The Nicodemus is an impressive feat of architecture and engineering, a semi-submersible oil drilling rig positioned in the Gulf of Guinea. Those doing a hitch on this rig are a hearty bunch, a group of men and women unbothered by long stretches of isolation, unafraid of hard work, and always able to rally together as a team. With the steady hand of Chief Safety Officer Jack Driscoll, this particular oil rig is on the cusp of a milestone, 1000 days without a lost time injury. Company executives and onshore officials are preparing a celebration, but the recognition might be premature. Crew member Marcus Puskar is found dead and nobody knows what happened. A local inspector comes aboard Nicodemus with a result already in mind: the death was a careless accident, a result of negligence. But this hasty deduction doesn’t sit well with Jack. A man with a difficult past, Jack has been a victim of misjudgment and doesn’t want the reputation of the company, the rig, or Marcus to suffer similarly. So he undertakes a thorough investigation and finds some unsettling clues. A small bit of fabric. A hidden laptop. A gambling debt. A gap in security footage. This was no accident and Jack won’t rest until he finds the truth, but there could be collateral damage. “Sometimes the truth isn’t what you think it is. And digging too deep… well, it doesn’t always end well.”
If you’re tired of formulaic land-based thrillers, hop aboard the Nicodemus in 1000 DAYS, a gripping adventure 120 miles from shore. Thorley Sinclair has crafted a story that features an intricate mystery, characters with rich, well-developed histories, and a unique setting. The tension comes in the form of suspicious crew members, past inner demons, vivid confrontations, and other high-intensity scenes. With an offshore landscape that poses a danger all its own, realistic natural elements add another layer of suspense. Tackling everything from widespread corruption and cartels to closely held secrets and unfortunate scapegoats, the plot unfolds in unexpected ways, keeping readers invested. Although the story is riveting, the mechanics of the writing could use some fine-tuning. Frequent repetition of ideas, grammar mistakes, and character inconsistencies often slow the pace and make the story hard to follow. Regardless, 1000 DAYS is an action-packed tale that shows how the past might catch up to us but we aren’t destined to be victims of it.
