Captain George Holbrooke, newly posted as captain of the frigate HMS Argonaut and, even more recently, married to his Wickham sweetheart, has been ordered to join a small fleet of frigates circumnavigating the British Isles to catch and capture or destroy a larger fleet of French warships and troop carriers that have sailed from Dunkirk under the command of a notorious French privateer, temporarily serving as a king's officer in an effort to confound the British and regain some lost footing in the Seven Years War.

Once again, it's another thrilling adventure in Chris Durbin's ongoing series, in which he seesaws between two protagonists: Holbrooke and his mentor, Virginia-born Captain Edward Carlisle.

Holbrooke has the least seniority among the British captains so he must follow their lead -- even when his instincts and tactics are more likely to win the day. Fortunately, he isn't always within sight of his erstwhile commanders, giving him some leeway to take initiative where he may. More often than not, his instincts pay off.

Even so, the book doesn't not end on an entirely successful note for young Holbrooke, and it remains to be seen if his reputation will climb or fall as a result of this mission. Meanwhile, his pregnant wife is thinking it's time they leave their rented cottage and take up residence in a house more suited to her husband's new station in life.

Durbin has a knack for writing these stories. In the many historical fiction series I have read in the British naval line, Durbin's has kept me more focused than most. (In many cases, I find myself taking breaks -- sometimes very long breaks -- before continuing with a series, even one I truly love, but I've been tearing through the Durbin catalogue at breakneck pace. His main characters seem like old friends by now, and his plot lines and attention to detail -- and his obvious expertise in sailing and fighting aboard a wooden warship -- keep me wanting more.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who hasn't tried it yet.

Sadly, I have now come to the end of the Carlisle & Holbrooke books currently published. I hope Durbin is hard at work on #11 ... and #12, #13, and so on.

[ visit Chris Durbin's website ]