Historical military adventure, set in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese war.

Marcus Baxter left the Royal Navy under a cloud, but has been offered the chance to return to sea in return for spying on a Russian ship. He agrees to bring young Tommy so he can start to learn the ropes. But the crew betrays him at sea, and he and Tommy are captured by the Russians.

Aboard the Russian vessel, Baxter learns of multiple layers of subterfuge. Together with the treacherous weather conditions and poor state of the ship, Baxter will need to use all his diplomatic and naval expertise to have any hope of returning home safely.

I have mixed feelings about this book.

Maybe it's just my choices of late but I don't often read "historical military adventure" novels. It is quite a unique category (to me, or in general?), and this book perfectly fits in. The storyline is catching, the characters are authentic and strong, the time period is not one that is discussed many times.

Yet, I was not happy with the execution. The characters spoke a naval language I could hardly follow at some point, and the author did not care to help me understand what is what. I felt like an outsider watching people chatting away, using jargon I had no idea of. (various boats, guns, war strategies, etc.)

The plot is good enough though to make me want to read the next book in the series. So I am giving Mr Baxter and his gang another chance.

I am grateful for NetGalley and Sapere Books for an Advance Reading Copy.

A magnificent new historical adventure thriller set during the conflict between Russia and Japan in 1904-5.
There are echoes here of that great classic The Riddle Of The Sands, the splendid Hornblower novels, and the real life exploits of Russian-born British spy Sidney Reilly.
Baxter, Tommy, the Countess and Juneau are characters to watch as the series of novels progresses.
This is gritty and fast-moving and evocative of the final days of Empire in Britain, Russia and Japan.