Lies that Blind: A Novel of Late 18th Century Penang

1788 Penang Malaya: A young man desperate to prove himself becomes enmeshed in the web of deceit woven by an ambitious adventurer whose double-dealing imperils the island's inhabitants.. Malaya 1788:Aspiring journalist Jim Lloyd jeopardises his future in ways he never could have imagined. He risks his wealthy father's wrath to ride the coat-tails of Captain Francis Light an adventurer governing the East India Company's new trading settlement on Penang. Once arrived on the island Jim-as Light's assistant-hopes that chronicling his employer's achievements will propel them both to enduring fame. But the naïve young man soon discovers that years of deception and double-dealing have strained relations between Light and Penang's legal owner Sultan Abdullah of Queda almost to the point of war. Tensions mount: Pirate activity escalates traders complain about Light's monopolies and inhabitants threaten to flee fearing a battle the fledgling settlement cannot hope to win against the Malays. Jim realises that a shared obsession with renown has brought him and Light perilously close to infamy: a fate the younger man at least fears more than death. Yet Jim will not leave Penang because of his dedication to Light's young son William and his perplexing attraction to a mercurial Dutchman. He must stay and confront his own misguided ambitions as well as help save the legacy of a man he has come to despise.. Inspired by true events Lies That Blind is a story featuring historical character Francis Light (1740-1794) who in an effort to defy his mortality was seemingly willing to put the lives and livelihoods of a thousand souls on Penang at risk.