Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Pirate Devlin-Mark Keating

The Pirate Devlin
Mark Keating
Grand Central, Jul 27 2020, $24.99
ISBN: 9780446563901

In 1717 on the West Coast of Africa, French Marine Royale Phillipe Ducos lies dying after begin run aground by pirates. The only pirate who apparently understands French is newcomer Patrick Devlin. Besides taking the dead “frog’s” boots, he removes a treasure map that he conceals from his traveling companions.

Captaining the vessel Lucy, Patrick and his crew sail across the Atlantic into the Caribbean where the French guard gold. His adversary on this adventure is his former master Royal Navy Captain John Coxon under orders by the Admiralty to retrieves the treasure. Still fuming and ashamed he lost his ship to pirates, Coxon will kill anyone, British, French or pirate (and his former man-servant) who are in his way. Patrick knows he must trick British, French and pirates (and his former master) to retrieve the gold.

This is a rousing early eighteenth century swashbuckling thriller in which violence and blood flow throughout the exhilarating story line. Patrick is superb as the daring pirate captain who goes mano a mano with Blackbeard while Coxon compulsively obsesses with a need to prove he is a worthy sea captain. Readers will enjoy the confrontation between the master and the man-servant

Harriet Klausner

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