Hold Fast

In 1803, with tensions rising between England and France, Capt. Thomas Grey, the hero of Gelernter’s impressive debut, decides to retire from being a British spy to make a fresh start in the United States, where he has a work offer from a relative in Boston. A year earlier, Grey, who was then the head of station in Malta for naval intelligence, was dispatched to North Africa to deal with Barbary pirates. On the voyage back to Malta, his wife was killed when their vessel came under French fire, and he fell into a depression. Soon after Grey sets sail for Boston, his ship is attacked by a French ship, and his skill with both rifle and sword helps to fend off the assailants. The damaged ship docks in Oporto, Portugal, where agents for a French-Irish intelligence network, believing him to be alienated from his country, invite him to join them. Grey considers the network a threat to Britain’s security and decides to play along to thwart it. Gelernter keeps the suspense high without sacrificing plausibility. Bernard Cornwell fans will welcome this promising new talent. (May)