Such a surprise, this book. For those interested in a particular niche within the adventure genre, it is nothing short of a masterpiece. I speak of contemporary (contemporary, here, meaning 1980) South Sea adventure stories. Indeed, the date of publication seems a bit of an anachronism. The entire time reading it, I felt as if I were reading something from the early to middle 1950s, not a work of the era of Thatcher, Carter, and Reagan. Primarily, that is because of the sense of seagoing isolation in the tale as well as the unreliable communication on land and in the air. Isolated heroes facing the harsh forces of nature, while being undermined by unscrupulous antagonists, is key to the genre.

What makes this book so special, however, is the mystery thread that runs through it. Built upon the nuances and minutia of stamp collecting, the plot launches out from the rustic English seaside to Australia and then the South Seas, in particular the islands Bougainville and Buka in Papua New Guinea. Along the way, the reader follows the tale of illicit cargoes, revolutions, and family curses. All the while, the story of generations is held together through the solving a philatelic crime and mystery.

Oh, yes, Innes also manages to insert a love story amidst the twisting and turning of family betrayal, hatreds, and jealousies. And all told against the backdrop of the sea. In some ways, this novel has a little Joseph Conrad, I'm thinking Lord Jim, in it, along with a dash of C.S. Forester. ( )

Great adventure, moving fast forward. ( )