DESPERATION ISLAND

In Hamilton’s novel, modern day pirates terrorize the Caribbean.

On a small island in the Caribbean, a man named Ronald Johnson stakes his claim. Ronald, a janitor by trade, hails from Antigua and believes himself to be a direct descendant of the famous explorer Francis Drake. He also feels as though he should start stealing from ships, and he makes his island, which he dubs Desperation Island, his headquarters. Ronald recruits two other men for his plans, and the pirating begins. The three approach vessels at sea claiming they are in distress—once they get aboard any boat that offers aid, the pirates take control. It is not long before Ronald’s crew, caring little about human life, murders two innocent girls on a sailboat. After a bloody attack on a yacht run by a Russian gangster, the three are in top spirits and endeavor to expand their business, acquiring more help and equipment. But the Russian gangsters do not forgive or forget. Meanwhile, maritime authorities become aware of the frequent ship losses in the area; the days may very well be numbered for Ronald and company. The novel, less than 200 pages in length, moves quickly from the start: By page nine, the bad guys are already sending innocents to a watery grave. The pace does not slacken as Ronald builds his haphazard crime syndicate. The characters are unambiguously good or bad and tend to state the obvious; once Ronald’s gang is on the radar of United States authorities, a Coast Guard official barks, without a hint of irony, “I hate pirates. Let’s get these guys.” The fun comes from seeing exactly how the authorities go about getting “these guys.” Ronald may feel he can do whatever he wants, but eventually the wind will be let out of his sails.

A simplistic though fast-paced story of maritime crime and those who fight it.