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A review by the_novel_approach
Contraband Hearts by Alex Beecroft
4.0
Alex Beecroft writes Age of Sail stories with such skill, something I discovered when I read the lushly detailed novel False Colors back in 2010. Beecroft’s latest historical, Contraband Hearts, is the tenth standalone book in the Porthkennack universe, and is equal parts land and sea tale set in this fictional Cornish town, incorporating Cornwall’s rich factual history with the story’s smugglers and the wreckers who are its central figures. If you’re a fan of the author, the Porthkennack collection, and historical fiction, this book is the trifecta.
Peregrine Dean has been sent by his patron, Lord Petersfield, to investigate reports of skullduggery in the Porthkennack customs house, which, by default, makes Perry an adversary of the townspeople as well as an unexpected shock to the magistrate and his family. Perry may be a free black man, but his freedom isn’t a carte blanche pass despite Lord Petersfield’s letter of introduction. The prejudice he faces from others, his being judged by the color of his skin with a haughty disdain and entitled disregard for the great content of his character, is in direct opposition with the validation he seeks from his job and the dream he has of one day being accepted by, and into, the very society that sees him as a lesser man and seeks to oppress and subjugate him. His commitment to fulfill his duty introduces him to no small amount of danger at every turn and at risk of capture by slavers who have no regard for his free status. Perry faces each instance with strength and conviction, and he is the unquestionable hero of this story, resilient in the face of opposition and courageous in his pursuit of the truth, but he’s also a hero with his own flaws—his desire to carry out his orders comes close to blinding him to the truth.
Tomas Quick is the man Perry has been ordered to prove guilty of smuggling, not an easy task to be handed as it becomes increasingly obvious that Tomas is slippery and that the townsfolk see him as a Robin Hood and savior of sorts to those who would otherwise be homeless and on the brink of starvation without him. Tomas is most definitely not innocent of the crimes he’s been accused of. He has a mother he loves and respects—with an interesting past I’d have gladly read more about!—to protect, he’s cheeky and charming, and he has his own ax to grind with the magistrate and his family, a personal vendetta which also comes to serve as his Achilles heel. In some ways Tomas and Perry are pursuing the same end-goal—being more than what has been afforded them by society, by law, and by injustice. And, eventually, in pursuing each other.
I savored Contraband Hearts, not so much for the enemies-to-lovers romance between Perry and Tomas, which I didn’t feel was examined as deeply or fleshed out as completely it could have been, but for Alex Beecroft’s overall storytelling skills and the threats to life and limb both Perry and Tomas experience, which add plenty of action to the adventure. The ways in which the contraband was concealed was so clever that I had to applaud the ingenuity involved in the smuggling of it. The town, the landscapes, the locations, the vibrant characters all come together to encompass a rich and animated setting that I enjoyed immersing myself in. There’s also quite the learning curve for Perry, who had the most to lose and then was given full agency to discover the truth and fight for himself every step of the way as he is determined to bring law and order to Porthkennack, but then begins to question those laws that would see harm come to innocent women and children. He and Tomas were great foils and adversaries, and they each ended up tempering the other’s ambitions, each for the good of the other.
From the vivid setting to the appeal of its characters to the surprise revelation of the story’s true villain, Contraband Hearts added up to another win for me in a series of strong reads from the Porthkennack-verse.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
Peregrine Dean has been sent by his patron, Lord Petersfield, to investigate reports of skullduggery in the Porthkennack customs house, which, by default, makes Perry an adversary of the townspeople as well as an unexpected shock to the magistrate and his family. Perry may be a free black man, but his freedom isn’t a carte blanche pass despite Lord Petersfield’s letter of introduction. The prejudice he faces from others, his being judged by the color of his skin with a haughty disdain and entitled disregard for the great content of his character, is in direct opposition with the validation he seeks from his job and the dream he has of one day being accepted by, and into, the very society that sees him as a lesser man and seeks to oppress and subjugate him. His commitment to fulfill his duty introduces him to no small amount of danger at every turn and at risk of capture by slavers who have no regard for his free status. Perry faces each instance with strength and conviction, and he is the unquestionable hero of this story, resilient in the face of opposition and courageous in his pursuit of the truth, but he’s also a hero with his own flaws—his desire to carry out his orders comes close to blinding him to the truth.
Tomas Quick is the man Perry has been ordered to prove guilty of smuggling, not an easy task to be handed as it becomes increasingly obvious that Tomas is slippery and that the townsfolk see him as a Robin Hood and savior of sorts to those who would otherwise be homeless and on the brink of starvation without him. Tomas is most definitely not innocent of the crimes he’s been accused of. He has a mother he loves and respects—with an interesting past I’d have gladly read more about!—to protect, he’s cheeky and charming, and he has his own ax to grind with the magistrate and his family, a personal vendetta which also comes to serve as his Achilles heel. In some ways Tomas and Perry are pursuing the same end-goal—being more than what has been afforded them by society, by law, and by injustice. And, eventually, in pursuing each other.
I savored Contraband Hearts, not so much for the enemies-to-lovers romance between Perry and Tomas, which I didn’t feel was examined as deeply or fleshed out as completely it could have been, but for Alex Beecroft’s overall storytelling skills and the threats to life and limb both Perry and Tomas experience, which add plenty of action to the adventure. The ways in which the contraband was concealed was so clever that I had to applaud the ingenuity involved in the smuggling of it. The town, the landscapes, the locations, the vibrant characters all come together to encompass a rich and animated setting that I enjoyed immersing myself in. There’s also quite the learning curve for Perry, who had the most to lose and then was given full agency to discover the truth and fight for himself every step of the way as he is determined to bring law and order to Porthkennack, but then begins to question those laws that would see harm come to innocent women and children. He and Tomas were great foils and adversaries, and they each ended up tempering the other’s ambitions, each for the good of the other.
From the vivid setting to the appeal of its characters to the surprise revelation of the story’s true villain, Contraband Hearts added up to another win for me in a series of strong reads from the Porthkennack-verse.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach