A lot of nautical fiction series pack so many exploits into short periods in the main character's life, it's sometimes hard to imagine how they managed to be in so many places and present at so many key events at once. Robert N. Macomber, in his ongoing Honor series featuring U.S. Navy Lt. Peter Wake during the tumultuous 19th century, takes the opposite tack, sometimes skipping years between each book.

So, while the ending of A Dishonorable Few teases an upcoming mission in Panama, An Affair of Honor -- the next book in the series -- begins with that mission already well in the past. Wake is anticipating a period of leave with his family after a mundane patrol mission in the Caribbean as executive officer aboard the USS Omaha ... until he is abruptly reassigned to a fleet in the Mediterranean, where he spends more time navigating political intrigue -- and exploring forbidden architecture -- than he does engaged in battle.

He also has to deal with steep climbs, smelly surgeons, inadvertent spycraft, deadly snakes, wayward missionaries, a vast desert and a bit more romance than is appropriate for a married man.

Sadly, his marriage to Linda -- the southern belle he wooed during the Civil War in the first book of the series and married despite the disapproval of his Union commanders -- seems to be on the rocks, with her becoming frustrated by his devotion to the navy and his long assignments far from home.

But Wake has plenty to keep him occupied, from his accidental intrusion into British torpedo research and a variety of diplomatic entanglements to dangerous escapes and a bold, desperate rescue mission. His exploits will take him from Puerto Rico and Martinique to the Alcazar of Seville, Spain, through the Straits of Gibraltar and into many exotic locales in North Africa, both coastal and inland.

Along the way he interacts with many interesting characters, some of whom might even be trustworthy. At least he usually has his faithful bosun, Sean Rork, at his side, and an affable British marine keeps turning up in just the right places.

I always enjoy a good nautical yarn, and while I was initially skeptical of the post-Civil War era in which Wake's latest adventures take place, I find that Macomber pens irresistible tales that are extremely hard to put down.

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