The Devil to Pay
1794. There is no peace for John Pearce, the unorthodox Naval Lieutenant who, after crippling his armed cutter to save his lady-love from Barbary pirates, finds himself stranded in Palermo, with costly repairs to manage, a broken arm, and – worst of all – a disgruntled crew. When he decides to sail for Naples all the same, another encounter with the same pirates leaves him without a ship altogether, and subjected to court-martial. To his surprise, things end in a transfer to a larger vessel, under the command of a friend, and with his whole crew. Can this be the blessing it seems? Or are Pearce’s enemies at work again?
I love Donachie’s thrilling naval adventures, and this eleventh instalment is no exception, with plenty of sea-battles, intrigue, romance and derring-do. I have two quibbles, though: the many words repeatedly devoted to recapping events told in previous books, while useful to a first-time reader, become a little taxing for the serial one; and some careful proof-reading could have avoided the many misprints that detract from an otherwise great read.
