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Merriman Chronicles #2
The Threat in the West Indies
Publishers note: Updated and re-edited 6th edition - April 2024.
The year is 1793 and Captain James Abel Merriman has been sent to the West Indies as Captain of His Majesty’s sloop Aphrodite. Once again seconded to Mr. Grahame of the Revenue Service and under orders of Lord Stevenage of the Treasury Service, they are to discover French and Spanish activities across the islands which will decide their future actions.
England's oldest enemy France - now under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte - is in the throes of the revolution and also is at war with Austria and the Netherlands. At this point in history - February 1793 - France declares war on England.
In the West Indies, many of the islands had been fought over by the British, the French and the Spanish. The principal islands of St. Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe are still in French hands although this may be about to change.
The year is 1793 and Captain James Abel Merriman has been sent to the West Indies as Captain of His Majesty’s sloop Aphrodite. Once again seconded to Mr. Grahame of the Revenue Service and under orders of Lord Stevenage of the Treasury Service, they are to discover French and Spanish activities across the islands which will decide their future actions.
England's oldest enemy France - now under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte - is in the throes of the revolution and also is at war with Austria and the Netherlands. At this point in history - February 1793 - France declares war on England.
In the West Indies, many of the islands had been fought over by the British, the French and the Spanish. The principal islands of St. Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe are still in French hands although this may be about to change.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
202 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2014
About the author
Roger Burnage
15 books33 followersRoger Burnage had an eventful life that ultimately led him to pursue his passion for writing. Born and raised in the village of Lymm, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom, he embarked on a journey of adventure and self-discovery.
Roger's life took an intriguing turn when he served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during his national service. He was stationed in Ceylon, which is now known as Sri Lanka, where he worked as a radio mechanic, handling large transmitters.
After his release from the RAF, Roger went on to work as a draughtsman at Vickers in Manchester. Through dedication and hard work, he eventually climbed the ranks to become a sales engineer. His job involved traveling abroad to places like Scandinavia and India, which exposed him to new cultures and experiences.
It was during this period that Roger Burnage stumbled upon the Hornblower novels by C. S. Forester. The captivating tales of naval adventures ignited a spark of interest in the historical fiction genre within him
Eventually, Roger settled in North Wales, where he focused on building a business and raising a family. Throughout his professional and personal life, the desire to write for himself never waned. However, it wasn't until retirement that he finally had the time and opportunity to pursue his dream of becoming an author.
Despite facing initial challenges and enduring multiple rejections from publishers and agents, Roger persevered. He refused to give up on his writing aspirations. Even when he underwent open-heart surgery and had an operation for a brain haemorrhage, he continued to work diligently on his craft. Typing away with only two fingers for months on end, he crafted "The Merriman Chronicles."
In 2012, with the support of his youngest son, Robin, Roger self-published his debut novel, "A Certain Threat," on Amazon KDP, making it available in both paperback and Kindle formats. His determination and talent began to bear fruit, as his fan base grew, and book sales remained strong.
Despite facing health challenges, Roger's creativity and passion for writing remained steadfast. He had many ideas for the future of "The Merriman Chronicles" series and left several unfinished manuscripts at various stages of development
Unfortunately, Roger Burnage's life journey came to an end in December 2015, following a short illness. However, his legacy lives on through his writing, and the adventures of The Merriman family will be continued.
Roger's life took an intriguing turn when he served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during his national service. He was stationed in Ceylon, which is now known as Sri Lanka, where he worked as a radio mechanic, handling large transmitters.
After his release from the RAF, Roger went on to work as a draughtsman at Vickers in Manchester. Through dedication and hard work, he eventually climbed the ranks to become a sales engineer. His job involved traveling abroad to places like Scandinavia and India, which exposed him to new cultures and experiences.
It was during this period that Roger Burnage stumbled upon the Hornblower novels by C. S. Forester. The captivating tales of naval adventures ignited a spark of interest in the historical fiction genre within him
Eventually, Roger settled in North Wales, where he focused on building a business and raising a family. Throughout his professional and personal life, the desire to write for himself never waned. However, it wasn't until retirement that he finally had the time and opportunity to pursue his dream of becoming an author.
