Pirate Alley

Starred review from March 11, 2013
Naval aviator Jake Grafton joins forces with CIA operative Tommy Carmellini, the hero of his own series (The Disciple, etc.), in bestseller Coonts’s 11th Jake Grafton thriller (after 2003’s Liberty), a can’t-put-it-down plunge into the fast-growing Somali pirates subgenre. A team of pirates, led by ruthless, brutal Mustafa al-Said, who works for warlord Sheikh Ragnar, seizes the 850-passenger cruise ship Sultan of the Seas after a hard chase. American forces under the command of Adm. Toad Tarkington aboard Chosin Reservoir, an amphibious assault ship, are ready to intervene, but they operate under constraints. Politicians far away control the action and may in the end pay the pirates’ ransom. After the liner is taken to the port of Eyl, Somalia, and the passengers are locked up in an old fortress, Grafton and Carmellini put boots on the ground and face down the bad guys with the help of SEALs, Force Recon, and other military units. This is a stomach-clenching nail-biter that will leave readers exhausted and satisfied that justice—very rough justice—has been served. Agent: Deborah C. Grosvenor, Grosvenor Literary Agency.

February 15, 2013
A swashbuckling thriller from Coonts. The Indian Ocean off the Horn of Africa sees heavy commercial traffic as ships ply their way to the Suez Canal. Given the great poverty on the continent, some men take to piracy--they commandeer a cruise ship or freighter and hold cargo, passengers and crew for ransom. One such victim is the Sultan of the Seas, a luxury liner with almost 900 souls aboard. Sailing the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, it catches the attention of Muslim pirates operating out of Mogadishu, Somalia. Once they board the unarmed vessel, they kill a few infidels to frighten the rest, then issue their demand to the world: $200 million, or everyone dies. Meanwhile, passenger Mike Rosen secretly sends emails to his employer about deteriorating conditions on the ship, and his messages become worldwide news. The CIA and Navy SEALs get involved, since the U.S. thinks the pirates may intend to kill everyone onboard regardless of whether they get the ransom. Former Navy pilot Coonts expertly builds the tension as plans develop to take back the ship, conflicts brew between pirate factions, copious blood flows and an old coastal fortress turns into a potential bomb. Coonts' fans will welcome back series characters Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini, who see to it that readers have fun while lots of bad guys take the express route to Paradise. Meanwhile, readers considering an Indian Ocean cruise might want to pick something less adventurous. Thriller lovers will enjoy this one for its fast pace, colorful locale and satisfying conclusion. There's never a doubt as to which side will win, of course, but Coonts takes us on a heck of a good ride.

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March 15, 2013
After a decade-long absence, Coonts' first and most popular protagonist, Jake Grafton, returns to action, ably assisted by Tommy Carmellini, who in addition to costarring in a few previous Grafton novels has also top-lined a handful of books of his own. When a cruise ship is taken by Somali pirates, Jake and Tommy attack the problem on different fronts, Jake trying to broker a truce with the pirate overlord while Tommy spearheads an undercover mission to rescue the hostages. Full of action and anchored by a pair of strong protagonists (not to mention an equally strong supporting cast, most notably the captain of the cruise ship), this one will definitely appeal to Coonts' legion of fans, who have been eagerly awaiting the return of Grafton and Carmellini. Coonts is one of those writers whose name on the cover pretty much guarantees a certain level of quality, and he doesn't disappoint here. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The track record tells the story: there have been 16 New York Times best-sellers with Coonts' name on the spine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)