew was ready to head home when they got the word they would be delayed when the skipper was ordered to protect the sunken cargo. Chase and Maria were the love story part of the novel.
Mr. Meredith has spun a great story with good guys and evil guys. He covered the lives of the tuna crew, the infighting at La Hermandad, and the possibility of being taken over by a rival cartel. The plot development was excellent and he brought this story about with rich characters. This book gets a five-star rating and I can only hope for more stories from Richard Meredith. Don Houts, M.D.
***
SAN FRANCISCO REVIEW OF BOOKS
The Crow's Nest
By Richard Meredith
Moonshine Cove Publishing LLC, $15.00, 293 pages, Format: Trade
https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/product/the-crows-nest/
Star Rating: 4/5
Chase Brenner, a hardworking man with two young children and a beautiful wife, works as an assistant engineer on the Bella, a two-hundred-foot-long tuna seiner. Fernando Cuervo, otherwise known as “El Cuervo” or “The Raven,” is the capo of one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal enterprises, La Hermandad. As a cover he owns a successful food distribution business and a profitable commercial fishing fleet. Unbeknownst to Brenner, the Bella is a part of that fleet. The two men live in seemingly disparate universes, yet their paths cross in countless acts of irony and fate.
When word reaches El Cuervo that one of his submarines carrying $85 million in Colombian cocaine has gone down, he orders his men to contact the captain of the Bella, Leo Garza, to aid in the retrieval of the bales. Garza, the only one onboard who knows of the cartel’s ownership of the fleet, informs his men they’ve been recruited to help apprehend some lost goods. Once the deed is done, the men onboard are brutally murdered, with the exception of Garza and Brenner, who is crammed into the bilge of the net skiff at the time of the onslaught. Garza soon becomes yet another casualty. Chase makes it to shore, and the realization that his life will be forever altered hits him like a ton of bricks. He changes his identity and is unable to go home in order to keep his family safe. As time passes, he teams up with Isosceles LeBeau, known as “Captain Jonny,” the designer and captain of the cartel’s submarines. After several close encounters and near-fatal experiences with El Cuervo’s deadliest, Brenner and Jonny mastermind a plan to turn many of his own against him.
The Crow’s Nest is a well-scripted, intriguing novel. Unexpected twists and turns are forever arising in the storyline, making the read a riveting and exuberant ride. Author Richard Meredith is crafty in his use of figurative language throughout, enhancing the content and allowing for rich imagery. For example, he describes the turbulence of the waters in the following excerpt: “Except for the whitecaps now crowning each wave, the sea was a frothing pewter cauldron.” Additionally, he does a truly respectable job of integrating a plethora of action, violence, and gore into his scenes without making his tale unnecessarily gruesome and profane. Some foul language is used, but only to convey necessary emotion and meaning and never carelessly or without thoughtful purpose. His style is clear and simple. A layman without extensive knowledge of the seas or of criminal enterprises and drug trade specifically should easily be able to comprehend The Crow’s Nest.
Meredith’s audience is relatively broad. An originally admirably innocent everyman with a family he loves is the protagonist of the story. On the other hand, his work also features characters who survive on grit, crime, power, and greed. This dichotomy is likely the element that will draw so many to his compelling story.
Reviewed by Jennifer Padgett
***
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/aug_20.htm#mysterysuspense
Synopsis: Submerged in a crude submarine hundreds of miles from shore and holding ten tons of cocaine stolen from a ruthless drug lord, Chase Brenner's only chance to save his family rests with a drug addled smuggler and a desperate gambit to outwit the cartel.
Chase Brewer, a crewman on a commercial tuna seiner, barely escapes death after his boat and its crew are destroyed by el Hermandad -- a sinister cartel hell-bent on eliminating all witnesses to its unique smuggling operation. After surviving an arduous voyage in a flimsy boat, he seeks answers and a little retribution. Hot on the trail for clues, Chase rescues Jonny LeBeau, a Louisiana shrimper forced into smuggling by the cartel but now on its hit list after skimming drugs. When the cartel realizes Chase survived and a witness is on the loose, both men are now in its crosshairs.
