The Montevideo Brief

Thomas Grey #3

by J.H. Gelernter

Vienna—June 1804. At the glittering debut of Beethoven’s Third Symphony, a Spanish diplomat meets with Captain Thomas Grey, agent of His Majesty’s Secret Service. In exchange for a gigantic bribe, the Spaniard discloses Spain’s darkest secret—the actual terms of the Treaty of San Ildefonso with France.

Spain’s neutrality in Napoleon’s war on Britain is only a ruse to keep the British Navy from attacking the great treasure-armada now gathering in South America. Spanish warships will depart Montevideo, Uruguay, carrying 2,000 tons of gold; when the gold is safely in Madrid, Spain will declare war on Britain and ally with France to divide the British Empire between them. Britain’s only hope is to sink or capture the treasure fleet, and the responsibility of delivering that blow falls to Grey. As Jack Aubrey would have said in such a crisis, “There is not a moment to be lost!”

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

246 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

J. H. Gelernter lives in Connecticut. He is the author of the Captain Grey novels, Hold Fast, Captain Grey's Gambit, and The Montevideo Brief.

Reviews

[Ineffable7980x · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas Gray is James Bond. If James Bond lived in the early 1800's. He is a British intelligence officer who globe hops and gets involved in all kinds of preposterous adventures. This book starts in Vienna, moves to London, then to various locations in South America, then moves to Gibraltar and finally back to London. This book is the third in an on going series. I loved the first two, but am a little bit more circumspect about this one. The thrilling parts here are excellent. There is a siege on a pirate stronghold that is top notch, but there are many more slow spots, and passages that seem meandering and not pertinent to the plot. The structure of this book is quite different than the other two, and that threw me off quite a bit. However, I think there is a reason. Gelernter seems to be opening this series up to something much larger, very much the way Jim Butcher did with the Dresden Files about 4 books in. If that's the case, I am very intrigued. I will keep reading.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, so I've said it about the two other novels in this series, and I will continue to say it, the naval battles in these books are excellent. I came to these novels for the naval battles, and stayed for the rest of the story. I'm honestly quite glad that the entire novel doesn't center on naval battle because I know I would certainly get bored with it. But what is presented to the reader is just the right amount of high seas antics and land-based adventure.

That said, I feel that this novel holds up quite well to the rest, and without giving anything away was glad to see the return of some old colleagues. This Melville took more of a shift for me from a heavier focus on a veryJames Bond-esque mission and story to that of a more Jason Bourne-ian style. I do not mean that is a bad thing, quite the opposite, I actually think it's good to have changed the feel ever so slightly. I also like more of the inclusion of Grey's personal life and where it may be heading.

I do hope there will be another book in this series. I feel invested now, and need to see him wrap up his personal matters back home and would love to see him visit is colleagues in his old birthplace. I can think of a few places that would be interesting to slip his character into up and down that coastline during that time period. It feels like there is so much room for this character to continue on without getting repetitive or old thanks to the framing in this last novel specifically.

I really do hope another novel is released in this series.

https://www.mobileapp.app/to/CkpvNlF?...

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief Yet Absorbing Binge Read-The latest serial installment of the adventures of Thomas Grey delivers on all counts. Impeccable historical research shapes the escapades of the Crown secret agent with high seas encounters in the Age of Sail. Grey is naval marine captain attached to the War Department where his talent in foreign affairs makes him a valued asset. At his English home he is well supported by an indomitable housekeeper and a wise stable master. He walks out with an intriguing local widow. The stage is set for a comfortable pause from action, so we know that won’t last.
Concerns of the Empire propel Grey from a forced sabbatical at home in England to ports of Tripoli in North Africa (Libya) on the Mediterranean and then Montevideo in South America (Uruguay) on the South Atlantic. In the early 1800s British and American interests are allied, engaging with pirates and French opponents. In a few years the tide will turn, with the War of 1812. For now, the focus is on a budding Spanish/French alliance. Will Grey fulfill his mission and save the Empire? The camaraderie of common cause fuels multiple hand-to-hand skirmishes on both land and sea. Readers are propelled by the action to a conclusion which neatly sets up the next installment.
No words are wasted in this perfect action-adventure story detailing life under sail with a dashing and appealing protagonist.

