"Baptism" - a LU terrorist novel by our member Max.

Max Kinnings, one of our members, sought lots of help from our members in trying to get the Underground aspect of his latest book (about a year old) totally accurate: thanks to all who answered his questions, because he seems to have succeeded!

I have now read it and can heartily recommend it - and here's why (a review).

The basic plot is a Northern line train held stationary in a tunnel by pseudo-Christian terrorists. So if not interested, look away now!!

Pseudo 'Lamb of God' Tommy wants to sacrifice a trainload of passengers to right the world's wrongs and make himself the Messiah by dying himself. To do this he first 'befriends' a T/op on a transport chatroom then grooms him by PMs etc. to reveal his personal details.
He now, with his accomplices, one of whom is his sister, kidnaps the T/op's family while he is leaving for work, and under that threat to coerce him into agreeing to the plans to stop the train in a 'hollow' (dip) in the line between Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road.

He demands internet access at deep level, which the security services initially refuse, to let him broadcast himself to the world.In order to achieve his aims he blows up the casing of an old culverted river in his pre-chosen place, gradually flooding the tunnel over a period of hours so that all will eventually drown - attempted escapees are ruthlessly gunned down by machine fire by him and his sister (the third member dying by many people's "sex and death" fantasy.

To say much more would spoil it, and although a lot turns out OK in the end, there is an unexpected and sinister final twist.

This book is a good read and keeps you interested all the time. The origins and backgrounds of the characters fit in well with the plot. There are one or two intermediate twists which genuinely catch the reader out, and one or two acts which are a very sad reminder of the condemnatory non-forgiving blame culture in which we now live. All the characters, main and subsidiary, are totally believable, from the blinded (in 'gov't service') hostage negotiator to the 'No2' in the appropriate "government department" who will do anything, including killing, to cover up departmental deficiencies and advance his own promotion. Also believable is the interaction between Tommy and the T/op George, ranging at times between Stockholm Syndrome at its extreme to the complete opposite as the hours pass. Oh, and don't mention (two years ago.....) the acquisition and use of IRA Semtex, stored in the capital, to aid the rescue of the survivors before it's too late!!! And just when you think it's all safe and sorted it turn out it isn't by a long way.

I really enjoyed reading it - and considering my usual fare is books well over 50 years old and totally different genres, that's really saying something!!

Reading time is about 8-9 hours for the average reader, and, as said above, there are no visible (IMO) LU inaccuracies. Well done all for that help. It's a thick book but is well laid out and is largish print for the hard-of-hearing .
I recommend it as a good holiday read.

The trailer for the film on Youtube is another story though......

You can read further here:

www.maxkinnings.com/