John Pearce is free from prison -- where his arrest for smuggling surely would have landed him if not for the sacrifice of his friends -- but that doesn't mean his troubles are over. The smugglers whose ship and goods he unwittingly stole are looking for payback, although the turmoil they cause has the side effect of advancing his courtship of Emily Barclay, the estranged wife of Pearce's mortal foe, Captain Ralph Barclay, at whose order Pearce was illegally pressed at the start of the series.

But, while the series still focuses primarily on Pearce and his adventures, the center of attention in Enemies at Every Turn is Barclay, whose ship is in the Admiral Lord Richard Howe's fleet on the Glorious First of June -- a decisive naval action against the French.

Barclay, of course, isn't entirely heroic in the battle -- he fears being censured by his peers if he follows Howe's too-bold plan of attack -- but his participation in the victorious fleet action stands him in good stead for further advancement in the British navy. Pearce, meanwhile, takes on a minor duty sussing out the strength of a band of French freedom fighters who wish to restore the monarchy.

But, while the plot advances in various ways for his many characters, author David Donachie continues to string along the primary storyline, which is Pearce's quest for vengeance against Barclay. This story deals only tangentially with Barclay's attempts to have key evidence against him stolen; otherwise, it's not really brought up very much. Pearce and Emily Barclay's efforts to find some form of domestic happiness seems on the right track -- until some unwanted publicity threatens to derail their peaceful facade.

I continue to enjoy Donachie's writing, and his characters are interesting people, but it's high time some of these plot threads get resolved so he can move on to other matters.