[Jessy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to turn down a book the promises pirates, treasure, international intrigue, and a 19th century James Bond. But unfortunately this third installment of the Thomas Grey series didn’t land for me. Maybe if I knew the character from prior installments, Grey would have felt more robustly developed to me, but as it was, he seemed to have a combination of deus ex machina ability (or luck) to always speak the language, carry out the physical feat, or run into the right person or information to solve a problem, and biographical fact of having been a British marine, and that was about it. The tone shifts within the book - told in third person, but with frequent asides that sometimes seemed to be in Grey’s mind, and sometimes seemed to break the fourth wall to the reader by explaining something Grey would have known - kept me from feeling really lost in the story. Unfortunately, what should have been a page turning adventure was a bit of a slog for me to get through. Not a book for me, but another reader might enjoy, especially if they’ve read and liked Gelernter’s prior novels.

Thank you to W. W. Norton and BookBrowse for the chance to read an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for a review.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another balls to the wall thriller with Thomas Grey involved in geopolitical intrigue involving a secret treaty between France and Spain and a sensitive shipment of bullion from the Americas to fund a future war against England. On the way we have dueling, pirates, sea battles, and some combined operations with the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Can’t wait for the next episode. It’s only 1804. Lots of history left to spring off of for Mr Grey. One can’t help but wonder if in the future his American half will take over.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der 3. Teil der Captain Grey Reihe. Nach dem 2. Teil, der meiner Meinung nach etwas nachgelassen hat ist J. H. Gelernter eine sehr gelungene Fortsetzung gelungen. Gekrönt von einem Grande Finale.
Ich freue mich auf den nächsten Teil.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both Goodreads and the publisher W. W. Norton & Company for an advanced copy of this story of espionage in the age of fighting sail.

I'm not sure when I started enjoying nautical adventure stories. I was raised in Connecticut, and went to Mystic and Groton a few times, but I don't think they did much for me. I was closer to New York State, than I was the sea. I vaguely remember a series about a young man on a boat having adventures, but I don't know if that was a tag sale find of some older books from years ago or maybe a Hardy Boys book I made into a sea adventure. I tried Forester, but I found the stories to staid, something I thought till I was older, and more staid myself. Patrick O'Brien really opened my eyes to nautical adventure, mixing my love of swashbuckling with history, and from there I was hooked. I've read a lot of other authors since, Dudley Pope, Alexander Kent, Dewey Lambdin come to mind, but I have not enjoyed them as much as I have the Thomas Grey series, written by J. H. Gelernter. Within a few pages of the first book I knew that I was bound for adventure. The Montevideo Brief is the third book in this series, taking out international seaman of mystery to the South Atlantic, to help save England from attack.

The book begins in Austria, with the premiere of the latest work by the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, a piece that is dedicated to Napoleon, the man Thomas Grey is attempting to hinder in his plans to control all of Europe. Grey learns through bribery that the Spanish are planning to send a treasure fleet from South America ladened with enough treasure to fund their efforts to join the French in attacking England. Grey is dispatched to the South Atlantic to find the treasure fleet and arrange for it to be seized by British naval forces. Grey must deal with duels, pirates, sieges, and the weather to stop the treasure fleet from endangering England, no matter the cost.

J. H. Gelernter is a very good writer, able to balance both nautical adventures, fisticuffs, politics, and more importantly the private world that Grey lives in quite well, and makes all of them interesting. Personally I enjoy Gelernter's depiction of Grey the most in the novel. Grey is not cipher, no weapon that is hung on a board waiting for the next adventure. Grey has interests in art, architecture, history, and more importantly the people around him. Grey isa widower, with an interest in another young woman, also a widow, who can discourse on what image we see in a mirror, as well as balance accounts in the inn she works at. This little touches make the reader care about the characters, and worry when a friend gets sepsis and dies, or when pirates attack. There is plenty of action, sea battles, duels, pirates, commando action, but there is plenty about tennis, dances and classical music. The opening with Grey listening to Beethoven is a great section with the music described beautifully and giving a real sense of what it must have been like to hear the Eroica symphony performed. Not many series writers like to take their characters away from the action, and I really am impressed that Gelernter would do that.

Recommended for readers of O'Brien, Pope, Kent, even Bernard Cornwell and many other writers I could list. Even James Bond. The nautical adventures will shiver the timbers, the politics are earth shaking, and the life of Thomas Grey is a life worth knowing. A good place to hop on a really well done series.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review of an ARC provided by BookBrowse for review.

