Description

Winner of the True Crime Awards Book of the Year

Shortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award

***A Waterstones Best Books of 2022 pick***

A Financial Times, The Times and The Economist Book of the Year

‘Gripping… A startling tale of fraud and impunity. ‘ The Economist

‘I read it in one sitting, and I know it’ll stay with me for a long time.’ Oliver Bullough, Sunday Times bestselling author of Moneyland

Inside the corrupt and secret business of global shipping, the explosive true story of a notorious international fraud and murder

In July 2011, the oil tanker Brillante Virtuoso was drifting through the treacherous Gulf of Aden when a crew of pirates attacked the vessel and set her ablaze. But when David Mockett, a maritime surveyor working for the ship’s insurer Lloyd’s of London, inspected the damaged vessel, he was left with more questions than answers. Soon after he started his investigation, Mockett was killed by a car bomb.

Through first-hand accounts – from members of the crew who survived the hijacking to the ex-London detectives turned private investigators seeking to solve Mockett’s murder – award-winning reporters Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel piece together the explosive true story behind one of the most brazen financial frauds in history.

Publisher Review

Dead in the Water has the feel of a thriller, but also laudably explains the complexity - and corruption - of the world of international shipping. * The Times, Books of the Year * A triumphant example of what happens when editors give reporters the time to pull at such a story's threads until the deceptions unravel. The result is in part a well-written, well-paced thriller. But it is also a morality tale. * Financial Times * A remarkable story... Books about merchant shipping are rarely so gripping * The Economist * With fine attention to detail and great storytelling skill... Dead in the Water is a first-class piece of reportage. * Literary Review * A masterpiece... Enlightening and thoroughly engaging. * Mark Bowden, New York Times * Brilliant * Daily Telegraph * Campbell and Chellel bring a thriller-like pace to the action. * Money Week * A fascinating read. Highly recommended! * John Carreyrou, bestselling author of Bad Blood * This is a tale of greed, murder, fraud, complacency, exploitation and hypocrisy, right in the centre of our societies. It's modern capitalism in microcosm, and it's written like a thriller. I read it in one sitting, and I know it'll stay with me for a long time. What a cracker. * Oliver Bullough, Sunday Times bestselling author of Moneyland * Campbell and Chellel's story of pirates and perfidy veers all over the world and includes a cast of characters of salty seafarers, hard-driving maritime salvors, commercial adjudicators and barristers, insurance men, detectives and hired thugs. Cantankerous investigations in the City of London are followed by high-speed chases in the Greek mountains and hush-hush whistleblower meetings in the Philippines. When you really understand its inner workings, the insurance industry is enthralling. -- Laleh Khalili * London Review of Books * A triumph of investigative journalism. * Tom Wright, Sunday Times bestselling co-author of Billion Dollar Whale * Truly one of the most nail-biting, page-turning, terrifying true-crime books I've ever read. It will make you never want to sail on the open seas again. * Nick Bilton, New York Times bestselling author of American Kingpin * Dead in the Water is a brilliant expose of corruption and malfeasance on the high seas. By telling the story of a single ship, the Brilliante Virtuoso, and the complex sequence of events that led to its destruction, Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel reveal the darkest secrets of an industry that makes the modern world go round. * Ian McGuire, bestselling author of The North Water * At once devastating and riveting, Dead in the Water is a story of human tragedy and a skilled investigation of crime, money, and power. Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel have written an urgent, essential book about the hidden relationships that underpin the global economy - and the brutal cost of getting in their way. * Katie Engelhart, author of The Inevitable * Dead in the Water gripped me from the beginning and refused to let go. Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel have written a spectacular book about business, shipping, piracy and international intrigue that will make you never look at buying fast fashion or filling up your gas tank the same way again. * Katherine Howe, New York Times bestselling co-author of Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of An American Dynasty * If you want to understand the finance industry's role in global dysfunction, then read this book. -- Carson Block, Founder, Muddy Waters Research