Let me say right upfront that I wasn’t sure about this book at first. What did I really know about Somali pirates? I wasn’t sure I would find it interesting. But now that I have finished the book I am certain THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ THIS YEAR. (And I read a lot of books.) In “The Tears of Dark Water”, Corban Addison tells a compelling, gripping story of fractured families dealing with tragedies in their own lives and global tragedies. If you enjoyed the movie “Captain Phillips” I believe you will like this book. It is not a story about piracy; it is about what drives someone to being a pirate and the consequences of their actions on all those involved. The Parkers – Daniel, Vanessa, and their son Quentin – seem to have it all. Successful careers, a nice house, all the trappings of success. But their marriage is shaky and teenage Quentin has gotten into trouble and become very distant. In an attempt to reestablish ties with Quentin, who loves the sea, Daniel and Quentin set out on a sailing trip around the world. But their dream turns into a nightmare when their sailboat is taken captive by a team of Somali pirates led by Ismail Adan Ibrahim. In violation of all his religious beliefs, Ismail turns to hijacking ships for ransom. His father was killed in front of him and his sister taken captive by the leader of the Shabab. All his actions now are focused on rescuing his sister, at any price to himself and others. Paul and Megan Derrick, twins, have dedicated their lives to helping others. Paul is an ace negotiator with the FBI; Megan is a defense attorney. But both live with horrific memories of the day their brother killed his father and then himself. Paul is assigned as negotiator in the hijacking of the Parkers’ boat. Thus is set in motion the intertwining of these three families. None of their lives will ever be the same after. Trust turns to betrayal. Power and corruption destroy lives. Now, how do these families carry on after the devastation they encountered? Can these families by patched back together? Addison writes with such precision, fully developing all these characters into people you feel you know. People with admirable traits, and with faults. How do you find justice in such an incident? What would you have done had you been Daniel, had you been Ismail, had you been Quentin, or Vanessa, or Megan, or Paul? Each has choices that may or may not backfire on them. Addison leads us rapidly toward some scenes while slowing us down in others. Savor each moment. Mull over each decision. Feel the fear, the pain, the hope, the despair. Addison does a remarkable job getting into the heart of each character. As a result of reading this book, I learned that Addison writes about global human issues, a topic I am certainly concerned with. Now I must read his other books which address human trafficking and gender-based violence.