(“Pirate Latitudes” is not obliged to explain the inspection process. Sir James feels obliged to inspect her thoroughly to make sure she does not bear the secret mark of a witch. One of them is a pretty young blonde named Anne Sharpe. (“Pirate Latitudes” explains how England disposes of female prisoners.) (“Pirate Latitudes” explains about the plague that has been ravaging England.) There is also concern about the female criminals who have been packed off to Jamaica on this vessel. There is concern that its passengers may carry the plague. Peter Kneffel/European Pressphoto AgencyĪn English ship arrives in Port Royal. Lady to Hunter: “Are you a Puritan?” Hunter, rakishly: “Only by birth.” He is a daredevil, an expert sailor and a lady killer. (“Pirate Latitudes” explains the difference between privateer and pirate.) He was born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony but found his way to Jamaica. “And my mistress shall dine on your testicles,” this book’s villain tauntingly tells its captive hero. To its credit it does include a line destined for pirate fiction immortality. With a bold leading man who sounds like Indiana Jones crossed with Errol Flynn, “Pirate Latitudes” offers more swagger than suspense and more atmosphere than story. But this is a straight-up pirate story, and its reach does not extend far beyond the Spanish-dominated Caribbean of 1665. Regardless of where it belongs on Crichton’s personal timeline (and “Timeline” was another of his high-octane best sellers), “Pirate Latitudes” has unremarkable ambitions, standard genre flourishes and the stiff, uncomfortable tone of early work.Ĭrichton’s highly opinionated research and editorializing could give great polarizing energy to his narratives. When did he complete this manuscript? Why was it found in his files and not on his publisher’s desk? The book jacket’s wording leaves those things unclear, but “Pirate Latitudes” suggests its own answers. But the quaint, boyish, gee-whiz exploits that make up “Pirate Latitudes” were not hallmarks of his best work. He was even given a dinosaur namesake (Crichtonsaurus bohlini). He successfully used the prehistoric (“Jurassic Park”), contemporary (“Disclosure”) and future (“Next”) as storytelling fodder with equal ease. Crichton was well known for putting his medical training (as the creator of the television series “ER”) and deep interest in science to expert dramatic use. The jacket copy for “Pirate Latitudes” states ambiguously that this book was “discovered as a complete manuscript in his files” after its author, Michael Crichton, died last year.

Michael crichton pirate book