Thrillers set in a maritime environment are all too rare at bookshops these days, and yet the opaque nature of shipping makes it the perfect setting for dark, mysterious tales.
Within the shipping industry there have been a few notable names who have turned their hands as fiction authors such as Nick Elliott and Matthew McCleery. To this list can be added the name – or pseudonym – Carlos Luxul whose new book, The Ocean Dove, is a tense maritime terrorism thriller, charting brilliantly how dangerous shipping’s loose global regulatory framework could be used for carnage.
Luxul, who declines to reveal his identity in conversation with Maritime CEO, is very much involved in the shipping industry in his day job, having held roles a broker and working on the commercial side for a number of owners and operators over the years. He managed to complete his first book writing in the evenings and weekends over a 12-month period.
“The genesis of the plot came from being in ports and realising how vulnerable their host cities were if someone had the wrong intentions,” Luxul says.
Many historical ports have moved outside their old downtown settings to green or brownfield sites, but many haven’t and are still operating “cheek by jowl” with major urban centres, Luxul points out.
“These ports are so often back doors to cities; doors that have been left open,” he says.
While The Ocean Dove is a complete story with a definite conclusion, it does lend itself to a sequel, something Luxul is not ruling out. To buy the book, click here.
