Captain Grey’s Gambit

Early in Gelernter’s superior sequel to 2021’s Hold Fast, Sir Edward Banks, England’s chief of naval intelligence, orders Capt. Thomas Grey, recently returned home from a mission to India, to appear at 10 Downing Street on New Year’s Day, 1804, with no explanation. Grey is confused when he shows up at the appointed time, only to be directed to play chess against the prime minister’s private secretary, George Atwood. At first, Atwood easily defeats Grey in one game after another, but over the course of a month Grey improves and starts to win. He later learns the match was an audition that he has passed. As the best chess player in the service, he’s being sent to Frankfurt to compete in an international tournament. That’s a cover for his exfiltration of a highly prized defector and chess champion, Joseph Leclerc, one of Napoleon’s most trusted aides, who has become disillusioned with his master. Gelernter’s clever premise matches his well-rounded and plausible lead, and vivid depictions of the developments in the conflict between England and France enhance the suspenseful espionage plot. A musical interlude at the beginning will only increase the appeal for Patrick O’Brian admirers. (Apr.)