London, 1718. At the end of A Thief’s Blood, Jonas Flynt – an operative for shadowy powers in London – was on the verge of finding happiness when a visit from Cassie, his first love, turned his world upside down. And that was before she told him her news – that Jonas’ stepmother, Mercy, had been kidnapped from Edinburgh and taken back to the West Indies by her former owner, a man thought long dead. And his father has set off in pursuit.
Against the will of his paymaster, Colonel Charters, Jonas sets off in pursuit to save both his parents, with Cassie and their son, Jonas, in tow. But there are more dangerous people waiting out there on the seas – such as a certain gentleman called Edward Thatch – Blackbeard!
Now, long-time readers will know how much I enjoy this series but I have mentioned once or twice that this series of historical crime novels tends to shy away from the whodunnit aspect. While there were twists and surprises, the stories definitely where historical thrillers rather than historical mysteries.
This one? It’s probably more of an historical adventure even than a thriller. And I could not put it down
Jonas Flynt and his life has mesmerised me from his first appearance in An Honourable Thief (which won the Puzzly in January 2023) and there are some serious developments in this one. While it is a shame to see one particular long-time character disappear early on, I think Skelton makes a great choice in taking Flynt completely out of his element, both geographically and, to an extent, emotionally as he gets to know his son for the first time in his life.
There are twists and turns all over the place and one particular incident – one particular sentence – made my jaw hit the floor. You’ll know it when you read it.
History-wise, it’s very impressive how Skelton weaves Flynt’s story into the actual history of Thatch/Blackbeard (and the pirates of the area as well) without either of the stories suffering.
All in all, it’s a fantastic read, giving a breath of fresh air into a series that didn’t really need it but benefits from it all the same. Who knows where it will go from here? Not me, but I can’t wait to find out.
Ship Of Thieves is out on Thursday 12st August in hardback and ebook. Many thanks to the publisher for the review e-copy.
The Jonas Flynt Adventures:
In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel 