Wilbur Smith continues his adventure series centering on the Courtney clan in his latest swashbuckler, “The Tiger’s Prey” (William Morrow, 426 pages).

Tom Courtney, son of the naval hero Sir Hal Courtney, has been banished from England for having killed his brother, Black Billy.

Having been reunited with his other brother, Dorian, and his nephew, Francis, the son of Black Billy, Tom is sailing in the Indian Ocean when his ship comes to the rescue of the Dowager, a ship that had been captured by pirates.

Ana Duarte, owner of the Dowager’s cargo, enlists Tom and Dorian to sail for her in a business proposition which sets them on a perilous course through dangerous waters of the Indian Ocean.

In one particularly bloody battle, Tom loses his father’s sword, the Neptune sword with its gold inlay and striking blue sapphire.

While trying to reclaim this treasured family heirloom, he has a rendezvous with yet another relative – his nephew, Christopher, the son of his estranged brother, Guy.

But this reunion is not pleasant as Christopher is set on avenging the dishonor of his mother at the hands of Uncle Tom.

Set in the early eighteenth century, “The Tiger’s Prey” continues the saga of Tom Courtney and his extended family as they set sail and battle pirates, princes, and each other, in this tale of high seas adventure, family conflicts and romance.

For a riveting nautical yarn, readers may want to check out Wilbur Smith’s Courtney clan.