Helen Hollick, who has written in both fiction and nonfiction, much of it tied to the sea, now tackles the life of English smugglers in days gone by. Were they roguish gentlemen who thumbed their noses at authority and played by their own rules? Poor coastal residents doing whatever they must to scrape by? Champions of free commerce? Or menacing criminals willing to kill anyone who got in their way for a profit?

All of the above, if we're being honest. Hollick takes a look at the storied history of the smuggling trade, particularly in the days when tall ships defended England from France and small boats ferried tobacco, brandy, wool and other goods to and from England's murky coastline.

It's an entertaining read. Hollick writes in a conversational style, often inserting herself into the text with a bit of humor. The book provides tons of information on the trade, digging deep into the narratives of specific smugglers and gangs who haunted those shores.

If anything, though, the book -- at just over 160 pages -- is a bit too long. Portions of the book feel repetitive, with some of the stories retreading information she's already covered in a slightly different form. And, yes, there's a bit of padding in the text.

But it's still quite interesting, and I came away with a better understanding of her subject. And that's exactly why I wanted to read it, so job well done.