John Grisham and Scott Turow have inspired legions of writers to focus on lawyers and the law. Unfortunately, not all of them can write or have a decent story to tell. This is one such author. While the story line is somewhat interesting, it is all too reminiscent of a made-for-TV movie. (High-flying city lawyer gone wrong; flees to rural countryside to hide; stows away in home of love interest; sees the light and decides to make amends.) Much of the book focuses an internal debate within the mind of the main character, related to the nature of a lawyer's duty to present the truth. But the debate lacks strength; it just can't grab the reader. More importantly, the story's characters show no real depth or appeal and leave the reader feeling rather unconcerned. And the writing is straight out of the Mickey Spillane instruction manual: short, staccato sentences; clipped, predictable dialogue; bland and simple vocabulary. In this genre, there's so much better out there; I can't recommend spending the time or money on this book.

Entertaining. Very good work. I enjoyed The Waterman so much I bought this and was not disapointed -- great read, great story

All persons involved in the law should read this book (if they enjoy fiction). Jack's stories have a ring of truth to them, however, and just the names have been changed to protect the innocent. I am a lawyer and very much enjoyed this book. The story, however, in some ways was too one-sided for the defense. The prosecution, in the form of Mr. Langrell, was portrayed as the evil villian too much. A little one-sided in its approach at times.

Tim Junkin's "The Waterman" is set on the Chesapeake Bay. I wanted to say that first to get it over. Everyone already knows it and, as I had suspected, most of the "customer reviewers" have addresses in the Chesapeake area. What a shame if other readers fail to realize the book is much more than, as the dust cover announces, "a novel of the Chesapeake Bay"

"The Waterman" depicts life in the region at that interface in time after Nam and before computers and cell phones. It is a romance, a mystery and a thriller--a story about a handful of young adults, lost in the pre-AIDS, mid-twentieth century looking back because they were unaware of their present and had no view of a future.

Junkin frames his Chesapeake snapshots with sometimes bright, sometimes foggy horizons. The backdrops are gritty textures and hues of sea grass, sweat, and brine. The foregrounds are crowded with dimly drawn young men feeling their muscles and sacrificing their skins and brains to youth, to the past, and to sun and alcohol. Meanwhile, dark and shadowy forces frame the future. The first 200 pages filled me with a wistful longing for those innocent days. The last 100 pages left me breathless.

Tim Junkin's The Waterman, written in a clear, beautiful prose, was a wonderful, sometimes exhilarating read. A book that celebrates the strength and determination of youth, it also explores the odd, unexpected ways of relationships, and the unforeseen repetitions of life. More than that, though, it's just a fun, involving story that sweeps you up and holds your stomach before grabbing your throat. The scenes vary enormously while the dialogue is pitch-perfect. All of it is welded together by Mr. Junkin's ability to tell a good story. The protagonist made me yearn for my youth, for hours on spent on the water, the summer sun heating it up so that it resembles a sloshing, melted pool of colored glass. He brought back the smells and the heat and the thrill of being young and strong and living off something so much larger, with so much history and soul. I rarely look back at early adulthood, but The Waterman rattled the hazy corners of my memory and actually made me nostalgic. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking an elegant, strong read combined with luminous observations and a flawless voice.

I picked up this book at Bethany Beach last week and finished it in two days. I was only sorry it ended. As a woman who grew up on the Eastern Shore I found "The Waterman" a beautiful evocation of the land and water and a thrill to read. It is poetic while captivating. Junkin's two main characters, Clay and Byron, are the real thing, and take the reader on a memorable journey tryin to live the dignified existence of watermen on a declining Bay. The early 1970's come alive as does the culture and traditions of the special world of the Chesapeake, but obstacles seem to mount. The level of danger and suspense builds to a riveting and imaginative ending, one fitting as well. While carried along by the exciting narrative I was whisked back to the fragile and exquisite world which held so much magic for me as a girl, and reminded of its vital place in my comsciousness. I adored the book and recommend it. It's my favorite read of the year!