Treason's Harbour

I accidentally skipped this book in my read because I was too excited to get to The Far Side of the World, and that was a mistake. This is one of the most finely balanced novels in a very fine series.

The Surprise is being repaired in Malta, and Aubrey and Maturin are idle on shore, doing their best to stay entertained with the musical evenings of Laura Fielding, a charming Italian aristocrat married to a captured British naval officer. Mrs. Fielding is also under pressure from French intelligence, who have thoroughly infiltrated Malta.

There’s not much time to save Mrs Fielding, as the crew is dispatched to the Red Sea, via walking across Suez, to capture a galley loaded with French silver. Maturin takes his diving bell, and there are adventures in the desert with camels, Bedouins, jinn, and haboobs. Despite fine sailing and keen tactics by Aubrey, the mission comes to naught.

A second mission back up the Adriatic returns them to the scenes of the previous book and various warm reunions, including with the escaped Lt. Fielding, who believes Aubrey is sleeping with his wife after various dog-related escapades in Malta. Before satisfaction can be given, the repaired Surprise is sent to the Port of Mascara, where they enter into a sharp action against three French ships and escape only with even more daring seamanship from Aubrey.

I think in some respects this book represents a pivot for the series. Aubrey is becoming older, meditating on change and death. Meanwhile a new set of French intelligence agents is introduced as adversaries for Maturin. The diving bell and 19th century natural philosophy shine. I cannot care for birds even 1% as much as Maturin does, but I’m in it for scientific instruments.

And I cannot go by without mentioning a truly shocking incident with a shark. Just wow!