The Coffin Ship

by Peter Tonkin

Book Overview

The giant supertanker Prometheus sits at anchor in the Persian Gulf, holding 250,000 tons of crude oil. Somewhere on board is a crew member who is determined that the ship not make it to its... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 051757523X
• ISBN13: 9780517575239
• Release Date: August 1990
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

You can taste the salt and feel the waves

This story really puts the reader into the thick of maritime lore, feeling the big storm waves in the open ocean and the heat of the Persian Gulf. The author does a great job of writing a mystery that imparts the feelings of the crew at sea and is an interesting look at the international shipping business. As a sailor who has been north of the Arctic Circle in winter, through the Gulf and south of the equator in the summer, I highly recommend this book for a good seagoing tale!

Prometheus in Peril

"Coffin Ship: A ship sent to sea in an unseaworthy condition, destined to sink before the end of its voyage as part of an insurance fraud. - First used 1833, OED" Richard Mariner was a supertanker captain, whose ship was destroyed in a tragic mishap while underway. The ship was owned by his father-in-law, and his wife died in the accident. Though completely vindicated by the accident board, he decided to leave the sea forever and start his own business, "Crewfinders". The company, and its success, was based on providing replacement officers and crews faster than any other agency, anywhere in the world. One morning though, he gets a challenging order: the supertanker Prometheus, ready to depart from the Persian Gulf, has lost its captain and most of its officers. He can fill all the positions save one, the captain. With his firm's reputation on the line, he decides to take the job himself. Once aboard, he quickly realizes that the previous crew's deaths were no simple accident, and he will need all his skill and cunning to keep his ship afloat and his crew alive during its journey to England. He's haunted by memories of his last command, and his dead wife - and the rest of his in-laws intrude with a surprise appearance, adding to the tension and challenges. This is a very good book, and I'm surprised it's out of print. It's the start of a series of books featuring Capt Richard Mariner. Here, Tonkin wastes no time drawing you into a nasty little conspiracy and splattering enough blood on the decks to keep you turning the pages. You have the general idea of what's going to happen from the title, but there are some clever twists and turns, and a few nifty surprises, along the way. Things slow down at times, but never drag. The main characters are well drawn, and the dialogue is capably handled. There's only one area I thought was a bit weak, which is providing a realistic ocean-going atmosphere. A master like Alistair Maclean will have you smelling the salt air, seeing the rusting paint peeling up, and feeling the sway and roll of the ship. Tonkin never quite achieves that. The very short biography in the book notes he's a school teacher, and gives no mention of any time spent crewing ships at sea. I suspect the lack of first-hand experience accounts for this shortfall. There are also a few details I think he got wrong, but my background is Air Force, not Navy, so I can't be certain. Don't let that put you off though, it's still a great read and I recommend it. If you can find this used or in the library, give it a try!