Despite facing initial challenges and enduring multiple rejections from publishers and agents, Roger persevered. He refused to give up on his writing aspirations. Even when he underwent open-heart surgery and had an operation for a brain haemorrhage, he continued to work diligently on his craft. Typing away with only two fingers for months on end, he crafted "The Merriman Chronicles."
In 2012, with the support of his youngest son, Robin, Roger self-published his debut novel, "A Certain Threat," on Amazon KDP, making it available in both paperback and Kindle formats. His determination and talent began to bear fruit, as his fan base grew, and book sales remained strong.
Despite facing health challenges, Roger's creativity and passion for writing remained steadfast. He had many ideas for the future of "The Merriman Chronicles" series and left several unfinished manuscripts at various stages of development
Unfortunately, Roger Burnage's life journey came to an end in December 2015, following a short illness. However, his legacy lives on through his writing, and the adventures of The Merriman family will be continued.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 15, 2023
a grand second book in the series
This little book is just as entertaining as the first in the series. More French mischief as the war against the Directorate begins. Suddenly four years have passed.
This little book is just as entertaining as the first in the series. More French mischief as the war against the Directorate begins. Suddenly four years have passed.
August 22, 2023
A decent sea novel, involving a lieutenant tasked with digging into French activities in the Caribbean soon after the end of the US Revolutionary war. There are few sea battles in this book, but a lot of espionage and skullduggery.
The scenes aboard ship when not fighting are fairly well done, although the crew is treated as a monolithic unit rather than individuals.
There are some formatting issues and punctuation problems that make reading confusing at times. I tend to give this kind of thing a pass, as editing is difficult and expensive, and sometimes conversion to e-book format can cause odd issues, but the way paragraphs are connected, particularly with dialog, is puzzling. Many times quotation marks are missing, making it challenging to tell what is dialog and what is narrative.
The scenes aboard ship when not fighting are fairly well done, although the crew is treated as a monolithic unit rather than individuals.
There are some formatting issues and punctuation problems that make reading confusing at times. I tend to give this kind of thing a pass, as editing is difficult and expensive, and sometimes conversion to e-book format can cause odd issues, but the way paragraphs are connected, particularly with dialog, is puzzling. Many times quotation marks are missing, making it challenging to tell what is dialog and what is narrative.
August 11, 2023
excellent follow on tale
Plenty of action from the start. Fast paced and some great characters. I like the way plot lines started previously are woven into and then resolved in the following book.
Plenty of action from the start. Fast paced and some great characters. I like the way plot lines started previously are woven into and then resolved in the following book.
September 6, 2023
Not a novel but history
This is not a swash bucketler but as the titles says a chronicle or saga. From original sources. Well done
This is not a swash bucketler but as the titles says a chronicle or saga. From original sources. Well done
May 26, 2026
Disappointing. I’m quite happy to have an easy read and not expect it to an epic, however this was far too simple. With no real plot or hook, and no real character development, there was zero tension or pull and little to hold the reader’s interest. It was an easy enough read, and nautical in nature, but that’s about it on a positive note.
Surprising as the first book had a solid plot, put some effort into the characters and was rated significantly higher. Another like this will be the end of the series for me.
Surprising as the first book had a solid plot, put some effort into the characters and was rated significantly higher. Another like this will be the end of the series for me.
July 24, 2022
Easy reading
I liked the easy ,natural way that life was depicted with just a hint of how hard it really was for the normal sailor,it was so hard for the crew to be away for years on end and even getting back to England were denied shockwaves in case they deserted .I really enjoyed reading about merriman I
I liked the easy ,natural way that life was depicted with just a hint of how hard it really was for the normal sailor,it was so hard for the crew to be away for years on end and even getting back to England were denied shockwaves in case they deserted .I really enjoyed reading about merriman I
November 5, 2025
Not much to complain about here. Maybe not as sharp as the first book, but it jogs along nicely.
December 2, 2023
It keeps up the readability of the first book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews