The Privateersman

Rating:
Summary: Privateersman
Review: The plot and setting of this novel have a lot of potential interest. Unfortunately, the author's writing style, particularly his very strange sense of drama and timing, dilute the impact considerably.

Privateersman is set just before the American Revolution. A Liverpool shipowner, Captain Kite, discovers that his business partner has been cheating him. Simultaneously, he loses his wife and son to cholera. He reestablishes his business on the far side of the Atlantic, finds (rather quickly and easily) new love, and becomes involved in a conflict with high-handed colonial rebels who commandeer one of his ships. I found it interesting that the colonists are the "bad guys"; this is a fresh new viewpoint, and as such creates interest.

The time period, the unusual merchant shipping (rather than naval) setting and the plot line here all promise interest. However, Woodman's timing is off. Dramatic events pass by with little fanfare -- but purple prose sneaks in at other moments. Few of the characters seem more than one-dimensional. Part of the problem is the exposition-heavy nature of the text, which tells much more than it shows. Excellent moments such as Tyrell's death and the taking of the Wentworth aren't enough to save this novel, which, in the final analysis, is rather boring.