Review of Fletcher and the Mutineers by John Drake

Fletcher comes full circle.

This is Book III of the Fletcher Series, of which there are currently eight. It picks up where the last one ended and wraps up several threads from from the series so far. Fletcher and the Mutineers is almost like two novellas in one book. The first half takes place in Jamaica, where Fletcher is trying to build his fortune while hiding from the Royal Navy on the eve of the Second Maroon War. The second part takes place in Boston, where a standoff between the British, the French, and a ship full of mutineers in the harbor threatens to pull the US and Britain into war again.

Like the first two books, there are plenty of action sequences and intrigue, including naval battles and even a submarine. The book follows the same “found manuscript” trope, in which the writer claims to have won Jacob Fletcher’s memoir in an auction and then fills in the blanks with information from articles and other sources from Fletcher’s life. What we get is a story that shifts between the first-person narrative of Fletcher and a third-person narrative from his adversary’s point of view. This happens from chapter to chapter.

Fletcher’s voice is convincing and delightful, in which you can hear the old sea dog in him. His old enemy is back and more willful than ever. There are plenty of “oh sh%t” moments when I truly didn’t know how Fletcher was going to get out of a tight spot. It’s a fun and thrilling read and a great addition to the Fletcher Naval Adventures series.

Check it out here:

Check out my latest novel here: