Pirates & Privateers: Novels for Adults -- Modern Piracy

A Sword for Pizarro
by Tom Ryan
Hold Fast Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-9794808-0-5, US $17.95

One might need a road map to follow the twists and turns in Marshall Cross’s life, but that’s okay. He’s a treasure hunter who knows the path to sumptuous rewards is never easy. Nor is this time any different as he hunts for the golden sword once owned by the conqueror of the Inca, Franco Pizarro. While testing his new invention, he’s hunted by Marge, a bull shark named for his ex-mother-in-law. The newspaper prints a scathing review of his archaeology-themed amusement park. Real estate tycoon Denton Barrett has dreams of building a new planned community, the largest in the nation, called Barrettanic, that includes Cross’s land. Marshall and many of the other property owners don’t want to sell, which forces Barrett to give up his dream.

Just as everything seems to be settling down and Marshall can resume the hunt for Pizarro’s sword, news breaks that an asteroid will collide with Earth, causing a massive tsunami that will decimate Florida. Mandatory evacuations are ordered, but Marshall has no intention of leaving. He finally has proof the sword really was aboard one of the ships in the 1715 treasure fleet that sank off the coast during a hurricane. All he has to do is figure out which ship carried the sword, then locate the galleon and the sword before the tsunami forever changes Florida’s coastline. At the same time, another puzzle presents itself. Why are Barrett and his goons still in the area? As Cross unravels these two mysteries, he finds himself confronting man-made and natural perils that may well cost him his life.

While the premise may seem a bit farfetched, Tom Ryan has craftily written a compelling adventure mystery that never once disappoints or “jumps the shark.” Barrett is the quintessential villain, while Cross is the hero that men wish they were and women wish they knew. The support characters are wonderfully drawn and bring the story to life. There is a reason for each to step onto the stage, and the quirks, habits, and tendencies prove each character is as human as you or me. A Sword for Pizarro has as many thrills as a roller coaster – one you won’t want to leave when the story ends.

Pirates’ Pay
By Stan Bailey
Dog Ear Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-159858-600-8, US $14.95

She awakes on the shore, belted to a piece of wood, with a pounding head from a bloody gash and no memory. After managing to secure her release, she attempts to find drinkable water – something in short supply since most of what she sees is ocean. She spots a log and makes her way to it, only to discover it’s a corpse. Somehow she manages a crude burial for the stranger and, in the process, discovers the name “Elaine” tattooed on his body. The arrival of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter is an answer to her prayers, and Lieutenant Bob McGuffy, the man who rescues her, becomes her first friend.

After careful examination at Miami General Hospital, Elaine learns she suffers from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her skull is fractured, and a splinter of wood has pierced her brain. While she and the doctors work to heal her, Bob and the other members of a special task force to which he is assigned try to unravel what happened to her. While on patrol, they come across a sinking ship with wounded and dead aboard. One man confesses he was a crewman of the ship that exploded a yacht when the drug runners came too close. He hadn’t signed on to become a pirate and killer, so he tells what he knows.

From the evidence they collect and the information the pirate and others provide, the Coast Guard captures the pirates. One of them discovers Elaine is still alive and orders his brothers to make certain she never testifies.

Stan Bailey combines mystery and romance to craft a riveting novel. His consultations with members of the Coast Guard and someone recovering from TBI bring realism and credibility to Pirates’ Pay. There’s too much repetition of facts from one scene to another, such as who characters are or what has transpired so far, but I still found myself unable to put down the book. To combine two growing problems – modern piracy and traumatic brain injury – is a tall task, but Bailey accomplishes the feat while providing readers with a suspenseful and courageous tale where faith, friendship, and hope are essential.