Hostage
by Paul and Rachel Chandler with Sarah Edworthy
Mainstream Publishing (e-book)

When the Lynn Rival was hijacked by Somali pirates near the Seychelles in 2010, Paul Chandler's immediate reaction upon hearing his wife Rachel scream was to press the big red button on the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon). It is not until the end of their book, Hostage, that we learn the alarm had worked. By that time more than a year had passed, with the Chandlers held captive by pirates who kept demanding more for their release. Their captivity, on their yacht, another hijacked craft and in various Somali locations, where they were sometimes held separately for weeks, is recounted in detail in this book, based on diary entries of the couple, who take it in turns to give their version of events. The two experience 'mental numbness', fear, desperation, boredom, anger and frustration. The couple's physical ordeals are recounted, including Paul's gout, arthritis and contact-lens problems, although their captives ensure that they eat well. Their release (for US$440,000) ends this captivating book.