#18 in the Richard Sharpe series.

Back with Wellington’s army, which is bogged down in southwest France, Sharpe is ordered on a mission, led by an ambitious captain of the Royal Navy, to capture a supposedly weakly-defended French coastal fort, cut Napoleon’s supply lines, and assist in inciting the residents of Bordeaux to rise against Napoleon.

Naturally, nothing works out as planned. After taking the fort, it is attacked by a heavy French force, and Sharpe is forced to escape via the good graces of an American privateer captain. The sinister Ducos makes yet another appearance.

That’s the background of the latest installment of the series. It’s a somewhat offbeat story, a detour from Wellington’s main thrust into France, but as usual, Cornwell imbues it with all the page-turning tension and excitement that characterizes the series. The escape is as good a scene as in any of the previous books. Harper and Sharpe continue to be lively and interesting protagonists, and the other characters all ring true. I don’t think Cornwell can be equaled, never mind beaten, in this genre.

Highly recommended. ( )