H.M.S. Surprise

In the third novel of Patrick O'Brian's adventure series, Jack Aubrey faces dire news about his prize money from a hard-fought engagement, which the Board has decided should go to the Crown instead of his crew. With debts looming and his hopes for a promising future with his betrothed, Sophia, dashed, Aubrey's situation worsens when he is imprisoned for his financial failures. However, a chance for escape arises when he is offered a position aboard the H.M.S. Surprise, setting him on a new journey into the East Indies.