BOOK REVIEW/BLOG TOUR: The Traitor of Treasure Island by John Drake

Publication Date: August 19th, 2019
Publisher: Endeavour Quill
Format: Paperback and ebook
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis

Buried for nearly three hundred years and now brought triumphantly to light by Dr Livesey, this is, at last, the true story of what happened on the fateful Treasure Island…

The truth about Captain Flint and his fabled death.

The truth about Long John Silver and his coveted
wife.

And the truth about Jim Hawkins, that double-dealing turncoat of the first order: The traitor of Treasure Island.

My Thoughts

John Drake's upcoming release is a retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's popular children's classic, Treasure Island. Naturally, as it is aimed at older readers, Drake's is a more gritty version of what happened in the search for Captain Flint's treasure.

Long John Silver and his parrot, Squire Trelawney, Captain Smollett, Dr. Livesey and, of course, Jim Hawkins, all reappear, as do many of the minor characters. One character, briefly mentioned in the original who plays a greater role this time around, is Long John Silver's wife. Selena is a young, educated, beautiful coloured woman who enthralls everyone she meets and whose loyalty to her husband is tested.

Drake sticks close to the original plot as I remember it, although he places a different connotation on what occurred, especially on the actions of Jim Hawkins, the hero of the original, but whose reputation suffers greatly in this retelling; he’s older, a womaniser, a coward, cunning, a liar, disloyal - totally unlikeable.

Long John Silver, however, is given more favourable treatment. Despite Silver’s bloodthirsty past and questionable actions, he has many redeeming features that our trustworthy narrator, Dr. Livesey, is surprised to discover. By the end of the story, initial distrust turns to mutual respect.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Traitor of Treasure Island. Nothing has been lost in the retelling of a childhood favourite as the essence of the original still remains. It was fun to compare the old with the new. I'm now convinced that Jim Hawkins was indeed a "double-dealing turncoat of the first order".

Thank you to Endeavour Media for a complimentary copy of this book.

The Traitor of Treasure Island is currently available for pre-order from Amazon Australia, Amazon UK, Amazon US, The Book Depository and Booktopia

About the Author

John Drake trained as a biochemist to post-doctorate research level before realizing he was no good at science. His working career was in the television department of ICI until 1999 when he became a full-time writer. John's hobby is muzzle-loading shooting, and his interests are British history and British politics (as a spectator), plus newspapers, TV news, and current affairs. He is married with a son and two grandchildren.




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