A British whaler has been captured by an ambitious chief in the Sandwich Islands at French instigation, and Captain Aubrey is dispatched with the Surprise to restore order. But stowed away in the cable-tier is an escaped female convict.

To the officers, Clarissa Harvill is an object of awkward courtliness and dangerous jealousies. Only Aubrey's friend, Dr. Stephen Maturin, can fathom Clarissa's secrets: her crime, her personality, and a clue to identifying a highly placed French spy in London.

Patrick O'Brian (1914-2000) was born Richard Patrick Russ in England. During WWII he and his wife were involved in British secret-service activities. After the war he changed his name to Patrick O'Brian. He began his career as a novelist, biographer, and translator. Starting in the 1990s, Mr. O'Brian, then in his seventies, achieved the critical and popular recognition that was his due.