Grief and professional disgrace drive Kydd from his ship after he is framed and removed from command. In Guernsey, he and Renzi struggle to recover while Renzi becomes involved in covert work that cannot be explained through ordinary naval duty.
Kydd accepts command of a privateer and discovers that prize-taking offers action and independence without restoring his place in the service. When an opportunity for revenge and reinstatement appears, he must risk the success he has built outside the Navy.
In the US this book is called The Privateer's Revenge.