Billed as being “in the rich tradition of Robert Louis Stevenson,” this tale of smugglers, set in 1927 on a rugged coast, does not disappoint. Tommy Barraclough, the protagonist, is a young man who yearns to get away from his poverty-stricken fishing village and his unhappy family. He grabs an opportunity when he intercepts a suspicious package in a tavern brawl and has to run for his life. Tommy is immediately caught in the middle of a gang war, meets a travelling circus, and leaves a boring life for one rich in adventure. The characters are larger than life, the mystery is intriguing, and the reader is carried along helter-skelter by the pace of the tale. And, as in every good adventure story, there is a happy ending. mRb