Jack Absolute
The 007 of the 1770s
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Description de l’éditeur
The brilliant first outing for a new kind of hero . . .
'Bernard Cornwell is good but Humphreys is better' Historical Novels Review
In 1777, Jack Absolute is famous ... as the dashing lover in Sheridan's famous comedy THE RIVALS. However, this notoriety comes as something of a shock to the REAL Jack Absolute when he disembarks at Portsmouth after four months at sea, and seven years in India ...
When his old commander is appointed to lead the army that will crush the American Revolution, Jack's history in the Colonies becomes vital. Years before he was adopted by the Iroquois, knows their language and ways, can rally these vital allies to the King's cause. Yet there is a traitor at the heart of the British army, betraying its every move.
From a field of honour in London through the Battle of Saratoga and the hunt for a double agent, Jack must fight revolutionaries, incensed rivals and a malevolent secret society - and all while trying to protect the woman he loves...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A stage actor, novelist and playwright, Humphreys (The French Executioner) examines the American Revolution through the eyes of the inestimable Capt. Jack Absolute, an 18th-century 007 lifted from Richard Sheridan's play The Rivals, who has a "talent for trouble," a rogue's way with women and more lives than a cat. Although he expresses sympathy for the rebels' cause, Jack agrees under duress to serve as Gen. John Burgoyne's chief spy in America. As Burgoyne launches a campaign to capture Albany, N.Y. ("the heart of the country"), Jack and his Mohawk blood brother, At , are dispatched to root out spies working for the Illuminati, a secret lodge within the Freemasons who hope to establish a utopia in the colonies. Jack hooks up with Louisa Reardon, a beautiful Loyalist traveling with Burgoyne's army, but they are captured and separated. Escaping his captors, Jack rushes back to join Burgoyne, but arrives too late to help prevent a humiliating British defeat. A dejected Burgoyne dispatches Jack to Philadelphia to warn British commanders of the hidden threat. There is more than one surprise in Philadelphia awaiting Jack and readers. Humphreys combines historical detail, a larger-than-life hero, clever plotting and fast pacing to craft a thoroughly entertaining historical adventure.
