Lit with Charles

Matthew Campbell, author of "Dead in the Water"


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In today's episode, I'm speaking to Matthew Campbell, the author of a book called Dead in the Water, which was published in 2022. It's a riveting true story investigation, weaving an unbelievable tale between Yemen, the city of London and Athens. It's a page turner which has the added bonus of making the world of oil shipping completely mesmerizing. For those of you that are yet to read the book, quickly provide you with some context.

In July 2011, an oil tanker called The Brilliant Virtuoso was attacked by a group of Somali pirates off the coast of Yemen, which is a fairly frequent occurrence in those dangerous waters. During the attack, the crew were evacuated off the ship and the ship was set on fire and eventually abandoned as part of the insurance claim process, which was being managed in London. A British investigator living in Yemen was dispatched to the ship to assess the damage, but he immediately detected that something about the pirate narrative rang false before he could investigate further. He was killed by a car bomb in Yemen. This left many questions unanswered, such as was his death connected to the attack or who might have been responsible for either event. In this book, Matthew Campbell tries to untangle a criminal web in an industry known for its secrecy.

Buy the book: https://amzn.eu/d/5Pjz8cX

Follow me @litwithcharles for more book reviews and recommendations!

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Lit with CharlesBy Charles Pignal

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