Heather’s Bookshelf: The Ransom Drop
Author: Rob Phayre
Released: 06/07/21
Genre: Military/Action Thriller
“Abdi was sitting in the Captain’s chair having just hung up the phone with John. He was on his own having told the duty guard to go and do something else as usual so that he couldn’t be overheard. To put it mildly Abdi was extremely anxious. He just couldn’t work out at what point he had lost control of the narrative.”
“The Ransom Drop” begins by introducing Abdi as the brains behind a kick start Somali pirate operation. He puts together four crews in hopes of taking over a much larger vessel. One of the crews, led by a man named Zahi, has a disastrous first time out before overtaking the Hibernia III, an oil tanker full of fuel and a very anxious crew.
When the Hibernia III is taken for ransom, the company in ownership hires a team to assist in negotiations with Abdi. The team is made up of a group of experts including Finlay. Along with a company assigned representative, John, Finlay directs the narrative with the pirates in an attempt to successfully get the ship and her crew returned in one piece. The rest of the team encounter their own challenges as they negotiate several obstacles along the way.
Trigger Warning: violence, adult language, death
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The plot in itself is intriguing, but it’s really the characters and their dialogue that makes this book. I found myself invested in many of the main characters- on both sides of the conflict. They all had their own personalities and motivations guiding their actions and points of view. I found the whole negotiation process fascinating. How Finlay directed the whole thing- from communication to emotion was so interesting to read. It was clear the author had experience pertinent to the story as it felt so real and believable. Telling the story from multiple points of view also assisted in the investment with the characters but also made the pacing of the tale pleasing to read. The author also managed to incorporate humor into this very serious subject and tale, which I appreciated and thought successfully broke up some of the tension. The ending also felt complete and addressed all the main characters. I look forward to listening to the second book in the series soon!
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
(I ended up checking out this book on mixed platforms: written and audiobook. The narrator is amazing- clear and well paced. His accents are believable and his tone very pleasant. Highly recommend audiobook version.)
(The background for the cover image was taken on a trip to Burano- if you have the chance, visit!)
OVERALL REVIEW:
A fascinating trip behind the scenes of a negotiation with pirates. Based on the author’s real life experiences.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Rob Phayre
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here on Audible or on Kindle Unlimited
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
