Wilbur Smith is an amazing action-adventure writer, and "The Eye of the Tiger" is another rock-solid addition to his pantheon of mystery, romance, and violence. The book takes place (as per usual) in Africa, this time at its coast. The main character, Harry, is a man with a mysterious past who is now a popular fisherman in his local town. Harry has two partners, the slick, Playboy Angelo, and the massive, wise Chubby. Through a series of events, Harry and his friends are in pursuit of an ancient treasure buried with its ship.
Smith delivers some wonderful action set-pieces, including my new personal favorite of his taking place in a deep coral reef pool in the middle of feeding frenzy of sharks. The tension and excitement is palpable, and the violence is bombastic and awesome. The book regularly keeps its action smart with the high diction Smith employs. Never one to take the easy path, Smith walks the line of smart, elevated diction and accessibility and succeeds. Complex syntax and a varied vocabulary means that this book should appeal to those stuffy English teachers looking for an easy read.
The book is not very deep, but if I really thought about it, I could conclude that the book presents to us an idea of how helping others can result in a treasure of its own. Harry sacrifices the treasure because he knows it is not his to have, and it belongs to the town. His sacrifice of safety and the sacrifice of his friends, all compound the threads of friendship and love that men can have in their lives.
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