In a desperate gambit to bargain for their lives, Chase and Jonny hijack a narco-submarine with ten tons of cocaine. The secrecy of the cartel's billion-dollar enterprise hinges on silencing this dubious pair of extortionists. Jonny, though, proves he's as cunning as the cartel's most savage sicario. But the cartel plays its trump card and Jonny faces the moral dilemma of his life -- ditch Chase, the man who saved him from death, and escape with riches beyond his wildest dreams or lose it all and, maybe, his life to ransom Chase's wife and children after they're kidnapped by the cartel.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel that expertly blends action and eroticism, "The Crow's Nest" impressively showcases author Richard Meredith's genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven storytelling that fully engages the reader's rapt attention from first page to last. Very highly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller collections, "The Crow's Nest" is the stuff of which action packed, cliff-hanger caper, colorful character infused movies are made! It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Crow's Nest" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
The Crow's Nest
By Richard Meredith
Moonshine Cove Publishing LLC, $15.00, 293 pages, Format: Trade
https://manhattanbookreview.com/product/the-crows-nest/
Star Rating: 5/5
Life on the open seas can be rough and unforgiving. The fishing industry, depending on the season and area fished, is capable of bringing riches or disappointment. Chase Brenner works as an assistant engineer on the Bella, a fishing vessel seeking mainly tuna in the Pacific Ocean. Chase is a husband and father of two young children; his months away at sea leave him longing for his family in the worst way. However, two months of successful fishing will net him a princely sum, which will help support his family. Events unfolding a little further out to sea will soon create complications for Chase and the rest of the Bella.
Jonny is a ship captain waiting on his own big payday. Jonny is involved in more illicit operations, which provide more danger than the shifting seas. Jonny is privy to a high-tech drug smuggling operation that is being run by the head of a powerful drug cartel named El Cuervo. Jonny puts a plan into motion where he would reap the benefits of some misplaced cocaine, yet plans go awry when El Cuervo appoints his chief enforcer to aid in locating the missing drugs. The cartel also plans to utilize the Bella in the recovery of the loot. The crew of the Bella is informed of their task, yet not told everything by their captain. This could ultimately prove fatal for all involved.
El Cuervo has cemented his reputation in the Mexican underworld. His rise was spurred by revenge, yet his staying power is a result of his intellect and calculated maneuvering. The retrieval of the missing drugs is paramount to the integrity of El Cuervo’s organization. The loss of money on the scuttled shipment is only part of the quandary. Any perceived weakness from friend or foe could lead to his removal from the organization. The stage is set for a possible showdown on the open water, where hiding places are few and far between.
The Crow’s Nest is supreme fun on the high seas. The characters are an eclectic group, from troubled ex-sailor Chase to the rogue captain Jonny to the deadly enforcer Cuda to cartel chieftain El Cuervo. The backstories that are supplied to each character draws the reader in thoroughly. Author Richard Meredith utilizes his knowledge of the ocean and initiates the reader into nautical terminology and life on the ocean. He has penned a suspenseful thriller which delivers in every way. A+ read.
Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro
***
MEN READING BOOKS
Men Reading Books
This is my first novel by Richard Meredith, and I’m not sure that he has taken on such a genre before this one, but he has written one can’t-put-it-down adventure. One of his reviewers wrote that this story, The Crow’s Nest, was a mixture of Don Winslow and Clive Cussler, and I fully agree with that high praise.
Captain Jonny was driving one of a fleet of crude submarines from Columbia to northern Baja where he was delivering pure cocaine which was intended for sale in the U.S. The street value of this shipment was about $125 million. It was the second such delivery Jonny was making over the course of a month. But, Jonny had a plan of how to capture the cargo for himself rather than deliver it to La Hermandad – the Brotherhood, who controlled the border territory East of Tijuana. Drug wars had led to various cartels controlling various patches of territory, and there was always a threat of one of the cartels making a move on another. Jonny scuttled the sub and released the contraband in 50 bales of material which were designed to float about 75 feet below the surface while sending to those who were there to collect the material for a specific retailer.
La Hermandad was ruthlessly run by El Cuervo, the Raven, and his enforcer was El Baracuda, or just Cuda. A huge and deadly man who frightened everyone who met him. Meanwhile, there was a tuna fleet which Cuervo had purchased in order to launder his money, but when the sub went missing, Cuervo sent his nearest tuna boat to protect the submerged stash so it wouldn’t end up in the wrong hands before he could collect it. Cuda was on the way to handle all the dirty work that would happen. The assistant to the chief engineer Chase Brenner who lived in San Diego where his wife Maria and t of here children were desperately missing Chase who had been gone for 90 days on a tuna fishing trip. But, the boat was almost full of tuna and the crew was ready to head home when they got the word they would be delayed when the skipper was ordered to protect the sunken cargo. Chase and Maria were the love story part of the novel.
Mr. Meredith has spun a great story with good guys and evil guys. He covered the lives of the tuna crew, the infighting at La Hermandad, and the possibility of being taken over by a rival cartel. The plot development was excellent and he brought this story about with rich characters. This book gets a five-star rating and I can only hope for more stories from Richard Meredith. Don Houts, M.D.
