Customer Reviews

Pirate Hunter

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm all for historical fiction but I just couldn't find myself getting excited about this one. I've never read Tom Morrisey before and I'd like to thank Bethany House for giving me the chance to try his book out but I just wasn't able to get into this book. So in saying that I'd definitely like to check out his other books when I get the time as they sound really good but "Pirate Hunter" just didn't draw me in like other books with a historical theme.


With suspense and romance and history all rolled in together it would make a great read, especially those with knowledge of diving (there seems to be a lot of diving terminology or at least lingo) could appreciate this book. I think that is what had me frustrated with this is some of things going on in the book I couldn't quite wrap my mind around. There was also a running joke between two characters about a female character being a lesbian - which I thought could have been left out since it is put out on the Christian market.


So I'll have to leave it up to you, my readers, to decide if you'd like to try out this book and if you do please let me know what you thought. Like I said I would definitely try Morrisey's other books but this one was one that didn't draw me in and I like to be drawn in, hook, line and sinker.
**This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Tom Morrisey torques up the tension, tackles bitterness and rolls out an extremely readable and fascinating story in Pirate Hunter. Interconnected eras meld as heroic, but broken, men face weather, revenge, greed, evil and redemption. Tom Morrisey has secured his spot on my favorite author shelf.

Morrisey writes rock-solid and often beautiful prose while creating characters that are believable and plot lines that snap, zing and crackle with intensity. Man, woman, Christian, undecided, I can't imagine anyone feeling like a few hours with Morrisey is anything less than a very satisfying and well-spent chunk of time.

With diver and pirate lingo, historical bits and pieces, and three-dimensional characters, Morrisey unfurls two distinct yet similar tales. I grew to respect and admire the pirates as much as the modern day hunters. I also appreciated the soul-searching struggles of the main characters as they became open to the truth that wanted to set them free. Strongly spiritual, but not overtly preachy, plenty of adventure and a bit of blood without extremely gruesome scenes, heavy emotion without the trickery to pull emotion from the reader, Morrisey handles the story with excellent wordsmithing and storytelling. The only folks who may not dive fully into this story are folks who want blow-by-blow relational details where love is involved and those who don't want to deal with any technical details.

Pirate and Morrisey fans are going to want to check into this one.

"This is how our Savior views repentance, and who are we to view it elsewise?" (p. 249)

WOW, and DOUBLE WOW! I've read Tom Morrisey before, but this...Pirate Hunter...is his most amazing tale! When you try to blend two stories, one present-day and one Eighteenth century, it would seem an impossibility. But Tom Morrisey tells the tale of Captain Henry Thatch and a young, freed slave named Ted Bascombe alongside the story of Treasure Hunter Greg Rhode and his newly discovered soul-mate and blends them so seamlessly you look forward to the end of each chapter just to see how marvelously it blends into the beginning of the next!

This is a story of treasure hunting in both the cannon-and-sword sense as well as the GPS and diving sense. However, on a much deeper and satisfying level, this is the story of everyone's search for the ultimate treasure - forgiveness and redemption. A more unlikely gathering of characters you'll never find than the ones that leap from the pages of Pirate Hunter. The story plot itself seems an unlikely location for spiritual truth too, but you will find it seamlessly and believably woven into the tale.

You will be drawn in from the very beginning, and by the time you reach the final chapters, you will feel the breeze on your face as the pages fly by! It is no exaggeration at all to tell you this is one of the most satisfying reads I've had lately. I've laughed. I've cried. I've held my breath. I've rejoiced. I am one well-satisfied reader!

Pirate Hunter by Tom Morrisey is a wonderfully written adventure story mixed with a little faith and a lot of history. Greg Rhode is just out of college and lucky to find a job working on Phil Rackham's ship salvage operation out of Key West. His investigation of a wreck brings up gemstones that have a fascinating history that only the reader will ever know. Bold Ted was captured as a slave and then rescued by pirate Captain Henry Thatch. He signs on as a member of the Regent crew, which puts his life in danger when the Spanish go gunning for Thatch and his compatriots who stole a valuable ruby from one of their ships. The two stories move along parallel lines through manhood, falling in love, and the discovery that treasure isn't found in gold and jewels but in forgiveness and family. Morrisey gives readers just enough information about diving shipwrecks to intrigue without overwhelming them with jargon. The romances are sweet, and the adventure captivating. The two heroes are what really make this book shine. I loved this book!

This novel is not incredible, but very enjoyable. Each page and chapter keeps a reader thirsting for what comes next. In a way this is both a contemporary novel and a historical. Just about every other chapter is in two different stories that are very different, but at the same time similar in theory and lesson. The characters are easy to come to admire and appreciate even the proverbial "bad guys". At times in some chapters there were parts where I felt that I was overrun with information, but then in the next part of the story I felt those two page of words were necessary after all even though while reading through them I slightly lost interest. One of the best skills as a writer that I enjoyed while reading my first novel from Tom Morrisey was the way that he opened a next chapter going from one century to another and truly weaving the stories together in a way that fit perfectly. Over all this is a pretty great book that really gets a reader into the world of contemporary treasure hunters and opens a port hole of insight into the world of repentant pirates. I recommend it.