Loved this book especially since I read it while vacationing at the shore, where several days the weather was dirty--very atmospheric for the setting of the book. The sea, that is, not the Maine coast rather than the seas of the Southern Hemisphere. There is so much history in the book but couched in an engrossing story of seafaring men working on behalf of the Crown of England. A straightforward tale of international espionage turns into a tale of piracy, growth of a new nation, America and her navy, and the impressment of men into the British navy. There is name dropping--James Monroe is our Ambassador to the Court of St James. Napoleon is making dirty deals with Spain, supposedly neutral. Britain is trying to retain her rule of the seas. And all of the action revolves around Captain Thomas Grey, a marine in the Secret Service and his interaction with many men of various ranks and loyalties.
The author tosses in so much of the history of the time--the Elgin Marbles of Greece, the relationship between Beethoven and Haydn, the writing of the Eroica Symphony and its premier performance, the piratic empire of Jean LaFitte, the development of Dept of Discovery that employed Lewis and Clarke, the building of sea-faring vessels. Oh, and the rules governing the original form of tennis, court tennis, which are mind-boggling! Not to mention the finer points, no pun intended, of the art of dueling with sabres.

There is so much interesting packed into this relatively small novel, that it is worthy of a second read to absorb it all. So much more than just a run of the mill tale of sea battles between sailing ships bearing huge, recoiling cannons, though there is a bit of that, too!

I'm going to have to find the other two Thomas Grey novels--I hope they take place before his interesting wife, Paulette, has died.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Napoleonic-era British Naval Intelligence officer Thomas Grey is back for a third adventure, following the events of "Captain Grey's Gambit." Imagined as a combination of James Bond and Richard Sharpe, Grey once again mixes intrigue with plenty of sword and ship action. The book opens with a classic Bondesque scene, in which our hero is at a Beethoven concert in Vienna to receive intelligence from a Spanish traitor about a secret treaty between France and Spain. It seems that once a fleet of Spanish treasure ships is able to return from South America with riches to fund a war, England will once again find itself under siege in 1804.

Naturally, Grey ends up heading across the Atlantic on the titular mission to find out what the ships are, where they are heading, and stop them. Unfortunately, pirates get in the way, and our hero has to extricate himself from a (fictional) pirate isle and enlist the help of some intrepid American agents to complete his mission. This is the most nautical of the three books so far, and it's not hard to see the influence of Patrick O'Brien on the pages. As with the other books, readers who enjoy historical adventures are likely to have fun with this fast-moving 240-page tale -- fun stuff!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his historical note, the author stated that this book "may seem a little theatrical at times; pirates always do." And it is, and they are - and it all comes together in a fast-paced story of danger overcome and adventure. As the third book in the Thomas Grey series, I had no problem getting to know the characters and following the well written story, even though I had not read the first two novels. I found Mr. Gelernter's storytelling beautiful and descriptive - from the description of Beethoven's symphony to the island filled with exotic plants and snakes. I enjoyed the elements of the British spy and the American spy working together on separate and common goals. These part of the novel led me to think of how quickly American went from being revolutionaries to being allies to the British people - if not the Crown - and how closely they had relatives from either side of the war on either side of the "pond." This is something I think we rarely think of so many generations later. In short, "The Montevideo Brief" is a beautifully written, thoroughly enjoyable romp through secret missions and pirate infested islands.

[Jennifer Donelow · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Montevideo Brief" is a well-crafted and engaging thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The book follows the adventures of Thomas Grey, a former British intelligence officer who is recruited by the CIA to investigate a mysterious assassination in Uruguay. As Grey delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a web of conspiracy and intrigue that leads him to confront his own past and personal demons. The plot is fast-paced and full of suspense, with plenty of twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the end. The characters are well-drawn and relatable, with realistic flaws and motivations that make them come alive. The book also includes interesting insights into the world of intelligence and espionage, adding depth and complexity to the story. However, some readers may find the dialogue and descriptions of action scenes a bit clichéd at times. Overall, "The Montevideo Brief" is a good thriller that will appeal to fans of the genre and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted and suspenseful novel.

[Barry Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this was a fabulous experience, but the book itself’ s story was only fair. At first, I could not figure out where this plot was going with the intense description of a Beethoven performance and an interlude with an original game of tennis. But there I was in the middle of a production of a new Beethoven work, as he masterfully guided the orchestra through its presentation. I was there, and could just imagine the sounds from the wonderful description. Haydn was sitting there, maybe even Mozart-but what did this have to do with plot. Next, I was playing tennis with the lead characters, but could not recognize the game-just a pleasure. This was an excellent attempt to set the stage for what was to come, the prelude to build up to the war in the early 1800’s between Spain with France against England- supposedly at peace with England. The plot, though entertaining, was meager compared to the described events. A light read done in a few nights, with some likeable characters.
Thank you to bookbrowse and the Norton Publishers for providing an ARC of this book.

[C.A. Craven · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I received a copy of this book as part of a GoodReads giveaway – apologies for the late review)

If you’ve ever wondered what James Bond would have been up to during the Napoleonic war, this series is for you. Thomas Grey is a classic action hero – speaks several languages, expert fighter, able to blend in with high society – but still feels real.

