The Crocodile Hunter by Gerald Seymour

​"The Crocodile Hunter" by Gerald Seymour - Uneventful!

This book is published by Hodder Paperbacks in 2021 and has 368 pages. 

Jonas Merrick works in Thames house for MI5. He is an analyst. He’s an aloof, non pretentious, slightly rude, not very social, brilliant old timer. Nobody likes him but his insights are valued by his boss. He is tasked with tracking the British youth returning from Syria after losing the jihadi battle. Cammy Al Britani (Cameron Jilkes) is returning from Syria. Camy helps and leads a group of Iranian Christian immigrants to cross the channel from France to England in monster of a weather and has then disappeared.

Will Jonas be on Camy’s trail? What are Camy’s intentions? Can Jonas stop him? What about the Crocodile Hunter?

The issue of Christian white youth from England radicalized and sent to fight in Syria is serious. They are angry at something. Very angry. Each angry for a different reason. They are misfits. This anger is translated into rebelliousness and decision to fight, irrespective of the cause. The extremists harness the anger and give it a direction, albeit a wrong one. What is it that brainwashes the youth (be they of any religion) to take such drastic steps? Camy’s brothers in war under black flag are Mickey, Stan, Dwain, Peter, Thomas & Ulrica. All of them from countries like Germany, Canada, South Africa, England etc. 

It’s said that this new face of terror, white, born and brought up in western countries, extremely difficult to identify because they blend so well locally, is the new challenge for security agencies.

Character of Jonas is interesting. He does his job. Doesn’t mind if others take credit for his work. Doesn’t care for niceties. He is considered dinosaur in the service, even obnoxious. He is frowned upon. But he is brilliant. He perseveres. He tracks down his prey single mindedly. He is an enigma. He shuns computers and relies on his card index system. This time he is out in the field, not his area of expertise. But he is their best chance. 

Can he enter Camy’s mind and foresee his moves? Sadie is Camy’s mother, somehow making the ends meet. Will she meet Camy? How will the reception be?

So where is the crocodile? Well, it’s an analogy. Crocodile lies still like a wooden log in still water with only its nostrils and eyes visible, waiting for the prey. It’s very difficult to spot. Only a skillful crocodile hunter can spot the eyes and nostrils. 

Readers can guess how the book ends when they have read the first few chapters. It’s not ‘what’ but ‘how’ that keeps the readers going. The book finally ends expectedly. No surprise there!

Like Seymour books, this one also has a slow pace. Readers need extra patience to read his books. Although the stories are kind of interesting, they are slow. Here too, the story ambles along but just about manages to retain reader’s  interest. 

Why did I read this book? It was on hand.  

What did I like? Character of Jonas. 

What I didn't like? Pace. Lack of action. 

Read if you have a lot of time and patience.