Deadly Voyage

About the Book

Twelve-year-old Sam is hiding with a friend in an inflatable life raft on a luxury yacht on a holiday in the Indonesian archipelago. Pirates attacked the boat and killed everyone, including Sam’s family, and sank the yacht. Sam is the only survivor and struggles over three days to reach land. It’s an isolated island, and he first escapes crocodiles and pythons. He finds a very isolated native community, who decides he is the next best feast. He escapes that outcome, befriends one of the local girls, and helps the village build defenses against invasion. Then some priests from an ancient culture on the island attend to select their annual sacrifice. Sam’s girlfriend is selected and is whisked away. Sam races to save her, and both will be sacrificed. One option to escape is to win an annual race around the island and find a long-lost treasure at the end. Sam and his friend win the race. Sam has to dive to find the final treasure, which has been lost for hundreds of years. It turns out to be Aladdin’s lamp. And before the evil priests could snatch it, the girl brushes the lamp, and the genie arrives to help. His name is Abufazel, and he sets out with Sam to prove that the pirates who killed his parents were in agreement with his father’s business partner, who wanted life insurance money. His parents’ killer fights back, but no one knows the genie is helping.

About the Author

Doug Wilson is a New Zealand doctor and writer who has lived in many different countries and travelled widely, adding global influences to his stories. Previous books for young readers include the Tom Hassler series, beginning with the Rats of Droolmoan Cave and the Giant Razor Clawed Granioptrix.