A breathtaking maritime thriller that hooks you on page one and steadily reels you in.
Abdi, the well-educated son of a Somali warlord, concocts a risky and dangerous plan that will bring great glory to both himself and to his village of Hoboyo. He will lead a band of inexperienced men into the vast Indian ocean to do the unthinkable and hijack a massive oil tanker. With an investment from a foreign source and full trust in Allah, Abdi and his men find success in the first part of this risky plan. But as ransom negotiations begin and days bleed into weeks, the situation for the pirates and the crew of the Hibernia III becomes more and more perilous. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, an expert negotiator named Finlay leads a team whose goal is to handle the predicament without needlessly losing either money or life. Tensions rise as high as the tide while dangerous developments emerge on the muddy waters of international piracy.
Especially early on, many of the chapters of The Ransom Drop focus on the Somali pirates, which sets a solid foundation for this brisk novel. As the idea for the heist is formed, nurtured, and grown into a workable, though reckless plan, readers get to understand the thoughts and ambitions of the modern-day pirates. Through his vast experience with this very topic, author Robert Phayre produces believable characters and suspenseful situations that are depicted with harrowing realism. While there is no doubt that the technical aspects of the novel are true to life, they are not to be overshadowed by the intriguing storyline solidly anchoring this fictional tale. Seeing how the author accurately describes the unfolding process of navigating a high-stakes ransom payment paid to a well-armed group of unpredictable criminals is both enlightening and engaging. While his resume may feature impressive positions in crisis management, through his addictive writing style, the multi-talented Phayre proves that he is an equally capable author. The Ransom Drop is a breathtaking maritime thriller that hooks you on page one and steadily reels you in until the final, dramatic chapters.
