Book #47: The Surgeons Mate

I'm going to be honest, I've not read nearly as much in the last fortnight than I should have. I don't know why, but I just haven't. Audiobooks on the other hand. I'm flying through them as I can listen whilst at work! Which is great, as having been restricted to one hour a night whilst I fall asleep, I'm munching through a few hours a day! So having waited for ages for the next Aubrey & Maturin, I find myself writing about it within a couple of days!

So, the Surgeons Mate, it picks up directly after the events of the Fortunes of War, with Jack, Stephen and Diana basking in the victory of HMS Shannon taking the USS Chesapeake. They land in Halifax, Nova Scotia to deliver the news, and await a transport home, which comes soon afterwards. However not until Jack is relentlessly pursued by Amanda Smith. I have to confess, I was worried that Jack would be led astray, but it all seems to have been okay.

On the voyage home, their ship is relentlessly pursued by two American ships, one of which sinks. Upon their return to England, Jack is finally reunited with his family after a couple of years absence, whilst Stephen takes his leave to visit Ireland and attend a lecture in Paris, via London to bring home some vital intelligence.

Soon enough, they are deployed once again, this time to the Baltic, with Stephen acting as an agent to try to persuade Catalan troops under Bonaparte's control to return home to Spain. Jack is asked to attend as Captain of the sloop to transport Stephen.

The mission is a success, and even goes so far as a capture of a Danish vessel, and the fortified island they are capturing is captured with no bloodshed. With the Catalans embarked on troop carriers, the small fleet starts the long journey through the Baltic, North Sea, Channel and onto Santander. The journey goes pretty smoothly until Jack's ship is wrecked, and he and Stephen are captured and once again become Prisoners of War, this time in Paris.

Whilst imprisoned, Stephen is given an opportunity for an escape via anti-bonaparte sources. However whilst the plans are being put into motion, Jack and Stephen have to endure imprisonment. With Stephen being interrogated on suspicion of being an agent (he is of course, but isn't going to let the French know that) Jack busies himself with creating their own escape route, which is finished just as the escape plans come to fruition, and they escape Paris, pick up Diana and flee to Paris to be repatriated to England.

Once on board their escape boat, commanded by Captain Babbington, Jack's old midshipman, Stephen and Diana are finally (after many many books) married.

I loved the pacing of this book, it didn't drag, and I think that the on-shore sections were very good. Particularly the part where they were holed up in Paris. I was very critical at first about this (in the second book), however I think it was just because it was a soppy love story. This book was more of a gritty story of espionage and deceit. Its focus was more on Stephen this time around, and of the dark world of naval intelligence. I found myself at times worried for Stephen's life when he was being interrogated by the French, however the outcome was good and he lived another day!

Next up is Treason's Harbour, sounds intriguing, but I've got a couple of days to wait for it to become available, so let's choose something new!

The Surgeon's Mate: 2.5cm

Total Read so far: 47 books, 140.5cm

Total left to read: 52.5cm

Hopefully I'll finish my next book soon... then it'll be less than 50cm to go!