A vapid mix of elements from Tom Jones
and Porky
's
, Prince's plodding eighth novel features a naïve young Englishman adrift in corrupt early 18th-century Lisbon. Adam Hanaway is a 21-year-old weak fop sent to Portugal by his merchant father to try to restore the family honor and fortune; Adam's impulsive bluster and inability to face its consequences has already earned him the title nickname. As he works as a lowly clerk's apprentice in his uncle's business, Adam becomes the unwitting dupe of the thieving head clerk, Gomes, whose greed and malice ruin the uncle and cost Adam his job. Various women serve as addled romantic nonrelief. About two-thirds of the way in, Prince (Play Things
) introduces the Portuguese inquisition, which starts burning heretics and threatening Adam's few friends; Adam uncharacteristically takes a bold risk to aid one of them, resulting in—a very predictable conclusion. Although historically colorful, the story has little suspense, less humor and feeble action. Adam blunders from one mishap to another on a heavily padded journey from misfortune to revelation. (July 5)