When Ted Bascombe is rescued from a slave ship by a notorious 18th century West Indies pirate (under the guise of operating as a privateer), he finds himself in an unlikely apprenticeship as he learns the arts of navigation and piracy. Flashing ahead several hundred years, marine archaeologist Ted Rhodes lands himself a job in the mysterious world of underwater treasure hunting and antiquity recoveries where he puts his extensive scuba-diving experience to good use.


Pirate Hunter has a lot of good things going for it. Tom Morrissey skillfully weaves the stories of Ted Bascombe and Greg Rhode together, drawing striking parallels out of lives existing centuries apart. The story is found not so much in the treasure-hunt, the capturing of prizes, or the recovery of sunken artifacts, but rather in the emotional journeys taken by Ted and Greg as they journey through pasts filled with pain into the clearer waters of forgiveness.

The two intertwined stories were meshed incredibly well and were what kept me in on the story right through until the end. The rather poor handling of the romantic storylines just served to jar me from the rest of the story rather than enhancing it. It is fairly common for male authors to sort of fudge up the romantic sub-plots and it can seem that they are only inserted to sell any possible female readers. That is the way the romance comes across in Pirate Hunter. Greg really seems a bit of a loser - noncommittal emotionally and to faith, what Sheila sees in him remains a mystery to me. Ted's courtship on the other hand is sweetly traditional - and I loved reading those parts - but the actual emotional buy-in never arrived.

I was struck by the similarities between some of the characters with popular big-screen pirate heroes (Pirates of the Caribbean anyone?) These are more understated and realistic, and are grounded firmly in historically accurate piracy as opposed to the fantastical, but I couldn't keep myself from drawing a comparison. Tom Morrissey draws upon his own extensive deep-sea diving experiences to provide a lot of technical detail for the treasure hunting scenes, and his research into nautical terms is just as impressive.

So, while I had to deduct some points for the romances that just didn't fly for me, this was still a very enjoyable, and even at times humorous read. If you are in the mood for some nautical adventure and don't need the wind of romance to fill your sails you might want to check this one out

Tom Morrisey fills a void in Christian Fiction with Pirate Hunter. A wonderful combination of historical and contemporary fiction that will resonate with anyone with a spirit of adventure and love for the sea. A solid book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

This novel weaves together two stories seamlessly. You will find the similarities even though they are set centuries apart. The Father's love will be truly evident as you read about Greg and Ted. A treasure hunter and a pirate. A true story of love, crime, adventure, forgiveness, and redemption.

An intriguing tale, full of twists and turns with a surprise around every corner!

Pirate Hunter follows two different story lines, one in the past and one in the present. Ted Bascombe is an educated young man who, being spared from slavery, is now aboard a pirate ship, and has become a favourite if it's captain, Henry Thatch. As Ted learns the ways and challenges of a pirate, he also experiences sweetness of love and the bitterness of revenge.

Greg Rhode is a present day marine archaeologist who has just landed a job working on a sixteenth century shipwreck. Better yet, he has the pleasure of working alongside the lovely Sheila McIntyre. As the treasure hunt is on, Greg comes face to face with unpleasant secrets from his past.

Marvelously and cleverly written, Tom Morrisey weaves a delightful tale, full of substance and intrigue. The two separate stories line could stand alone, but are related just enough to keep you thinking about how they could be connected and contain similar themes such as forgiveness. The characters are dynamic and believable; you're able to relate to their sorrow and rejoice with their victories. Pirate Hunter is fast-paced, constantly keeping the story vibrant and alive. A must read for anyone who enjoys history, adventure, romance and, of course, pirates!

Last year, a real idiot told me that anything to do with pirates is synonymous with Satan. Well, I don't think so, just because I can't stand statements based on pure drivel. And let me let you in on a little secret. This was Pirate because I found some treasure. And that treasure is for the heart, along with a great read by a great author! If Tom Morrisey ran into the goof that made such a bold and pointless statement, I'd hope with a roaring belly-laugh, he present him with "Pirate Hunter."

Tom wrote this with adventure in mind the whole time, along with a few things to think about. And through the lives of Greg Rhode and Bold Ted Bascombe, he interweaves these two lives from centuries apart. And he makes a statement that roars louder than the average cannon! There is the occasional prick in the heart of these guys, and once it hits, the tug only increases. Deep sea diving, combined with some raging seas action, and you've got something that is quite rare, something to keep the pages turning.

Tom Morrisey didn't hit me as a must read in the beginning. But for some reason, I always kept coming back to his stories. When you say it like that, you don't know if you can put your finger on it or not. I think I kept coming back because he's a lot better than some of the authors out there, with better intentions to boot! And you know what? I can't wait to dive deep in another one of his adventures! It is about time that I get pumped up about an author with good intentions. Morrisey set his pace a while back. And although I didn't see it then, he is starting to get a groove going, and I like it.