Publisher's Synopsis
Jack Aubrey is back in London after a successful mission. On the advice of an acquaintance he uses the time to invest some of his prize money. However when the investments link him to London's powerful criminal element and land him in jail, it looks as if he has lost his post captaincy and the H.M.S. SURPRISE. It is once again up to ship's surgeon and covert agent Stephen Maturin to rescue his hapless friend.
