''Midshipman Bolitho and the Avenger'' is a historical fiction novel written by Douglas Reeman under the pseudonym Alexander Kent. Set in the late-18th-century

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, the book is part of the Bolitho series and follows the main character

Richard Bolitho The ''Bolitho'' novels are a series of nautical war novels written by British author Douglas Reeman (using the pseudonym Alexander Kent). They focus on the military careers of the fictional Richard Bolitho and Adam Bolitho in the Royal Navy, from ...

Plot

Bolitho and Dancer are given leave from the ''Gorgon'' after its return to Plymouth for a refit. They decide to spend this holiday at the Bolitho estate. However, soon after they arrive a taxman is killed. Because they are the only agents of the King locally, they must investigate the body and suspect that he was killed by either smugglers or wreckers. Soon after, Hugh Bolitho arrives, charged with finding and capturing whoever committed the crime, and Bolitho and Dancer are ordered temporarily under his command. With the midshipman aboard, they hunt the wreckers. They capture a vessel smuggling guns, and learn that they are connected to the shipwreckers. Trying to set a trap, they send the guns in a small convey under the command of Dancer. The convey runs into an ambush in which Dancer is captured. The smugglers release Dancer who recognizes the voice of their leader, as a local member of the landed gentry. He attempts to flee to France in a private yacht, however a lucky suggestion by Bolitho allows Hugh to catch the yacht in flight, which the Avenger captures with little resistance.

Characters

*Richard Bolitho - a 17-year-old midshipman aboard and the son of a long line of Naval Officers. * Martyn Dancer - Friend of Bolitho and also a midshipman aboard the ''Gorgon'' *Hugh Bolitho - Lieutenant and commander of HMS ''Avenger'' and short tempered brother of Richard Bolitho

Ships

*His Majesty's Ship ''Avenger'' - a 70-foot cutter armed with ten 6-pounders and having a crew of 60

Publication history

The book was originally published in 1978 as an independent novel. However it later appeared published with other novels omnibuses titled ''Midshipman Bolitho'', which included Richard Bolitho, Midshipman, and that omnibus was republished in ''The Complete Midshipman Bolitho'' in 2006 with the addition of the 2006 tale ''Band of Brothers''.

References

1978 British novels Works published under a pseudonym Bolitho novels Novels set in the 18th century Hutchinson (publisher) books {{1970s-war-novel-stub