Mini-review: Last Man Off

Straightforwardly written true story of a small fishing boat caught up in an Antarctic storm, and the disaster that befalls it.  Enough brio to allow you to picture the harsh reality of shipboard life, but not too much that the story loses pace. I particularly liked the economy of character drawing and the description of the monstrous sounding sea.  Unfortunately, and for obvious reasons, the thinking behind some decisions of some of the characters isn't really clear although one is left with the impression of complacency tinged with sheer unbelief of the situation they face.

I raced through this one in under 24 hours which I suspect is how it's supposed to be read rather than savoured and reflected on.