The Shipkiller

A Novel

By: Justin Scott

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Before he was anointed to carry on the legacy of Robert Ludlum's Janson Command series, and before he collaborated with Clive Cussler on the fan favorite Isaac Bell series, Justin Scott created this suspenseful adventure tale, a novel of love and revenge set on the high seas. Written in 1978, this is considered by many to be one of the best maritime thrillers of all time. As an expert in the world of ships and sailing, Justin Scott creates an authentic maritime world, making The Shipkiller all the more thrilling because it could be a true story. Audible favorite Marc Vietor brings this suspenseful adventure tale to vivid life with his exciting and well-paced narration.

©1978 Justin Scott (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A stunner. Absolutely riveting. A marvelously taut, brilliantly told story of revenge, and the sea, and the dark forces than can shape the human condition.” (Robert Ludlum)

Exciting, good story!!

Would you listen to The Shipkiller again? Why?

Yes I would, if fact this WAS my second listen. I listened several years ago and thought it was worth a second listen.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

As a sailor the plot incorporated enough technically accurate believable twists to keep it surprising and very interesting.

half good - half bad

What did you like best about The Shipkiller? What did you like least?

The premise, concept was interesting. The writing went from very good to very bad.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Sanford, Anne Rice, Balducci

Which scene was your favorite?

The search and finding his replacement boat.

Did The Shipkiller inspire you to do anything?

No

Any additional comments?

Not every book can be a good one. This proves it.

Sailed right through

While I don't know much about the art of sailing, I found this to be a thoroughly interesting book! The narration was good and the plot, along with the main character's determination and tenacity, definitely kept me interested and entertained.

One of the Best Seafaring Novels Period, A Classic

If you could sum up The Shipkiller in three words, what would they be?

Modern Moby Dick

This is a modern Moby Dick tale of obsession, hinted at in the foreboding ship name of Leviathan. This book has hugely high ratings here and for the book edition at Amazon. It is that type of book that grabs you and holds you to the last second. Nothing is inevitable. Peter Hardin the protagonist is a man of exceptional determination and sailing skills. You get a pretty good education on sailing as this book progresses. This book even has a terrific romance, love story.

The author has collaborated, and I believe nearly solo written many of the fine Clive Cussler Isaac Bell series novels and the later landmark Robert Ludlum books. So you are talking about that type of author, skilled at story telling and maintaining the action. I only regret that Justin Scott's unaffiliated output (such as The Shipkiller) are sparse as he has devoted so much energy to this collaborative series.

This is a book that you really did not want it to end.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Peter Hardin, of course. He was a character rich in humanity, ingenuity and seamanship. He was so clever throughout the book, nearly always a step ahead.

What about Marc Vietor’s performance did you like?

Stellar, perfect on the accents, a vastly entertaining voice to listen to. Superb job on the English accents.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but at nearly 14 hours, that would be impossible for me. It kept me up late, listening to it on the drive to work and every free minute I could find.

Any additional comments?

I wish there were 6 stars to give. This is a magnificent book and an honor to read and recommend.

Review of listening experience of novel Shipkiller

Very exciting.... even for a non-sailing person...kept my attention .
Shipkiller was worth every penny.

A great story- well written and performed

I took a flier on this book- there were no written reviews when I purchased it- and I'm very glad I did. The best book I've listened to in a very long time (I have hundreds of audiobooks)

Scott's tale crackles with energy, with a driven character who stops at nothing to achieve his ends. His thorough knowledge of sailing and the intense war his protagonist wages for survival at sea is enough by itself to keep you riveted.

Vietor's narration too is spot on- no wooden deliveries, no histrionics or overwrought voice acting, he strikes the perfect tone, allowing the listener to enjoy the story in a voice that seems perfectly in tune to the material. A reading one might imagine the author would have it read. Outstanding.

Good adventure @ on the sea ocean....

If you enjoy a story where the main character is mentally disturbed but has the heart & stamina of a top US NAVY SEAL --- then this is the book for you!!!
I didn"t know that the waters around Afrcia have so many storms --- but you will find them in this story....

A Master of Plot

This is the kind of book you can sink your teeth into. It opens with a shocking maritime disaster and plunges into a revenge tale that you could and will follow to the ends of the Earth. One man, desperate for revenge, sails around the world, hunting Leviathan, an oil tanker, the largest moving thing on the planet Earth. He has one shot and a single sail yacht. The circumstances working against him mount in an ever-tightening noose.

This is one of the best plotted thrillers I've read. The tension never lets up, the characters are interesting, the actions are realistic, and despite this realism I still couldn't guess that our main character would do next. Made all the better by Marc Vietor, the narrator from the Deadly Sin Series, this is an amazing book that has not aged with time. Treat yourself!

Great Nautical Adventure!

Such a nice surprise! This 1978-era novel of the high seas is a real gem! Scott has produced an engaging story of adventure, revenge and romance (minimal emphasis) on the high seas. It is about one man's war against a behemoth oil tanker and the listeners are taken to sea on both the oil tanker and small yachts. The author has skillfully crafted a story that pulls listeners into the adventure, wondering all the while whether Peter will live to complete his revenge, or simply die trying.

Loved the narration and recommend this maritime thriller to all!

Revenge on the High Seas

Shipkiller is an action novel that tells the story of a man who, upon being run over by a giant tanker named "Leviathan," loses his wife and almost his life. This event sets him on a quest to sink the giant ship.

The hero's quest is leads him to link up with a woman who's character is largely there to reveal things about the hero and so is drawn in pretty 1-dimensional terms. The hero also links up with the Mossad, which I still don't completely understand as to why. This linkage brings him in conflict with entire countries and allows for some political intrigue that I felt was a little out of step with the rest of the story. I wish that the author had stayed closer to a modern version of Moby Dick and played on the idea that obsession consumes. Instead this is more of a James Bond story where the hero has a mission that brings him in peril and political intrigue (and in love with a woman).

I think that this was a pretty fun story and the first two chapters cannot be beat as examples of how to start an action novel. The narration was good but very slow. I wish that the narrator would have talked faster and paused less often.