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A Passage of Arms |
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| A Passage of Arms by James Pattinson Robert Hale Publishers 208 pages, 2000 ISBN 0709066171 Reviewed by our UK Editor Rachel A. Hyde Despite the historical look of the cover with its graceful tea clipper and oriental temple, this is not a historical novel but a modern seafaring adventure of the old school. The W H Davies is a tramp ship, picking up cargoes and transporting them wherever they have to go. Daniel Gregg and his partner Frank Loder have been doing this for years, enjoying the free-and-easy life. While in the Far East, one crewmember vanishes, and the enigmatic Tommy Chan who has a few skills that are not necessarily those of a sailor, takes his place. And what about the passenger Margarita Diaz, with her mysterious bulging bag that the ship picks up in Hong Kong? Uzis, kalashnivkovs, banana republics, Vladivostok, piracy - here are the ingredients of the archetypal modern international thriller. Pattinson has a way with words that makes the story roll along. I found it all a bit bloodless though and could have done with a few more descriptions – most of the time the characters could have been anywhere. I wanted to smell the exotic Far East, feel the snow in Vladivostok and sample life aboard a small merchant vessel. It was all too brief. It ought to have been lively, yet it left me with the feeling that I had enjoyed it - with something missing. |
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