The Fletchers live in expatriate comfort in Singapore in 2002 when a recession threatens their comfortable lifestyle. Geophysicist Michael and his son, Alex, are drawn into a marine survey to locate the Siren, an East Indiaman sunk in a tempest in the Sulu Sea in 1764. Onboard, a rich cargo of 250,000 cases of Ming Dynasty porcelain lies buried on the seabed. A single plate recovered by a diver sets in motion the frantic search by Michael’s company, PanAsia Services, in a race against a rival team led by Tong, a ruthless Clan leader and collector of antique porcelain.
Michael’s wife, Julie, is worried as the Sulu Sea is the hunting ground of local pirate gangs and the brutal Abu Sayyaf group led by Khadaffy Janjalani. The remote area where the shipwreck lies buried is close to terrorist camps on Basilan Island.
Can Michael’s team locate the precious cargo before they are attacked? Can we be sure Julie wants her husband back if he is held hostage?
This is set in many colourful locations in SE Asia including Singapore, Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi Island. The struggle for an independent Muslim Mindanao by Abu Sayyaf in one of continuing conflict. A fast-paced and well researched novel based on the Author’s intimate knowledge of the region.