In 1782, when the British frigate Phalarope is ordered to assist in the Caribbean, her new commander Richard Bolitho must deal with greed and ambition among the officers, and cowardice and impending mutiny among the seamen.

"As the captain of a useful frigate, Kydd is claimed by the Leeward Islands station, exchanging the harsh situation in South America for the warmth and delights of the Caribbean. It's a sea change for Kydd, who revisits places and people that figured in his time as a young seaman. Some are nostalgic and pleasing, while others bring challenges of a personal nature. In Europe, Napoleon is triumphant on land, but so far away in the Caribbean, Kydd and...

Newly victorious at the Battle of Trafalgar, England now rules the seas and is free to colonize the furthest reaches of the world. Captain Thomas Kydd joins an expedition to take Dutch-held Cape Town, a strategic harbor that will give England a rich trade route to India. With enemies lurking on all sides, Kydd and his men must defend the fragile colony while braving Africa's vast and hostile hinterland. When Renzi learns too much about the enemy's...