Pirate Latitudes

January 25, 2010
In Crichton’s posthumously published novel, Capt. Charles Hunter leads a lovable gang of pirates in a raid on a Spanish ship loaded with gold off the coast of Jamaica. Hunter’s determination must contend with a host of rapacious cannibals, hurricanes, sea monsters, simmering mutiny, and capture by sadistic Spaniards. Crichton draws on every pirate cliché in the book, refreshing and reanimating them with heady atmosphere, crackling dialogue, and an endearing hero—all of which are brought to life by John Bedford Lloyd, who excels at accents and colorful personalities. Lloyd’s deep and controlled voice projects energy and excitement, and steers clear of caricature. A Harper hardcover.

Starred review from December 1, 2009
Crichton, who died in 2008, was known primarily for such high-tech thrillers as Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain. This new novel, found in manuscript form among his papers, will come as a bit of a surprise to many of his fans. It is, of all things, a pirate novel. Set in 1665, it tells the story of Captain Charles Hunter, a privateer whos hired by the governor of Jamaicas Port Royal to steal a Spanish galleon and its cargo of gold treasure. Dont expect to see Jack Sparrow in this story of pirates of the Caribbean, though: Crichton doesnt play his pirates for laughs. And this is no typical pirate adventure, either: its actually a caper novel posing as a high-seas adventure. All the key caper-novel elements are here: the target, the mastermind, the plan, the motley crew, the ruthless villain, the gadgets, the twist, and the turncoat. Crichton keeps us in a constant state of suspense, never revealing quite what his hero, Captain Hunter, has up his sleeve, and the novel ends most unexpectedly. Pirate fans will love the book for its flashy characters and historical authenticity. Crime fans will enjoy the caper-novel structure and the way the author keeps them on their toes. If this really is Crichtons final book, its a splendid send-off: something new, different, and daring.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)