Caribbean, 1996
Luke Darius, newly recruited doctor for the cruise ship Venus Prince, quickly finds himself immersed in a world so murky it easily trumps his own secret reason for being there. A seedy underworld spanning several continents fuelled by jealousy, bribery and persuasion - and, when it arrives, revenge of a surprisingly appropriate nature.
The far-reaching plot includes a carefully hushed up murder on ship, a close encounter with a disenfranchised Colombian drug lord, and a hijack threatening over 900 lives and the Panama Canal infrastructure itself. For good measure there is also the chance breaking of a truly abhorrent international paedophile network and the intimidation of key witness, Tara Scott, in the upcoming US military Aberdeen hearings - a woman Luke just happens to have fallen headlong in love with. Add to that Tara's single-minded determination to fight back, political shenanigans back home in England involving Luke's narcissistic brother, Martin, and downtrodden reporter, Sarah Wright's continuing quest for that elusive story.
A Certain Persuasion is a tale of love and betrayal and endless adventure on the high seas, with a disparate and intriguing cast of characters. Humour is subtly infused throughout - at times with a distinctly darker edge.
Dr Mike Leonard was the sole ship's surgeon on a cruise ship in the mid-1980s. A Certain Persuasion draws on his experience in British general practice and his time at sea.