The Darkening Sea

Richard Bolitho returns to England after the capture of Martinique, and finds a brief respite from war and politics in the arms of his mistress, Lady Catherine Somervell. But the affairs of nations allow little time for personal happiness, and to his surprise and dismay Bolitho is ordered almost immediately to the Indian Ocean, where the shadow of a new conflict already darkens the horizon as the old enemy, France, forges an uneasy alliance with America and threatens British trade routes. Haunted by the deaths in their country's service of Nelson and Collingwood, and by his own vivid memories of shipwreck and tragedy, Bolitho is well aware of the price of admiralty, and for the first time considers the possibility of life not only beyond the reef but beyond the sea itself This sequel to "Beyond the Reef" begins in 1809 after Bolitho's return from the West Indies and the capture of Martinique. To his surprise and dismay, Bolitho is ordered to take command of an operation against the French in the Indian Ocean, in order to protect English trade routes. Returning safely to England after the dramatic capture of Martinique, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho finds an all too brief respite from war and politics in the arms of his mistress, Lady Catherine Somervell