Quick recap
The book Patrick O'Brian left half-done when he died in January 2000. It came out in 2004 with about three typed and revised chapters plus a facsimile of the manuscript, which runs past them. The Surprise rounds South America toward the River Plate, where Jack is to take over the South Africa squadron. In Argentina he meets his son, Samuel, now the Papal Nuncio. Stephen and Captain Randolph Miller compete for Christine Wood, and the rivalry ends in a duel. The text stops before the voyage is over, with no ending.
No spoilersOpens once you mark the title as seen.