The third volume in The Privateersman Mysteries

1794: Returning to England, Harry and James become embroiled in a vicious struggle between rival smugglers played out in the English Channel. Witnesses to a bloody confrontation, they flee to Deal—only to find that, behind its picturesque façade, the town is a haven for traders in contraband, seething with corruption and violence. The Ludlow brothers’ search for a well-deserved rest quickly turns into a savage contest of wills between Harry and an unseen enemy who intends to protect his livelihood by any means available.

"“High adventure and detection cunningly spliced.”" - Times of London Literary Review

"“A must for armchair mariners . . . it’s superb stuff.”" - Manchester Evening News

"“With vivid and accurate shipboard action, storm havoc and battle scenes, Donachie has made Ludlow the most compulsively readable amateur detective since Dick Francis’ latest ex-jockey.”" - Cambridge Evening News

"(Praise for David Donachie's other books) “Pure adventure with excitement and daring all the way . . . historical fiction at its very best.”" - Historical Novels Review Online

"(Praise for David Donachie's other books) “High-speed epic from an ace storyteller.”" - Daily Sport

"(Praise for David Donachie's other books) “Exciting and unpredictable.”" - The Bookbag