Pirates and Privateers

Books for Adults ~ Nautical Fiction

The Devil's Own Luck          The Dying Trade


The Devil’s Own Luck
by David Donachie
McBooks Press, 2026, ISBN 978-1-4930-9505-6, US $22.95
Available in other formats

Going after a French frigate with twenty-eight guns may not be Harry Ludlow’s best move, but he can’t help himself. Fighting warships is in his blood, what he trained for before being forced out of the Royal Navy. Now, he toys with Verite despite the threat she poses to his Medusa and those aboard.

Even though he’s along for the ride and his health, James Ludlow questions his brother. The camaraderie they share allows this, but even James admits he’s a landlubber, an artist more in tune with the gentry than a seaman.

Somewhere out of sight, yet close by, are British warships on blockade duty. If Harry can lead Verite closer to them, he and his fellow countrymen will make short work of the French frigate. Except HMS Magnanime doesn’t do what Harry expects. First, she stands off and waits and Harry is both astonished and perplexed by the seventy-four-gun warship’s refusal to engage. In the ensuing but unequal fight, Harry suffers a head wound and blacks out. When he comes to, he and his brother are aboard Magnanime, Medusa is gone, and his men are aboard the French prize ship bound for England, forced to join the Royal Navy.

The British seventy-four is not a happy ship. Undercurrents and secrets, as well as the strange and awkward relationship between the captain and his first lieutenant, are not as they should be. Nor does it help that Harry and Magnanime’s captain have a past. When the first lieutenant is murdered and James is found holding the murder weapon, Harry has only a few days to unearth the mysteries aboard this ship and prove his brother’s innocence.

Set in 1793, The Devil’s Own Luck is the first book in The Privateersman Mysteries. Donachie captures your attention from the start and doesn’t release it until the story ends. The twists and turns echo the nail-biting sea duel between Magnanime and two French seventy-fours in the midst of a full-blown gale. Harry’s knowledge of this ship, having once served on her, and of the Royal Navy enrich the story. The characters are well drawn, each having his own personality that makes him stand out from the others. Donachie vividly shows the intricacies involved in gaining trust from strangers as well as what happens when past grudges lead to hatred that clouds one’s judgement. Treachery, life at sea in the Royal Navy, and the intricate differences between officers, seamen, and privateers hinder Harry at every turn. They also keep him and you guessing the identity of the murderer and his motive until the very end. For those unfamiliar with Donachie and his many books (like me), The Devil’s Own Luck serves as a great introduction. For those already familiar with his stories, this mystery is like getting reacquainted with old friends.

Review Copyright ©2026 by Cindy Vallar

The Dying Trade
by David Donachie
McBooks Press, 2026, ISBN 978-1-4930-9507-0, US $22.95
Available in other formats

Revolution, Jacobinism, ancient feuds, and business rivalries make Genoa difficult for visitors, like Henry and James Ludlow, to know who is friend and who is foe. Coupled with the city’s labyrinth-like streets and alleys, where government neutrality is bought with gold, the republic teems with sudden danger. Just ask the brothers when they first set foot in the neutral port city and are set upon by assailants out for blood. No noise warns of their presence, although at least one bears a distinctive mark. Are they local cutthroats, or have they come from the French warship anchored in the harbor? Rumors suggest the French are responsible for the recent murder of a Royal Navy officer, or are they a convenient scapegoat designed to keep others from digging too deep for the truth?

Having lost his privateering vessel – a casualty of war and the vindictiveness of a senior officer – Harry wants a new vessel and exemptions to replace the crew he lost. Admiral Hood, a family friend, wants tit for tat. Solve the murder in Genoa and perhaps those exemptions will be granted. James isn’t keen on being involved in another mystery, but once Harry makes up his mind, there’s little anyone can do to stop him. Being the older sibling, Harry knows that his brother prefers the land and, as a renowned portrait artist, is more at home with those of higher social circles than seamen. Harry remains noncommittal, but they do go to Genoa where he’s certain he can find a new privateer.

Pious Pender, a former lockpick released from the navy and hired as a servant, accompanies the Ludlows. His ability to infiltrate and communicate with lower levels of society always comes in handy in ways that Harry never expects. This occurs after the Ludlows make the acquaintance of Count Toraglia, who must sell his beloved ship Principessa, a sleek vessel perfect for Harry’s needs. But he will only sell to the right buyer and he’s only doing so to provide for his lovely wife before he succumbs to the ailment that is robbing him of his health and his youth.

Although specific permission to visit Principessa has only been alluded to, Harry and his companions venture aboard. She will be exactly what Harry desires in a vessel, if she proves to be as good a sailer as he suspects. What is unexpected is what they find in the captain’s cabin – the body of an American who also wanted to purchase Principessa and is tied to a privateering syndicate. The few interactions Harry’s had with the leader of the privateers raises numerous red flags, as does the presence of a seaman who once crewed aboard Harry’s ship. Even more curious is the fact that none of the privateers offload their prize cargoes in Genoa, yet they have money to spend. All Harry wants is a ship and crew. What he gets are more mysteries to solve with little knowledge of the inner workings of Genoa and enemies concealed behind every corner.

Donachie spins a tale as complicated as the maze-like layout of Genoa, and we are never quite sure who to trust in this second volume in The Privateersman Mysteries. We experience firsthand the rivalries and dangers that the Ludlows encounter, the true mark of a good storyteller. There are cleverly crafted sea engagements between Harry and the privateers in addition to the escapades ashore. This isn’t a story for the faint of heart. Harry ends up fighting for his life against rats trained to kill, and the truth behind the syndicate’s wealth is far more egregious than waging war on enemy shipping. Are you clever enough to spot the intricately woven clues of this whodunit, or will the true murder escape detection – a real possibility as time grows short and Harry gets too close?

Review Copyright ©2026 by Cindy Vallar

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