Tenacity

August 24, 2015
Lt. Danielle “Dan” Lewis, the prickly, pig-headed heroine of British author Law’s promising but flawed debut, investigates the apparent suicide of sailor Stewart Walker aboard HMS Tenacity, a nuclear submarine. Though the powers that be are eager to have no more than a rubber-stamped suicide finding so that the sub can sail on patrol, Lewis has her doubts, especially because Walker’s wife was raped and murdered two days before. When the sub’s commander moves up its departure before Lewis can question anyone, she finds herself trapped 200 meters below sea level with a misogynistic, sadistic crew, who at best resent her and at worst appear ready to take any measures necessary to kill her inquiry. Law, a former senior nuclear engineer in the Royal Navy Submarine Service, capitalizes on his intimate knowledge to turn the sub into a terrifying setting. But by choosing to delay information that would make his off-putting protagonist more sympathetic, he overestimates the average reader’s tenacity. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM.

September 1, 2015
Murder, assault, and submarines plumbing the depths of the seas take center stage in Law's debut. Danielle "Dan" Lewis is a Royal Navy lieutenant assigned to the investigative division known as Crimes Involving Loss of Life, or Kill, as it's colloquially known. In 2010, Lewis misled her own partner and faced off against serial killer Christopher Hamilton, nearly losing her life in the process. When a series of papers she wrote on the case was leaked along with her theory that Hamilton didn't work alone, she became a pariah and cultural curiosity. Now, Lewis has been assigned to take a look at the purported suicide of an old friend, Stewart Walker, a member of the ship's company aboard the submarine Tenacity. Complicating matters is the recent homicide of Walker's wife, Cheryl, who was killed similarly to Hamilton's victims. Dan, who is concealing evidence from her fellow investigators, ends up onboard the Tenacity when it's underway, interviewing a mostly hostile crew. Law understands dramatic tension and sets the stage nicely for the very detailed scenes aboard the submarine, and his description of life inside a sub is fascinating. But Dan-slated to be the central character in future books-proves a less-than-sympathetic heroine. She takes ridiculous chances and isn't a team player, both qualities that call into question her highly regimented career choices. And while the book may be worth the time, readers may grow tired of the author's fondness for imagery and similes. Less, in this case, would have been more. A good yarn that suffers from florid overwriting.

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October 1, 2015

When a sailor is found hanged inside the docked nuclear submarine Tenacity, Lt. Dan (Danielle) Lewis of the Royal Navy's Special Investigative Branch is sent to investigate. The sailor's wife had been raped and killed, and Dan suspects a connection. She inveigles her way onto the sub to interview 130 men during six days underwater and finds a closed, tight organization resisting her every action. Cramped space, hostile sailors, and macho attitudes result in her being assaulted. Back on land, Dan faces court-martial. Only Felicity Green, a profiler, believes her conspiracy theories. VERDICT Law's first novel (a second Dan Lewis title is underway) makes full use of his experience as an engineer on a nuclear sub. The confining, restricted, and very male atmosphere of a submerged submarine becomes vividly real as this stubborn lieutenant alienates nearly everyone around her. In the end, she is partially and reluctantly exonerated, but several of the villains remain to torment her, likely in the next installment. The unusual setting, skilled writing, and obvious veracity make this a bold first effort worth awaiting a second. [Library marketing.]--Roland Person, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
Lieutenant Dan (Danielle) Lewis is a special investigator in the Royal Navy. Her assignment is to investigate a suicide on the submarine Tenacity. The victim took his own life immediately after his wife was beaten, raped, and killed. Submarines are notoriously inhospitable to women, and this one is no exception100 hostile men and Dan, who isn't much of a team player anyway. But investigate she does, despite the fact that the captain refuses to stay in port and sets out on the Tenacity's next mission, with Dan on board. The crew is neither happy nor helpful, and Dan is in danger every step of the way. Law, a former Royal Navy submarine engineer, ups the tension significantly as he brilliantly re-creates the claustrophobic feel of living on a submarine. The unusual setting adds a great deal of interest but never slows the action in this fast-paced nail-biter starring a flawed but dynamic character. A very promising series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)