The Smugglers

Narrator Ron Keith is the consummate match for Lawrence's spectacular sequel to The Wreckers. His versatile repertoire of accents supports the array of characters involved with an intricate plot. The intrigue builds as the unsuspecting young John Spencer sails forth on his father's new ship, The Dragon, from Kent to London with a load of wool, accompanied by a band of smugglers. John's life appears to be threatened at every turn by the captain and his crew of scalawags; Keith brings all the memorable characters to life--from the menacing Captain Crowe; to the fool-hardy highwayman and faint-hearted sailor, Dasher, in his coat of corks; to the blind innkeeper, Mrs. Pye, who cares only for the return of her beloved, the quirky Fleming. Rousing adventure for middle-grade and young adult listeners. T.B. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

May 3, 1999
In the wake of Lawrence's The Wreckers comes this companion novel, a second riveting high-sea adventure featuring swashbuckling characters, salty dialogue and a taut succession of cliffhangers. The author successfully conjures an aura of mystery and tension around The Dragon, a schooner once used to smuggle goods (and men) between England and France. Now John Spencer and his merchant father want to use the boat for honest trade, but as soon as they purchase The Dragon, they seem to be touched by its curse: someone murders the captain they've hired before the ship sets sail; his replacement, blustery Captain Crowe, turns out to be a scoundrel who hires a crew of criminals. During the first leg of the voyage, John receives a cryptic warning to "beware the one who seems least likely" to harm him. But which man could it be? Wrought in the tradition of a 19th-century serial, this novel moves along at a clip via brief episodic chapters and complicated twists. Naive to the ways of experienced con men, John has his work cut out for him, but his bravery and high morals earn him the rank of hero. Ages 10-14.