***
SAN FRANCISCO REVIEW OF BOOKS
The Crow's Nest
By Richard Meredith
Moonshine Cove Publishing LLC, $15.00, 293 pages, Format: Trade
https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/product/the-crows-nest/
Star Rating: 4/5
Chase Brenner, a hardworking man with two young children and a beautiful wife, works as an assistant engineer on the Bella, a two-hundred-foot-long tuna seiner. Fernando Cuervo, otherwise known as “El Cuervo” or “The Raven,” is the capo of one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal enterprises, La Hermandad. As a cover he owns a successful food distribution business and a profitable commercial fishing fleet. Unbeknownst to Brenner, the Bella is a part of that fleet. The two men live in seemingly disparate universes, yet their paths cross in countless acts of irony and fate.
When word reaches El Cuervo that one of his submarines carrying $85 million in Colombian cocaine has gone down, he orders his men to contact the captain of the Bella, Leo Garza, to aid in the retrieval of the bales. Garza, the only one onboard who knows of the cartel’s ownership of the fleet, informs his men they’ve been recruited to help apprehend some lost goods. Once the deed is done, the men onboard are brutally murdered, with the exception of Garza and Brenner, who is crammed into the bilge of the net skiff at the time of the onslaught. Garza soon becomes yet another casualty. Chase makes it to shore, and the realization that his life will be forever altered hits him like a ton of bricks. He changes his identity and is unable to go home in order to keep his family safe. As time passes, he teams up with Isosceles LeBeau, known as “Captain Jonny,” the designer and captain of the cartel’s submarines. After several close encounters and near-fatal experiences with El Cuervo’s deadliest, Brenner and Jonny mastermind a plan to turn many of his own against him.
The Crow’s Nest is a well-scripted, intriguing novel. Unexpected twists and turns are forever arising in the storyline, making the read a riveting and exuberant ride. Author Richard Meredith is crafty in his use of figurative language throughout, enhancing the content and allowing for rich imagery. For example, he describes the turbulence of the waters in the following excerpt: “Except for the whitecaps now crowning each wave, the sea was a frothing pewter cauldron.” Additionally, he does a truly respectable job of integrating a plethora of action, violence, and gore into his scenes without making his tale unnecessarily gruesome and profane. Some foul language is used, but only to convey necessary emotion and meaning and never carelessly or without thoughtful purpose. His style is clear and simple. A layman without extensive knowledge of the seas or of criminal enterprises and drug trade specifically should easily be able to comprehend The Crow’s Nest.
Meredith’s audience is relatively broad. An originally admirably innocent everyman with a family he loves is the protagonist of the story. On the other hand, his work also features characters who survive on grit, crime, power, and greed. This dichotomy is likely the element that will draw so many to his compelling story.
Reviewed by Jennifer Padgett
***
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/aug_20.htm#mysterysuspense
Synopsis: Submerged in a crude submarine hundreds of miles from shore and holding ten tons of cocaine stolen from a ruthless drug lord, Chase Brenner's only chance to save his family rests with a drug addled smuggler and a desperate gambit to outwit the cartel.
Chase Brewer, a crewman on a commercial tuna seiner, barely escapes death after his boat and its crew are destroyed by el Hermandad -- a sinister cartel hell-bent on eliminating all witnesses to its unique smuggling operation. After surviving an arduous voyage in a flimsy boat, he seeks answers and a little retribution. Hot on the trail for clues, Chase rescues Jonny LeBeau, a Louisiana shrimper forced into smuggling by the cartel but now on its hit list after skimming drugs. When the cartel realizes Chase survived and a witness is on the loose, both men are now in its crosshairs.
In a desperate gambit to bargain for their lives, Chase and Jonny hijack a narco-submarine with ten tons of cocaine. The secrecy of the cartel's billion-dollar enterprise hinges on silencing this dubious pair of extortionists. Jonny, though, proves he's as cunning as the cartel's most savage sicario. But the cartel plays its trump card and Jonny faces the moral dilemma of his life -- ditch Chase, the man who saved him from death, and escape with riches beyond his wildest dreams or lose it all and, maybe, his life to ransom Chase's wife and children after they're kidnapped by the cartel.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel that expertly blends action and eroticism, "The Crow's Nest" impressively showcases author Richard Meredith's genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven storytelling that fully engages the reader's rapt attention from first page to last. Very highly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller collections, "The Crow's Nest" is the stuff of which action packed, cliff-hanger caper, colorful character infused movies are made! It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Crow's Nest" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).