Tiger Cruise [Paperback]

Douglas Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2002

The Strait of Malacca is the busiest shipping lane in the world . . . and it's a nest of pirates. These days, they're using modern methods.

The USS Cushing is coming home from the Persian Gulf on a course through the Straits. It's a good ship, a Spruance-class destroyer: lean, fast, and armed to the teeth, with a few Special Weapons in her hold. But there's a major typhoon coming her way. Worse, the Cushing's been assigned to carry a batch of Tigers-civilians, family members-from Diego Garcia to Yokosuka.

When, under cover of the storm, the Cushing is boarded and cut off from her battle group, only the bravery of a few Americans aboard stands between those ruthless pirates and her Special Weapons. Making matters worse, the Australian navy has an idea what's up, and they have their own nation's security to worry about. All of which adds up to a deadly three-cornered game in which the men and women of the Cushing will have to contend with both their enemies and their allies-and with the sea itself-if they ever want to see home again.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Not a word is wasted . . . Tiger Cruise is truly that cliché, the book that you can't put down."-Mystery News

"Brisk . . . Retired naval officer Morgan has the background to keep it authoritative and make it lively."-Kirkus Reviews

"Morgan builds a solid plot that sails full speed ahead with engaging characters, terse dialogue, and authentic action."-Publishers Weekly

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (March 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812568591
• ISBN-13: 978-0812568592
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,260,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent thriller, November 23, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tiger Cruise (Hardcover)

The crew of the USS Cushing is elated to be finally going home after a tour in the Persian Gulf. The trek home is not straight-lined as the ship will pick up passengers from the Pacific Ocean Island of Diego Garcia and drop them off in Japan. The journey includes navigating the Strait of Malacca that separates the Malaysan Peninsula from the Sumatra states of Indonesia. The ship carries some of the more modern nuclear weapons in its arsenal.

On the island of Bangda, just off the outer rim of the Strait of Malacca, sea pirate Michael Prasetyo plans to hijack the USS Cushing while it sails in the nearby Strait. He believes that he can easily sell the weapons and electronic gizmos to his customers. He feels taking the ship will be easy because the ship sails alone and will be inside the Strait during a typhoon that is predicted to hit the area shortly.

The Royal Australian Navy receives a tip from a reliable source that a Strait of Malacca pirate plans to occupy an American destroyer. The HMAS Tobruk is dispatched with orders to do everything possible to insure Prasetyo fails even if it means killing everyone on board the USS Cushing.

TIGER CRUISE is an exciting, non-stop action high seas thriller. The story line is fast-paced at warp speed (no knots for this tale). The scenario feels plausible although some stretches of acceptance are needed. However, the reader will not care, as this novel is full speed ahead and maneuvers the mandatory sequel in place.

Harriet Klausner

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Debut, June 6, 2001

By 

P. Connors "Colonialpara" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tiger Cruise (Hardcover)

This is a decent debut by a former USN surface warfare officer. It is a quick read with a fairly plausible plot taken from today's headlines dealing with piracy in and around the Malacca Straits and the waters off Indonesia.

The author sets the story on board an American destroyer on its way home from the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. On board are the crew and some dependents, hence the name Tiger Cruise. The author provides a dedicated and professional US Navy commanding officer and an equally dedicated and ruthless terrorist and pirate. Along the way, he also introduces the Royal Australian Navy, its SAS and other assorted characters.

Setting, scene, plotline and pacing are all here. However, there is the feel of too raw a story line. There is at best, minimal character development and some of the macho behavior is little more than a cliche. The all inclusive character list is also somewhat stilted. But if you're of the school that Americans are always right, always win and always get the girl, then you'll like this quick read.

This is not a real masterpiece of its kind. It's a decent read for an afternoon on the beach or if you're rained in.

Paul Connors

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Been there, December 4, 2002

By 

Mark Whitehead (Manchester, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tiger Cruise (Hardcover)

Tiger Cruise is an entertaining story, perfect for the commute home, or a rainy afternoon. The character development leaves a bit to be desired, but the quick, solid pace of the story more than makes up for that.

My only real complaint, and it is a small one, has to do with the technical details. The descriptions of parts of the ship are close, but not quite there. Also, some of the terminology is not quite right. As I said, these are small gripes, and do not detract from the story at all, unless you're familiar with the ship, as I am.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable story. I'm just a stickler for the technical details.

How did I aquire my knowledge of the ship? I was part of the First Crew of USS Cushing DD-985. The traditional term is "Plankowner".