Dead Reckoning, by C. Northcote Parkinson
Filed under: book review, C. Northcote Parkinson, historical fiction, Richard Delancey
Dead Reckoning is the fourth book in the Richard Delancey series by C. Northcote Parkinson, and a very good one at that. We have now reached the year 1805, during The Napoleonic wars. Richard Delancey has 
There is a lot of naval action in this novel. There is convoy escort, a special assignment to chase down a French privateer that disturbs trade, an attack on Mauritius, as well as a bloody fight against two French frigates. In several instances Richard Delancey shows both courage and intelligence. His ingenious strategies while escorting a convoy of East Indiamen is very entertaining. So is the demonstration of pure willpower in the attack against a French privateer.
Delancey is a creative, solid, smart and very likeable officer in Her Majesty’s Navy. Dead Reckoning is thick with excellent plots and smart thinking. It is perhaps the best in the series so far, and certainly one that increased my interest in C. Northcote Parkinson’s series! Being a fan of nautical fiction, I rank this series highly!
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.Devil to Pay, by C. Northcote Parkinson
Filed under: book review, C. Northcote Parkinson, historical fiction, Main character, naval fiction, Richard Delancey
Devil to Pay is the first book published, but the second in chronological order, in the series about Richard Delancey. It was first published in 1973. The action in this book takes
Richard Delancey has had an undistinguished naval career, but he possesses a fluency in French that lands him a secret mission for the Admiralty. Through no fault of his own, the secret mission further tarnishes his reputation and prospects. It leads to a duel. Thus Delancey is once again casting about for fresh opportunity.
Seeking opportunity, he becomes involved in customs collection on the Isle of Wight, with a temporary command of a Revenue Service cutter. Doing this, he is very successful. As a result, he is given command of the 22-gun privateer Nemesis. This provides Delancey with opportunities for profit, and we follow him in several daring naval operations. He is a successful privateer commander. However, misfortune leaves him shipwrecked on the French coast. He attempts to escape through Spain, just as the Spanish are entering the war. The last part of the novel covers his flight through Spain, and action in Leon as he rejoins the Royal Navy.
Devil to Pay has lots of action, both on land and at sea. It is well written, and Richard Delancey is an interesting character that gets ahead by hard work and sound analytical thinking. I like this book and the series a lot, and do not hesitate to recommend it.
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