Book one in the Brethren of the Spanish Main series. After learning of his sister's death at the hands of pirates, successful merchant Captain Roy Toppings sails to the Caribbean on a misguided mission of vengeance against the man who failed to protect her: her Spanish widower, Pablo Francisco.In the climate of the Restoration-era Caribbean colonies, where scheming and stealth could yield a prize as readily as boldness and firepower, Roy's vendetta lands him and his small but talented privateer crew in the middle of political intrigue and a deadly invasion in the West Indies as the nations of Europe struggle to consolidate power in anticipation of new monarchs in England and France.When Spain prepares a strike that could jeopardize all other commercial interests in the Caribbean, Roy must risk losing his chance at vengeance to fight for his nation and his fellow Brethren of the Coast.