Jack Lark: Recruit

Jack Lark #0.6

by Paul Fraser Collard

Recruit by Paul Fraser Collard recounts the early life of roguish hero Jack Lark - dubbed 'Sharpe meets the Talented Mr Ripley'- who will one day become The Scarlet Thief. This series is a must-read for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Simon Scarrow. 'An appealing and formidable hero' - Sunday ExpressForced to leave London, young recruit Jack Lark is determined to make his way as a Redcoat. Despite the daily tirades of Sergeant Slater, a sadistic monster of a man who sees his new trainees as the scum of the earth, Jack holds on to his belief that the Army will give him a better life. His comrades are a rough and ready bunch, and Jack falls in with Charlie Evans, a cheerful young clerk who quickly comes to regret joining up. But once you've taken the Queen's Shilling, there is no way deserters always pay the highest price. As Charlie schemes to escape, Jack, always a loyal friend, is forced into an impossible situation where the wrong move could leave him taking the long walk to the gallows...From the author of THE SCARLET THIEF, THE MAHARAJAH'S GENERAL and THE DEVIL'S ASSASSIN, the second e-novella featuring teenage Jack Lark.

Genres: Historical Fiction

87 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2015

About the author

Paul's love of military history started at an early age. A childhood spent watching films like Waterloo and Zulu whilst reading Sharpe, Flashman and the occasional Commando comic, gave him a desire to know more of the men who fought in the great wars of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. At school, Paul was determined to become an officer in the British army and he succeeded in winning an Army Scholarship. However, Paul chose to give up his boyhood ambition and instead went into the finance industry. Paul stills works in the City, and lives with his wife and three children in Kent.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following on from the first Jack Lark short story, Recruit follows the titular hero through the first week of his Army career, and reintroduces Sergeant Slater, one of the bad guys from Fraser Collard's debut full-length novel, The Scarlet Thief. Lark must try and survive in the face of Slater's brutality as he tries to forge a life for himself in the Army.

A fast and great read that fills in Lark's back-story. Highly recommended, especially if you've enjoyed the full-length novels.

[Ian Langham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series gets better with each volume. I can't not say more than that. As looking back over the books so for, there is the Outstanding debut, expected quality followed up, then the difficult third volume. Now this is where the series really does start to shine and exceed expectations. Having in the last two (especially the last) stepped out of the shadow of a certain green jacketed rifleman. This story finds Jack discharged from the army under his own name at long last. Trying to adjust to civilian life in India. Of course Jack being Jack he agrees to escort a woman across country to Deli, after a relatively trouble free journey they arrive in Deli. Just as the Indian Mutiny kicks off. Great timing Mr Lark..
Now this is where this tale really gets into its stride. There is action aplenty, some of it showing Mr Collard's influences with scenes centered around a huge explosion and the final major battle scenes where Jack's insistence earlier to lead the assault on the city is played out in all its gut churning horror. Along with a quotation about being a "Killer Of Men".
The writer has created a character ruthless when he needs to be and yet not a soulless killing machine, as there some scenes that carry an impact to stain the hero's soul that haunt him (and maybe will return to do so in later life)
The Mutiny which 3/4s of the book centres around is shown to be merciless to the victims, both Indian and British. As the writer has no qualms of showing British troops hanging people without trial and also the killings of the British population by the Indian Mutineers.
With the battles depicted in a graphic style from a small skirmish to the final climatic storming of Deli and its aftermath you might think this is a simple if at times somewhat bloody adventure story. However it is so much more. This like all the best series's is a great standalone tale and fills out the series nicely.
Looking forward to Vol 5

[John Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Read

My first meeting with Jack Lark and his adventures enjoyable and a good read I look forward to following his adventures

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second of the (soon-to-be) three(?) Jack Lark prequel stories, telling the story of how he came to join the army and (eventually) become The Scarlet Thief.

As this starts, Jack Lark has only just signed up, with the bulk of the novella dealing with his (very) early days in training, an re-introducing the intimidating figure of Sgt Slater, as well as providing a bit of reason for the hostility between the two.

While at times it did feel like the plot was a condensed version of the training camp parts of Sharpe's Regiment (and I'm sorry for keep bringing that Sharpe comparison up), this was still a very enjoyable read that didn't overstay it's welcome.