The Devil to Pay, the 11th book in David Donachie's long-running John Pearce series, goes a long way to right the wrongs of the previous book, A Divided Command. That book, if you'll remember, suffered from a lack of action; this one, on the other hand, begins with a flight from foes in a damaged ship, the armed cutter HMS Larcher, that ends in the ship's destruction by fire on a rocky coast. It ends with an intense fight with the forces of a Turkish pasha who's more pirate than politician.

And, in between, there is a ton of plotting and maneuvering among the forces arrayed against protagonist Lt. John Pearce, whose legal suit against his former captain and his illegal duel with an army officer are both plaguing Admiral Sir William Hotham, commander in chief of Britain's Mediterranean forces. The lengths to which Hotham and his allies will go to ensure that Pearce is kept out of their hair is truly astounding -- and Pearce's ability to avoid their entanglements is equal parts luck and inspiration. Fortunately, he has Lt. Henry Digby, his slight superior in rank, on his side, despite Digby's overall disapproval for Pearce's attitude and behavior. And, of course, Pearce also has his Pelicans -- three seamen who were illegally pressed with him and remain in his crew -- to support his endeavors.

The only real weakness of the story is, to be frank, Pearce himself, as well as Emily Barclay, the woman with whom he ran away from that same former captain, who was as brutish a husband to her as he was a commander over Pearce and his friends. Sadly, they're not very pleasant people.

Emily has her beauty going for her, but otherwise she is peevish more often than not and does not accept inconvenience with grace. (It was after all her misinformed decision to flee Naples in the previous book that led to many of Pearce's problems in this book, including the loss of his ship and the deaths of several of his men.) As for Pearce, he remains obstinate in the face of authority and cannot curb his sharp tongue even when it would benefit him to do so. Even when he's right, Pearce often goes out of his way to antagonize those around him ... even his closest allies.

Together, they are an irascible couple, so it's hard for readers to root for them. It's certainly not a romance to win hearts and minds.

Romance aside, The Devil to Pay is a very enjoyable book, far better than its immediate predecessor and one that makes me eager to continue the series.