Heart Like a Bear

by Allen Grove

One of the most dangerous jobs in the Alaskan King Crab fishing.1970's Dutch Harbor, Escaping a dark past, Casey Copperham moves to Dutch Harbor, Alaska to fish for King Crab in the perilous Bering Sea. While fighting an addiction to prescription pills, Casey is dragged into the world of crab fishing that was big cash, drugs, and prostitutes at the time. During this downward spiral, Casey finds himself working closely with the Russian mob. In a battle against mother nature, his eerie past, addiction, and Russian gangsters Casey is pushed far beyond his limit.

Genres: Fiction, Suspense

166 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2019

About the author

Action adventure novels heavily influenced by sport and the power of nature.

Short stories about whatever idea I feel is thought provoking.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

My husband enjoys watching the crab fishing out of Dutch Harbor in Alaska, and I was keen when I read the blurb about this book. It astounds me the conditions those hardened men work under - that's what I took from the show on Discovery channel. But the MC in Heart Like a Bear, Casey Copperham wasn't a good character. His story started as he worked in a factory making the fibreglass boxes the crabs were stored in after they were caught, with his wife Anny and baby boy Oliver at home, waiting for him. But when bad news arrived, Casey didn't handle it well, hitting the whiskey and upping his intake of pills.

When disaster struck, Casey took a job on a crab fishing vessel in Dutch Harbor, driving the long journey and living on whiskey and pills, but nothing else. His arrival caused immediate trouble, and it went downhill from there. His meeting of the boss of the Russian mob set the scene of what was to come. Depression, addiction to pills and cocaine, soaked in whiskey, Casey had no care whether he lived or died...

Heart Like a Bear is the debut novel by Allen Grove and I was very disappointed. If you're looking for a light-hearted novel to brighten your day, this isn't the book. Casey was a loser and his downhill spiral continued as he persisted in his pity-party. All I can say now is, I gave a sigh of relief when I turned the last page.

[Nour Kanaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good story, I enjoyed reading it.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fast-paced read, no boring spots at all from a very talented writer. My only negative is the bad language that kept showing up. It's an excellent, thought-provoking story told in a way to maintain your interest.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book begins with hopelessness and spirals down from there. If you like getting depressed, this book is for you.

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the look into the world of crab fishing. The characters were interesting, even if rather depressing. This story still felt rather rough, though, with some typos. It could use a bit more polishing.