He didn't mean to be a hero, but Adam Lewrie's ship, HMS Jester, was forced into heroic action by a maneuver by Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797. Now reaping the benefits of the action, Lewrie leaves his beloved sloop and crew behind, hoping to spend a few happy months ashore with his wife, children and estate before taking a new command.

But Lewrie is quickly reminded that he doesn't really enjoy life on land. And, while he loves his family, he doesn't like being around them for very long. (He's kind of a cad in this regard.) Plus, there's a widespread mutiny among sailors in the British fleet that threatens the fate of England should France choose that time to invade.

I've read novels in which the protagonists dealt with -- or, in a few cases, participated in -- the mutiny at Spithead and Plymouth, where sailors essentially went on strike and refused their duties until certain conditions regarding pay and shipboard conditions were met. This is the first time that I can recall an officer going aboard a mutinied ship -- in an unofficial capacity, mind you -- simply to chat with his former men about their demands. It's a nice moment in the book that will bear fruit later on.

Lewrie's time ashore is cut short when he's assigned to command a new frigate, Proteus, which already has a reputation of being unlucky. (Fans of the series will remember Lewrie's long-running superstitions involving seals and sea gods.) He barely manages to pull a crew together before the ships at Nore -- his own included -- join in the general mutiny.

And that's where the book gets tense. Light on action -- the story, after all, takes place mostly while sitting idle in port -- the narrative builds on Lewrie's feelings of helplessness and his efforts to reclaim his ship. One of the mutiny's ringleaders, in particular, seems to have it in for the captain for some old, undefined grudge.

King's Captain is an unusual entry in the genre because, as I said, it takes place largely in port. But it becomes a strength in Dewey Lambdin's hands; the author crafts a tightly woven drama as the mutiny plays out.