Fortune and the Forty Thieves

1794. Britain is at war with France.

At Winterton, Amos Gurney leads a highly successful band of salvagers, disparagingly called The Forty Thieves by the shipowners because of the hard bargains they drive.  His son, Luke Fortune, is his right hand man, but he also pursues his own smuggling venture.

When a run goes wrong Luke realises there is a Judas to root out and when his father is drowned during a daring rescue, he is thrust into a contest with a hated rival for the leadership.  If that was not enough the customs service and a Yarmouth based frigate captain have an unhealthy interest in his future.

With the odds heavily stacked against him, Luke is drawn into a desperate struggle to secure his patrimony, the leadership of The Forty Thieves.