Captain Jack Aubrey, accomplished at sea but dreadfully vulnerable on
land, finds himself ashore after a successful cruise. With his prize
money burning a hole in his pocket, he is persuaded by a kind stranger
he meets at a tavern to make certain investments. This innocent decision
ensnares him in the London criminal underground and in government
espionage the province of his friend Stephen Maturin, now tasked with
rescuing his imperiled friend as he also attempts to locate his wayward
wife, Diana Villiers. Is Aubrey's humiliation and the threatened ruin of
his career a deliberate plot? This dark tale is a fitting backdrop to
the brilliant characterization and sparkling dialogue which Patrick
O'Brian's readers have come to expect.