Customer Reviews

Tiger Cruise

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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

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".

The Disney Channel is making a movie from this book. It will air in August.