Crackdown » (Reprint)

Bernard Cornwell, “the reigning king of historical fiction” (USA Today), is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Agincourt; the bestselling Saxon Tales, which include The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, Sword Song, and, most recently, The Burning Land; and the Richard Sharpe novels, among many others. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod.

Paradise is the perfect escape for ex-Marine Nick Breakspear, captain of a charter yacht operation in the Bahamas, until he agrees to pilot a "detox cruise" for the drug-addled grown son and daughter of a powerful U.S. senator. Ambushed far from port, he is helpless to prevent the murder of a crew member by modern-day pirates who sink Nick's yacht before vanishing with the senator's kids. Having barely eluded death, Nick must immediately set sail for disaster once again. For there's a death to be avenged on the dark side of Eden, the senator is demanding that his lost children be found ...and the woman Nick loves is being held prisoner by killers somewhere on Murder Cay.

Publishers Weekly

Cornwell has written effectively of modern ocean sailing ( Wildtrack ; Killer's Wake ) and military maritime adventure (the Sharpe series), but the combination doesn't succeed here. British ex-marine Nick Breakspear, who skippers charter boats out of the Bahamas, dreams of refurbishing a classic boat and sailing off with beautiful Ellen, ship cook and practicing celibate. On the verge of realizing his fantasy, he agrees to take the cokehead son and daughter of a U.S. senator on a cruise to kick their habits. The son forces a rendezvous at sea with vicious traficantes who sink the boat, kill a crew member and almost kill Nick and Ellen. Back on land Nick is persuaded by the senator, a presidential contender, to join a three-man raid against the heavily guarded island stronghold of the drug lords. Except for some strong passages on cocaine addiction, most of the book is unpersuasive, the characters almost cartoonish. 35,000 first printing; $60,000 ad/promo. (Sept.)