Review of Pirates, Scoundrels, and Saints | PARAISO

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Pirates, Scoundrels, and Saints | PARAISO" by Timothy Grant Acker.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Pirates, Scoundrels, and Saints | PARAISO by Timothy Grant Acker is the first book in the fictional series. In 1985 southern Haiti, near the Dominican Republic border, pirates, smugglers, abusers, corruption, injustice, and thieves were all safe from prosecution. Juan learns that the el Club de los Industriales de Argentina has chartered a cruise ship. His brother, David, thinks it is too dangerous to attack them because rich people have bodyguards and guns. Wanting the expensive jewelry and millions of dollars from the cruise ship, Juan asks Maria to captain one of his boats. She turns him down because she does not want to add murder to her sins. So, he turns to his son, Ivan, who agrees to participate. They gather a crew consisting of both men and women and set off. They are spotted by a patrol boat from Barranquilla and elude them because they are faster. They want to avoid American patrols who have helicopters on board. To be successful, they have to surprise the cruise ship. How will they avoid the cruise ship’s radar to surprise them? Is piracy worth the risk of death and prison?

This book has many positive aspects. Mr. Ackers’s vivid descriptions of geckos crawling on the walls, relentless sun, blue-green waters, sea swells, seasickness, hurricanes from both land and sea perspectives, and the disparities between the poor and the rich during a hurricane recovery made the plot feel personal and kept me engrossed in the tale. I had to admire the characters that survived lives of poverty and rejection. The women are portrayed as strong as the male characters. I enjoyed the life lessons that the author included. My favorite was “forgiveness is one of the big keys to life.” If you can not forgive, you will become bitter and have less enjoyment in your life.

There was only one negative aspect to this book. Occasionally, I would come across words in Spanish that the author did not define. However, I was able to assume what they meant by the rest of the content. Therefore, they did not distract me from my reading pleasure.

There are only three minor errors in this well-written, fast-paced, and action-packed book. I can safely say that a professional editor has edited this book. I gladly give this book 4 out of 4 stars. There is no reason to give it any less. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I recommend this book to adult readers who enjoy stories about pirates, smugglers, and crime with a mixture of romance and redemption. I do not recommend this book to younger readers because of the sexual content and non-borderline profanity. There is a small amount of religious content concerning ministering to the poor and a defrocked priest, but I do not believe it will be offensive to anyone.

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Pirates, Scoundrels, and Saints | PARAISO
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[Kavita Shah]

Paraiso sounds like a book for the pirate story fans. I can watch all the events but when it comes to reading about seasickness, I start feeling a bit dizzy and it's not good. So I'll skip this one. Thank you for an informative review!

[markodim721]

The book has a great plot. Also, the author’s descriptive ability is superior. I believe that all lovers of good books will enjoy it.

[onyii_review]

A book on piracy? Get me one real quick! Thanks for the review though.