The Wrath of a Righteous Man: By the Hands of Men, Book 3
This excellent series takes us to the 1920s: Nurse Charlotte Braninov has fled Russia along with Dr Nikolai, his wife Indrina, the child Zlata – and a giant eagle. They return to London where employment is found for them all thanks to old friends, but Charlotte must travel to Paris to find her friend, Mr Kamensky. Charlotte has now realised that her first and only love, Robert Fitzgerald, did not recognise her before due to the effects of typhus, and still hopes that he will return for her. In Paris, she again encounters the Red Russians, escapes with Kamensky and returns to London.
Robert has been reassigned to Africa – Nigeria – without his faithful valet, Orlando, who stayed in Shanghai with his new wife. Robert encounters ritual slaughter and witchcraft and his mentor, a former Boer officer, is killed in the fighting. Upon victory, Robert deals mercilessly – and uncharacteristically – with the native criminals. Disillusioned with himself he resigns his commission and heads for South Africa and the family of the Boer, who do not wish to talk to him. But he is befriended by a nearby family and then spends some years working for them before fully realising what he feels he has become and, determined to change, offers his services as an assistant to a vet in Nigeria.
In this third volume, Roy Griffis explores the character of Robert Fitzgerald, how he has changed since we first met him in the trenches. The writing, as previously is excellent, but the spelling of a well-known make of gun is, unfortunately, consistently incorrect. That apart, I can once again recommend this book – though I would advise starting with the first two episodes. I look forward to the fourth (and final?) volume.
