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 and set her ablaze in a devastating explosion. But when David Mockett, a maritime surveyor working for Lloyd's of London, inspected the damaged vessel, he was left with more questions than answers. Soon after his inspection, he was murdered.
Dead in the Water is a shocking expose of the criminal inner-workings of international shipping, an old-world industry at the backbone of our global economy. Through first-hand accounts of those who lived the hijacking - from members of the ship's crew and witnesses to the attacks, 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 astounding truth behind one of the most brazen financial frauds in history.
Review
Dead in the Waterhas 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
About the Author
Matthew Campbell is a reporter and editor at BloombergBusinessweek. He has reported from more than 20 countries and is currently based in Singapore. Kit Chellel is a reporter at Bloomberg and a writer for Bloomberg Businessweek. His features have won numerous international awards and prompted investigations by the UK's market regulator. He is currently based in London