Last Battles

Last Battles is the fourth novel in the Jaco Jacinto Age of Sail series. The first three are Raider of the Scottish Coast, Carronade and Death of a Lady. The series follows the careers of two Naval officers - Jaco Jacinto in the Continental Navy and Darren Smythe in the Royal Navy. They start as mortal enemies when the American Revolution begins, but when Jacinto captures Smythe, they become friends. When Smythe is paroled, they are back to being enemies. As the series progresses, Jacinto’s and Smythe’s lives and careers intertwine and become closer and closer. Peace was in the air after Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in October 1781. The fighting continued as politicians dickered for 23 months before the peace treaty was signed on September 3rd, 1783. Each British Army sortie from Charleston was turned into a bloody affair by the 4th Carolina Dragoons under the command of Major Amos Laredo. His orders - kill British soldiers but fight a set-piece battle. Jaco Jacinto, Captain, Continental Navy, now the commander of the fast, unarmed schooner Zephyr. His missions - carry classified diplomatic correspondence between Brest, France and Philadelphia and execute special operations. Pompeii’s assignment to convoy escort duty keeps Captain Darren Smythe, Royal Navy, away from the love of his life - Melody Winters. When the British evacuate, she refuses to leave Charleston with her Loyalist father. Duty also sends Darren into action against the French in the Battle of the Saintes near Dominica in the Caribbean. Lieutenant Colonel Rafer Muir, 11th Infantry (Highland) Regiment, knows the British cannot win. He is torn between his loyalty to his king, country, and cause and his desire to retire from the British Army alive. Emily Smythe Burdette visits Charleston with her husband, Francis who came to negotiate a contract with Jaco Jacinto’s fiancé, Dr. Reyna Laredo. Emily accompanies him so she can vet Melody for her mother, who is afraid the young woman is a colonial dasher and con artist who will break Darren’s heart and steal her son’s money. While in Charleston, Emily feels trapped as her aspirations for a career blossom. What can she, no what will she do?