The action in A Brig of War, the third volume in Richard Woodman's excellent series, takes protagonist Nathaniel Drinkwater and his ship, Hellebore, on an urgent mission to the Red Sea at the behest of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.

Even as Nelson pursues the French to Egypt, he hopes a timely warning from Hellebore will help to counter the potential threat to British interests in India.

Although serving on a new ship, Drinkwater is still assigned as first lieutenant under the command of grizzled Welsh captain Maddoc Griffiths. When the book begins, Drinkwater has been recovering from a wound suffered in the previous book, recuperating at home with his wife Elizabeth, when his orders to report end his idyllic convalescence.

Duty calls, but he doesn't want to leave his wife, who is expecting their first child.

Once at sea, however, the action quickly heats up ... especially as personalities clash among some of the officers and crew. A former nemesis -- thought to be safely in British custody -- again rears his head, and Drinkwater also finds himself at the mercy of a fellow officer who carries a long-festering grudge.

There are battles and rescues, a shipwreck and the dramatic capture of a French frigate. After several noteworthy successes, Drinkwater is poised to gain at long last the promotion he deserves -- until fate once more snatches away his rightful step toward command.

A Brig of War features several truly hateful characters, but Drinkwater is an excellent protagonist who serves to the best of his abilities despite the many obstacles and misfortunes in his path. Although I found the circumstances of the "mistake" that cost him another promotion to be questionable at best, I thoroughly enjoyed his latest adventures.

This was a series that, based on the first book, I was reluctant to continue. After a lengthy hiatus, I've read the second and third books in the series ... and I cannot wait for the next!