After retiring from a long career in the corporate world, Mike Johnson was searching for freedom-liberation from the dredges a civilized society imposes on unsuspecting victims. For two years, he enjoyed his newfound freedom, first searching for then rebuilding an aging North Sea tuna trawler into his own personal yacht. Johnson spent his lazy days of freedom as the skipper of his own boat, the Crawdad. During this reprieve from the corporate rat race, he met many interesting characters but none so interesting-or deadly-as the men who stole onto the Crawdad in the middle of the night in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Returning to the States after a sojourn in Ensenada, Mexico, Johnson encountered a burning boat. Searching for survivors, he discovered his own freedom was at stake when one of them snuck aboard the Crawdad and, with his .38 pointed at Johnson's head, ordered him to turn around and look for his cohorts in a drug deal gone awry. For nearly a week, Johnson hovered between threats of death and the need for him to help the hijackers return to California with their junk in tow. During this time, he got to know each of the hijackers on a near-intimate basis. Each was searching for his own truth. Johnson had to use his wits to ensure he survived this dangerous adventure. In Tale of The Crawdad, Johnson shares his story, discovering his own truth about survival and freedom.