Nusantara by Tom Quinn
In my reviews I’ve often made reference to Tom Clancy, the father of military thrillers whose name has become a pop-culture shortcut for discussions about high-tech weaponry, espionage heroes and sinister plots to take down nations. Despite his death in 2013, his legacy lives on, with over 100 million copies of his books still in print and some such as The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games even being given the Hollywood treatment.
I’m hard-pressed to make comparisons to Tom Clancy, as I consider that one of the greatest honors a thriller novel can receive. That being said, I once again find myself in a position to grant it with author Tom Quinn’s latest novel Nusantara (Austin Macauley).
The Target of Misdirected Revenge
After dropping out of university, getting a job as a storeman, getting tangled with drugs and then splitting up with his wife, Jack Rowland, in a fit of depression, joins the Australian Army and is sent to tumultuous East Timor. He “volunteers” for a mission in Indonesia, where the United Nations, with help from the US Navy and the Royal Marines, are trying to rescue a group of foreigners, mostly Europeans, being held hostage by the local rebels.
Held captive deep in the jungle, the hostages bicker constantly. Even despite good-faith negotiations with the rebels and a partnership with a local UN agent, the solution to the problem remains elusive. As tensions increase between all parties involved and the danger level rises, Jack loses motivation. The greedy illiterate kidnappers and wealthy self-obsessed hostages deserve each other, and Jack wants one thing only: to be reunited with his estranged wife in Melbourne.
When an ill-conceived rescue mission is launched and the situation takes a violent turn, Jack becomes the target of a misdirected revenge. In a simple mission that becomes a fight for his life, Jack must use everything at his disposal to make it back home.
Vivid Description and an Immersive Plot
My favorite aspect of the novel is without a doubt the scene-painting and vivid descriptions that fill it:
“In the middle distance a refueller dressed in purple leaned nonchalantly against the fuselage of an F-18 pumping gallon after gallon into it to restore its vitality, its ability to kill, like a callous vet casually giving a blood transfusion to a dangerous animal.”
Descriptions such as these significantly enhanced my immersion in the story, and allowed me to see exactly what the author intended for me to see. In some genres, letting the reader paint their own picture is fine, but in a thriller such as this, it is best to be as vivid and descriptive as possible and Quinn does exactly that.
Quinn also hits hard with his meticulously researched exposition and technical knowledge, which further enhances the immersive experience and greatly surpasses many other authors who write similar stories. With his extensive background in shipping and time spent around ports, as well as his experience with exotic locations all over the world, readers will find themselves feeling as if they are right there with Jack in the midst of his crises, and will come away from the book with a whole new breadth of knowledge about places most can only dream of seeing in their lifetime.
As I mentioned, the mere fact I thought of Tom Clancy while reading Nusantara is a testament to Quinn’s novel in and of itself. Perfect for fans of thrillers everywhere, readers will find themselves thinking about it long past the last page.
