Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton - Book 82

The first time I tried Pirate Latitudes, I didn't get into it, but a few months later I picked it up again. Perhaps it was more interesting because I was on my way to the town in which much of it was set, Port Royal in Jamaica, but whatever the reason, I found it a good airplane read. Set in the Caribbean in 1665, it tells the tale of Captain Charles Hunter who sets out to take some gold from the Spanish, finds himself captured, lost, almost shipwrecked, recovered, betrayed and facing death. Luckily, he's a resourceful fellow, so whenever it looks like the end, he somehow manages to escape. Peopled by a cast of rogues, prostitutes and corrupt politicians - as well as a few people too sanctimonious for anyone's good, the novel rolls along merrily. A good holiday read.