The death of his nemesis, Captain Ralph Barclay, in the previous book should have ended John Pearce's endless quest for vengeance. But in some ways, his problems are just beginning in A Treacherous Coast, the 13th book in David Donachie's long-running series.

Pearce, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, never obtained justice against the admiral who was complicit in his travails, but who has now retired from command of the Mediterranean fleet in which Pearce is serving as second in command of a small warship. To make matters worse, Pearce's current captain, a lieutenant of only slightly higher seniority than himself on the officers list, has shifted from tenuous friendship to outright hostility.

That, to be honest, bothers me more than the continuing degradation of Pearce's ongoing romance with late Captain Barclay's wife, who is carrying his child. She, for reasons of propriety as a recent widow, has distanced herself from her lover even more than in the past, further cementing my opinion that they are not a good match. In fact, besides a few brief glimpses of passion, little that Donachie writes about these two so far has made them seem suitable as a couple.

But it's Lt. Henry Digby's descent into madness that troubles me. In earlier books, he was a reluctant yet staunch ally to Pearce, and I had anticipated their fragile relationship would grow into real friendship between them. Instead, Digby's abrupt shift into bitterness, spitefulness and, at times, outright malevolence doesn't really make sense.

That aside, there is plenty of action in A Treacherous Coast, both on land and sea. By novel's end, Pearce's fortunes have again changed, so I'm eager to see where the next volume takes him.