Sharpe's Prey: Richard Sharpe and the Expedition to Copenhagen, 1807

From Publishers Weekly
The traditional military adventure yarn remains alive and well in the capable hands of Cornwell, as his up-from-the-ranks hero, Richard Sharpe, though stuck in the lowly role of regimental quartermaster, finds himself in the thick of the 1807 British campaign to destroy the Danish navy anchored in Copenhagen before the French can seize the ships and pose another invasion threat. As ever, the story starts fast, here with the murder of an English army officer in London by Captain John Lavisser a traitor working for the French and as vile a villain as any Sharpe has faced and scarcely lets up until Sharpe's final confrontation with Lavisser during the British bombardment of Copenhagen. Along with the swashbuckling action, Sharpe finds romance with the widowed daughter of Britain's top Danish agent, Astrid Skovgaard, who helps him get over the loss of Grace, the aristocratic young woman he met in his last outing, Sharpe's Trafalgar, but who died in childbirth. Much of the suspense hinges on whether Sharpe will quit the army and remain in Denmark, or persuade Astrid to return with him to England. Unlike Patrick O'Brian, Cornwell doesn't dwell on the details of early 19th-century life, writing in plain prose that neither evokes nor obviously violates period. This is the 18th installment in the Sharpe series (which now covers the years from 1799 to 1821, with a few small gaps). It's anyone's guess how many more are still to come, but Cornwell fans will welcome each and every one. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Lieutenant Richard Sharpe accompanies the British fleet to Denmark in 1807, ostensibly to defend that country's navy from a Napoleonic takeover. When his commanding officer betrays him and the Crown, however, the Battle of Copenhagen nearly destroys that city. Patrick Tull's gritty cynicism brings life to Sharpe and his compatriots, both heroic and less so. Tull's barely perceptible softening of his voice clearly conveys the sweetness of Sharpe's love interest, while a slight sharpening of tone renders a female French spy equally believable. While Cornwell's text lacks some of its usual tempo in spots, Tull more than compensates in his performance, working with the author to bring history to life. R.P.L. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
The eighteenth installment in Cornwell's impeccably researched and plotted Richard Sharpe series bristles with action and intrigue. Though Sharpe usually spends his days foiling enemies on gritty battlefields, this time around he is assigned to a delicate diplomatic mission. After returning from a successful tour of duty in India, Richard has a difficult time readjusting to the petty distinctions and distractions of His Majesty's army in Britain. Humiliated by his relegation to the post of quartermaster and desolated by the death of his beloved Grace, an embittered Richard contemplates resigning his recently acquired commission. Persuaded by a wily old general to serve as bodyguard to Captain John Lavisser, aide to the duke of York, on a top-secret expedition to Denmark, he welcomes the change of scenery and relishes the opportunity to flex his considerable muscles. When Lavisser is exposed as a double agent determined to secure the Danish fleet for France, Richard must rely on his native intelligence and his formidable combat skills to stay alive in an elaborately crafted game of cat-and-mouse. The undisputed master of the military adventure, Cornwell delivers another suspenseful, historically accurate episode in the chronicles of a resourceful Napoleonic-era soldier. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description

Bestselling novelist Bernard Cornwell returns to his popular Richard Sharpe series with this eighteenth dazzling installment, which finds his beloved hero in the heart of war-torn Denmark, trying to protect the prized Danish fleet from Napoleon Bonaparte's ambitions.

The year is 1807, and Richard Sharpe is back in England, where his career seems to have come to a dead end. Loveless, destitute, and relegated to the menial tasks of quartermaster, Sharpe roams the streets of London, pondering a bleak future away from the army. Then, out of the blue, an old friend invites him to undertake a secret mission -- the delivery of a bribe -- to the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Denmark is officially neutral, but Napoleon is threatening an invasion in order to capture the powerful Danish fleet, which could replace the ships France lost in its disastrous defeat at Trafalgar. The British, fearing such enhancement of French power, threaten their own preemptive invasion, and Sharpe, whose errand seemed so simple, is trapped in a web of treachery that will end only when the city, which thought itself safe, is subjected to a brutal and merciless bombardment.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The year is 1807 and Richard Sharpe's career in the British army seems to have come to a dead end. Following a victory in Sharpe's Trafalgar, he is loveless and destitute, relegated to the menial task of quartermaster.

He plans to leave the army, when the Honorable John Lavisser persuades him to join him on a secret mission to Copenhagen. Sharpe's mission—to deliver a bribe—is right up his alley, but when he arrives in Denmark he finds that his errand is much more serious. French agaents are everywhere and in the thick of enemy spies and fierce battle action, Richard Sharpe must once again prove his courage and determination.

About the Author:
Bernard Cornwell is the author of the acclaimed and bestselling Richard Sharpe series; The Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles, set during the American Civil War; Stonehenge 2000 B.C.: A Novel, and, most recently, The Archer's Tale. He lives with his wife in Cape Cod, MA.

SYNOPSIS

PerfectBound e-book extra: "Bernard Cornwell On: The Origin of Richard Sharpe, Sharpe's Adventures, and *Sharpe's Trafalgar*." Plus: Become a member of the Sharpe Appreciation Society.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The traditional military adventure yarn remains alive and well in the capable hands of Cornwell, as his up-from-the-ranks hero, Richard Sharpe, though stuck in the lowly role of regimental quartermaster, finds himself in the thick of the 1807 British campaign to destroy the Danish navy anchored in Copenhagen before the French can seize the ships and pose another invasion threat. As ever, the story starts fast, here with the murder of an English army officer in London by Captain John Lavisser a traitor working for the French and as vile a villain as any Sharpe has faced and scarcely lets up until Sharpe's final confrontation with Lavisser during the British bombardment of Copenhagen. Along with the swashbuckling action, Sharpe finds romance with the widowed daughter of Britain's top Danish agent, Astrid Skovgaard, who helps him get over the loss of Grace, the aristocratic young woman he met in his last outing, Sharpe's Trafalgar, but who died in childbirth. Much of the suspense hinges on whether Sharpe will quit the army and remain in Denmark, or persuade Astrid to return with him to England. Unlike Patrick O'Brian, Cornwell doesn't dwell on the details of early 19th-century life, writing in plain prose that neither evokes nor obviously violates period. This is the 18th installment in the Sharpe series (which now covers the years from 1799 to 1821, with a few small gaps). It's anyone's guess how many more are still to come, but Cornwell fans will welcome each and every one. (Jan. 1) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews