Robert Reid’s book about the biggest, boldest, baddest crocodiles in North Queensland is something of a tragedy; not because it’s brimming over with the corpses of a terrifying number of one of the world’s most feared predators, or because of the small(er) number of people meeting their end in this predator’s jaws, because it is dull. Croc!, Reid’s collection of reallife crocodile encounters, features an array of colourful characters including German Jack, Crocodile Mick, Ron and Kyrs Pawlowski and even a couple of crocs (usually before they’re shot). The stories take place in a rugged adventurer’s wilderness. They’re about the hunting or escaping, in some cases not, from a deadly creature. Yet Reid’s monotonous, journalistic and lessthan- matter-of-fact delivery works against his mythbuilding intentions. As the anthology progresses, the stories become less remarkable, even less interesting. By the time the reader stumbles into (almost fatally I might add) chapters like ‘Daring Leap Saved School Girl’ and ‘Don’t Let Him Eat Me!’ they will, like any animal being shot at, have had enough. Reid has undoubtedly added to the region’s body of history, but, given its content, this book’s title is begging to be turned into a pun.

Lee McGowan is a freelance writer and reviewer and works at Riverbend Bookshop, Brisbane

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