Devil to Pay

Ranked as a lieutenant despite his undistinguished naval career, Richard Delancey lands a special secret mission, thanks to his command of French. To his chagrin, the mission goes awry. But casting about for fresh opportunity, Delancey becomes involved in customs collection on the Isle of Wight and thwarting the high-stakes activities of smugglers.

Cyril Northcote Parkinson pursued a distinguished academic career on both sides of the Atlantic and first became famous for "Parkinson's Law"—work expands to fill the time allotted to it. Parkinson wrote many books on British politics and economics. His first fictional effort, a "biography" of Horatio Hornblower, met with considerable acclaim and led to the Richard Delancey series. C. Northcote Parkinson died in 1993.