Gene

Malta, 1565: a vital outpost between the divided nations of Europe and the relentlessly expanding Ottoman Empire. Faced with ferocious attack by a vast Turkish fleet, the knights of the Order of St John fear annihilation. Amongst those called to assist is disgraced veteran Sir Thomas Barrett. Loyalty and instinct compel him to put the Order above all other concerns, yet his allegiance is divided.

Ramage hopes to enjoy a well-deserved leave when he receives new orders: Commission and take command of the Dido - a massive 74-gun ship that carries enough weight of metal to destroy a frigate in a single broadside, or sweep a ship's decks clear of men. Accompanied by the courageous crew of the Calypso, Ramage ventures to sea once again - bound for the West Indies where he faces the challenge of commanding this massive weapon of war.

When she was only 16, Cassidy Buchanan fell for the 19-year-old bad boy in town, Brig McKenzie, who'd had his share of run-ins with both the law and the local women. Then a terrible fire killed Cassidy's sister, and Brig, the chief suspect, was forced to run away. Seventeen years later, an eerily similar fire seriously injures Cassidy's husband, Chase, who happens to be Brig's brother. With the earlier fire still an open case, suspicion turns to Cassidy, the only unharmed person connected to both tragedies.