Master and Commander Charles Hayden sails into a lethal fray in this epic seafaring adventure by bestselling author S. Thomas Russell. Under the command of Captain Charles Hayden, Royal Navy frigate HMS Themis is sent to counter the threat of the French forces in the West Indies. In the middle of the vast Atlantic, Hayden discovers two Spanish noblemen, castaway in a ship’s boat—a stroke of almost impossible good fortune. The Spaniards’ explanation for their plight seems so improbable that Hayden’s officers suspect them of being criminals or even spies. But they have secrets far more shocking than that—secrets which will haunt Hayden in his new posting. Upon reaching the Barbados station, Hayden finds himself under the command of the vainglorious Sir William Jones, an impetuous and foolhardy officer. Refusing orders will cost Hayden his command. But accepting them might cost him his ship, his crew…and his life.   Praise for the novels of S. Thomas Russell: “Russell’s encyclopedic command of nautical lore, joined to his rare ability to spin a ripping yarn, places the reader right in the middle of the action, of which there is plenty...He creates characters and situations that stay in the reader’s memory even as memories of broadsides and cutlass duels fade.”—Neal Stephenson, New York Times bestselling author of The Mongoliad “Fans of Patrick O'Brian’s works and other novels in the naval adventure genre will enjoy…A fast-paced and eventful narrative…The novel benefits from thorough research and a mastery of the technical details of sailing in the 1790s.”— Library Journal “A colorful account of duty and honor, punctuated by the cannonade of naval warfare.”— Kirkus Reviews S. Thomas Russell is a lifelong sailor whose passion for the sea inspired Until the Sea Shall Give Up Her Dead , Take, Burn or Destroy , A Battle Won , and Under Enemy Colors .