The finest writer of sea-stories in the English language.—J. de Courcy Ireland All Patrick OBrians strengths are on parade in this novel of action and intrigue, set partly in Malta, partly in the treacherous, pirate-infested waters of the Red Sea. While Captain Aubrey worries about repairs to his ship, Stephen Maturin assumes the center stage for the dockyards and salons of Malta are alive with Napoleons agents, and the admiraltys intelligence network is compromised. Maturins cunning is the sole bulwark against sabotage of Aubreys daring mission.,
