The Montevideo Brief (A Thomas Grey Novel, 3)

Written by J. H. Gelernter
Review by G. J. Berger

At the June 1804 Vienna debut of Beethoven’s Third Symphony, Captain Thomas Grey, agent of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, meets a Spanish diplomat. In hushed tones, the diplomat explains Spain’s plan to import 2,000 tons of South American gold waiting in Montevideo. It’s enough treasure to fund the men and ships needed to ally with Napoleon’s campaign against Great Britain. Soon Grey is dispatched to Montevideo. There he might learn enough for British war ships to locate and destroy or capture the Spanish fleet carrying such precious cargo.

This third novel in the Thomas Grey series unfolds as a race against time. Grey secures the services of a fast but small ship. Will he get to South America before the treasure ships depart and are sailing unimpeded on the wide-open ocean? Will he and the spare crew evade threats of pirates and other enemy ships? If he gets to Montevideo in time, how and from whom in that bustling port city can he learn the treasure ships’ schedule and ultimate destination?

The details of people, sea craft of many types, and settings are impressive. Grey’s breathtaking capers evoke the modern secret agent James Bond. Gelernter’s expositions on topics from classical music and early tennis matches to the burgeoning whaling industry somewhat interrupt the main story lines, but they too are well done. Detailed end notes help separate actual history and characters from Gelernter’s fictional treatment. Though this novel can stand alone, it best follows the first two (Hold Fast and Captain Grey’s Gambit), where readers will learn about Grey’s earlier years and how he became a master at languages, chess, all kinds of weapons, and human nature. Recommended for readers interested in naval history around the early 1800s.