Upon the Malabar Coast
1803, Cornwall. Captain Alexander Clay and his crew, disbanded during peacetime, are spending idyllic days in a village. But when the news of a secret French naval expedition to India reaches the British Admiralty, Clay and his crew, including his recently married coxswain, Sedgwick, a Black African man, are pressed back into service. Clay is given command of the frigate Griffin, and after rescuing Sedgwick from slavers, he sets sail for the Indian Ocean. He pursues the French fleet, which includes mysterious cargo vessels commanded by the crafty Admiral Linois. Clay learns of the French objective of influencing the Malabar Coast’s maharajas with not only jewels but in creating a secret project in Travancore, which would adversely affect the British trading cargo vessels plying the Indian Ocean. Clay and his company need to thwart Linois’ plans and maintain the flow of trade required to sustain Britain’s forces against France.
Although this is the ninth book in Philip Allan’s Alexander Clay series, it can stand alone. The novel is essentially a naval warfare yarn, and Allan acknowledges he is inspired by other well-known novelists, such as Forester and O’Brian. His bold decision to select a Black character for a responsible position on board an HMS fighting ship, including his marriage to an English lass, works well, as it adds depth and intrigue to the story. The backstories of the officers and lower-deck sailors are also interesting. Allan’s in-depth research shows in the detailed accounts of military intricacies and the decoys used in the battles. The showing of life and customs in India, as well as the descriptions of complex political complications, are impressively narrated. Although coincidences abound in the plot, Allan has noted the deviations from historical fact. Highly recommended.
