A classic adventure packed with revenge, romance, mystery, and illumination. Based on the author's own experiences in the Merchant Marine, his first novel captures life on a rust-bucket freighter, the horrors of the modern slave trade, and the menacing labyrinth of North Africa in this powerful story of a young seafarer trying to evade his fate, who instead finds the courage to run headlong into it.

"The Coin of the Realm is hard to categorize yet easy to love. On one level it's a gripping thriller with exotic locales, memorable characters, and a compelling romance; while just beneath the surface swirl mysteries of destiny, purpose, the intricate workings of fate, and the ultimate sources of meaning in life. The novel's transcendent themes will haunt the reader long after the 'thrill[er] is gone.' I recommend it most highly."
-Roy Schoeman, author of Salvation is from the Jews and Honey from the Rock (Ignatius Press)

"With its sure-handed style and literary polish, one is hard-pressed to accept that The Coin of the Realm is a first novel. This is pure adventure storytelling, yet intertwined with the eternal quest for truths that lie just beyond our grasp. Seagoing exploits aboard Caroline Coast, a ramshackle freighter, conjure passages of Patrick O'Brian-distinct praise indeed. But whether the scene is set in the Great Lakes, the Atlantic, Tunisia, or the Sahara, the author keeps the pace moving and the excitement high, using action and mystery to skillfully project us into the minds and hearts of his characters. Roger Dubin has proven he's a writer to watch."
-Anthony Eglin, author of The Blue Rose, The Lost Gardens, Trail of the Wild Rose, The Water Lily Cross, and Garden of Secrets Past (St. Martin's Press)