'Integra' by Nicole Stuart

Book Title: ‘Integra’

 

Part of Series: Start of ‘Integra’ Series, which includes:

Integra

Run!

Ransom

Tsunami

Hydrocarbon

Lost!

Escape

Population

Meteor Impact

Recovery!

Virus

Author: Nicole Stuart

Available at:

Smashwords: Smashwords

Apple / iTunes Apple / iTunes

Sony / Reader’s Store Sony / Reader's Store

Barnes & Noble Barnes& Noble

Price: $4.99

Number of words(approximately): 60578

Star Rating (of five): Four

Summary:

‘Integra’ is the first book in an exciting series of techno-business-thrillers. As an experienced Management Consultant, Nicole Stuart has actually lived the stories she tells, she has worked in the places she described. This comes through clearly in the authenticity of her story.

Ken Robson is sailing alone across the Atlantic. He started later than he should have, and is caught up in a storm. This ill fortune places him, as the only boat within radio range, of the yacht sailed by Hans Forster and his beautiful new bride on their honeymoon voyage. Hans Forster, if you don’t already know, is the founder and the majority shareholder in the third largest privately-owned corporation in Germany, and he and Erika and in deep trouble. Their yacht has struck a container and is taking on water fast.

Ken crowds on more sail than he should, knowing that if he does not reach the stricken yacht soon, the crew will be lost, to drift through the storm into the Atlantic. He arrives just in time – Hans Forster’s yacht is on the point of sinking!

Ken must take action without delay. He is forced to act in the only way possible, contrary to his Commando training, and he plunges into a series of adventures that change his life forever!

Extract:

- Seen from the height of the satellite, the seas appeared to be relatively calm. The IR imagery was not as sharp as the visible photos would be, but certainly enough to see the elegant form of the Swan as it ploughed through the increasingly violent seas, the height of the waves made visible by the amount of spray thrown up by the yacht. The pictures progressed, with photos taken every two minutes during the satellite pass. This was done during storms in heavily trafficked areas, as most damage to ships occurred in those places and conditions. The last frame of the first pass showed the Swan wallowing in the heavy seas, obviously stricken. The gigantic size of the waves was obvious, in comparison with the size of the graceful yacht. Ken looked at the time of the frame. It corresponded with the time of his receipt of the Mayday call. He clicked onto the next frame, taken two hours later. The Swan was still in almost the same position. He clicked through the series of frames, stopping when he saw a figure on the deck, crumpled, appearing lifeless, and the boom swung to the opposite side of the boat. The next frame showed another figure hunched over the figure on the deck, obviously searching for physical damage. The next frame, at a slightly greater angle, showed the figure of Hans placing Erika’s body into the dinghy, and the last frame of that pass showed him securing her body with lines, clearly visible in the high-resolution picture. Ken clicked forward again, the following frame showing his yacht coming up to the Swan, the dinghy in the water next to the Swan, Ken at the helm of the Nicholson, his face whipped by the wind, his headgear blowing away behind him. The next frame showed the body of Hans, wrapped in lines waving from the boom, his body in the process of falling to the deck. The Swan was on her beam ends, the mast flat on the water, the boat in the process of her final plunge. The following picture showed the dinghy scudding across the waves, intent on passing the Nicholson. The wash from Ken’s final gunning of the engine was still to be seen, and the parachute anchor was deploying behind. The Swan was no longer to be seen. The final picture showed Morning Glory beyond the line that the dinghy had taken, with Ken swimming towards the dinghy, the body of Erika still to be seen on the floor of the dinghy, the lines holding her down evident across her body. The lines of the parachute anchor, and of the anchor line of the dinghy crossing it, were clearly visible. Ken clicked forward again, to two hours later. There was nothing in the scene. -

Reviewer’s Comments:

Structure: The book meets the eBook recommendations and makes for a pleasant reading experience. I sourced my copy via Smashwords in the Epub format, but it is available in all currently-popular formats.

Content: This is an exciting read, for all ages. The story hangs together well, with good structure. The spelling is faultless, the syntax good. The writing does not get in the way of the story.

Reviewer’s Comment: I have been at sea on a small yacht in a storm, and know how it feels. The description of the sinking in this book gave me goosebumps! It is so realistic that it can put you into that situation! The description of parts of Germany give me the impression that the author lives there. The story line is good, and sets the ground for the other books in the Series. I came into the series via the second book,‘Run!’, and that got me hooked on Nicole Stuart! I enjoyed this book as much as the others, and can recommend it as a good read.

Karin B