Marty is now a Captain and is waiting for his next ship, while his flotilla is undergoing refit after the depredations of the Caribbean he is asked to recover jewels and top secret documents stollen by a spurned lover of Prince George leading to a race across Spain.
 
Admiral Hood redeploys they S.O.F. to Gibraltar and William Wickham assigns them a new intelligence officer but what they don't expect is to get involved in a major counter espionage operation in Malta.
Marty meets and befriends Rear Admiral Sir Sidney Smith at the battle of Maida and his nemesis from the Caribbean, de Faux, turns up and vendetta is declared.

A fast moving adventure full of action, suspense and surprises.