From Publishers Weekly
The 10th in Cornwell's series ( Sharpe's Rifles , etc.) is a corker. It is early 1814 and Major Richard Sharpe is still with one-eyed Capt. Frederickson and giant Sgt. Maj. Harper. Sharpe's French nemesis Major Ducos, in the first of a series of betrayals, has stolen a fortune from Napoleon and framed Sharpe for the crime. As fugitives from the British Army and the restored French royalist regime, Sharpe, Frederickson and Harper travel across France and into Naples to find Ducos and clear themselves. They must also deal with a loyal Bonapartist general and a rapacious Neapolitan cardinal, both of whom want the treasure. Sharpe has further problems with a fickle young wife in Regency London and an unlikely romantic attachment in Normandy. Fast and gripping, the story is carried by Cornwell's easy hold on vivid period detail. After an alliance of convenience with the Bonapartist general, Sharpe's final escape is literally dazzling. Readers will relish this adventure and eagerly await Sharpe at Waterloo.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In 1814, Richard Sharp must take the well-defended city of Toulouse to secure the defeat of Napoleon. But after this bloodiest of battles, Napoleon's personal treasure disappears. Sharp, framed by a clever renegade French commander, must escape from a British military prison, find the real culprit, and recover the gold and jewels if he is to save his career and good name. This volume, a brilliant historic action, adventure, and love story, appeals to a wide audience, much like the other titles in this fabulous series (e.g., Sharpe's Regiment, Audio Reviews, LJ 9/15/94). Frederick Davidson performs an unparalleled dramatization. A fascinating and educational work that will do credit to any library.?James Dudley, Copiague, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.