This particular book proves that some series get better as they go along. The world building and basic characters are well-established, so I could dive right into the plot. There were a lot of twists and turns, but each of them felt connected to the plot, rather than ‘side quests’. I especially liked the connection to early American history – the author clearly did his homework!

I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

[Evan Ladouceur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve not read the two preceding books in Galernter’s Captain Gray series. Despite that disadvantage, I found this third volume very accessible and easy to read. While familiarity with the period is a plus - knowing your Hornblower and Aubrey makes this more fun - the historical situation is laid out neatly and the central plot theme is clear. The story is firmly based in fact, with a real Spanish convoy intercepted by a British squadron, and several of the characters are historical figures. The intelligence story is wrapped around the history, with plenty of pirates, adventure, and derring do. Dialogue sounds authentic and appropriate for the period. I like naval fiction more than spy fiction but I would give other books in the series a try.

[Sergio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book, and I wish there were more like it. It is simply a well written book with good pacing; an interesting and historically accurate novel with a believable main character. While the book is not perfect, and does dwell on certain historical scenes with more detail than might be necessary, nevertheless, because the prose is simple, straightforward and unpretentious, I barely noticed. As a bonus, it avoids use of the salacious content and adult language so prevalent is today's fiction, and I would be comfortable recommending this book to young adults. I have become a new fan, and will happily read more of Gelernter's books.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Montevideo Brief is another cracking installment in the Thomas Grey series. It has the fast paced action, exciting adventures, and excellent dialogue that define the first two volumes. Thomas still finds himself out of perilous situations rather easily, but at this point it is what I'm expecting and does not bother me in the least. I'm very much hoping this is a series that will continue at least for a few more volumes! After all, Napoleon is ascendant and I'm sure Thomas will have things to do to ensure his downfall.

[Pj Gaumond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read, can't wait for the next installment of Thomas Grey's adventures. The characters are very well developed and the story moves at exactly the right pace. I am very impressed I can 'see' all the exotic places and feel the mud beneath my feet. There is certainly nothing lacking in the imagery or the story line and I highly recommend this book. Now to locate the first two novels of Thomas Grey. Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and J.H. Gelernter for the opportunity to read and review this book

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Montevideo Brief is an adventure tale bursting with early nineteenth century political intrigue, naval history, and recreational culture. Unfortunately, the story is so overly focused on accurate details that it feels contrived and leads to distraction. While not the light and riveting read that I was expecting, it is educational and enjoyable.

***Complimentary Advanced Reader Copy received from BookBrowse.com***

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

And yet another gripping series to begin after starting on volume #3. Magnificently solid and incredibly informative historical narrative of a little-known (at least to me) period of history - Gelernter specializes in maritime history, and seems to have made it his life's work to bring it to light in all of its fascinating glory, along with salient political details and well-drawn characters.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

History made fun

Thomas Grey the swashbuckling spy engages pirates with the help of some Americans using Indian bows and arrows, stops a flotilla of Spanish filled with gold, thereby averting a war and later avenges a dead friend in a sword fighting duel. There’s more to come and I’ll be there devour the next adventure.

[Daiva]

Author knows history really well. 1804 England, Spain, France, America... Although book is mostly about ships, battles and weapons, you learn a lot about tennis, fencing, Beethoven, pirates and so much more.

[Mariga Temple-West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling, action-packed page-turner! A little too much historical detail in places, we don't need to know the minutiae of tennis rules in 1804. Good characters, great dialogue, exotic locals, thrilling sea battles!

[Forgestryker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Mr Gelernter! I look forward to his next book. What a writer...it has been awhile someone captured my imagination like this. Much congrats to you Mr Gelernter for this superb series.

[Michelle Pulignani]

My husband loves reading about the wars and this one did not disappoint.

[Coyle See-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, fun, well-researched. The author evidently strives for a union of Patrick O’Brian and Ian Fleming and I must say that he achieves it.

[John Nino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of surprises

An interesting and intriguing book. An enjoyable read. Seems we will see Mr. Grey again. Good plot. Interesting characters. Action sequences well done.

[Steven J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Story

Well done as usual. Enjoyed the turn of phrase used to describe the main and many subplots our hero has encountered. Fun read.

[Hank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good entry in the Thomas Grey series. Philo Parker plays the role of Felix Leiter to Thomas Grey's James Bond.

U.S. Marines O'Bannon, Neville, and Presley appear in this book. The characters are named after Lt. Presley Neville O'Bannon of note from the First Barbary War ("shores of Tripoli").