Publisher's Synopsis
It is April, 1811.
Lord Wellington has led his army to the Spanish border where the French occupy their last stronghold in Portugal at Almeida. As the two armies face each other in the village of Fuentes de Oñoro, a new brigade is attached to Major-General Craufurd's Light Division, with a new colonel in charge. Colonel Paul van Daan finds himself having to manage resentment at his early promotion while desperately trying to get his new command combat-ready with little time to spare. General Craufurd is not yet back from leave and Lord Wellington's lines look uncomfortably stretched, leaving Paul concerned that for once his commander-in-chief has made a wrong decision, which might endanger not only the Light Division but the whole Allied army. Anne is carrying her first child and is showing no signs of allowing her delicate condition to get in the way of her normal activities, much to her husband's concern. Elsewhere in Paul's brigade, Johnny Wheeler is struggling with a complicated relationship while Carl Swanson discovers that a casual liaison means more to him than he realised. As battle rages in the streets of Fuentes de Oñoro and over the surrounding countryside, Paul encounters a French colonel who seems to have taken their rivalry personally with potentially lethal consequences for his brigade. In addition, he finds himself caught up in army politics when a senior officer makes a catastrophic mistake and others are made scapegoats for the error. Book three in the popular Peninsular War Saga continues the story of Paul van Daan and the 110th light infantry as Wellington begins his push towards Spain. "As always Ms Bryant tells a ripping good yarn, and her characters are so believable and dialogue excellent, that my brain now refuses to accept that they aren't real. The story romps along and doesn't drag at all, even in the fight scenes which form the backdrop. There are several 'laugh out loud' moments, tempered by the poignant moments, making the whole thing such a believable tale." (Amazon UK review)
