Birds of Prey — Wilbur Smith

As the choppy sea lanes of the African coast are rife with bloody battles over trade booty, Sir Francis Courteney and his 17-year-old son Hal embark on a seafaring quest for the treasure-laden galleons of the Dutch East India Company. But soon the horrific torture and execution of the elder Courteney catapults Hal into the role of captain. And the heavy burden of avenging his father's death--along with the lusty pleasures he shares with three beautiful women -- will swiftly, irrevocably transform Hal from boy to man...