This novel for is about Duncan Scott, who is also the protagonist in David Starr's earlier novel, The Nor'Wester. In this new novel, set in 1810, Duncan returns to England to search for his sister, and learns that she is staying with Elizabeth Fry, but before he can find her he is press-ganged into the Royal Navy and is sent off to fight, first, the Russians in the Baltic and then the French in the Mediterranean. He escapes in the Mediterranean and swims to shore in Sicily and then buys a small boat which he sails with a shipmate to Malta. From there he returns to England to meet up with his sister and Elizabeth Fry. It turns out that Elizabeth Fry has been helping his sister, and he learns about Fry's good work.