Jacqueline "Jacky" Faber is no stranger to danger.  In fact, it seems to follow the 16-year-old orphan wherever she goes.  Although she's had a fine time being a ship's boy, a pirate, a riverboat captain, an entertainer, and a student at a fancy Boston school, it seems her life of adventure is about to come to an end—at the guillotine.  She's in deep trouble and there seems to be no way out.

Luckily (or unluckily as the case may be), everything is not as it seems.  By faking Jacky's death, British Intelligence is able to enlist her as a spy in the war against the French.  Going undercover as a dancer in a seamy Parisian nightclub, her job is to flirt her way into the private lives of enemy soldiers, coaxing out secrets she can pass along to her own government.  Jacky's not happy about taking such a big risk—both to her life and to her virtue—but it's the only way she can get her friends freed from prison.  In her trademark fashion, Jacky soon finds an even more daring way to fight the French, one that will take her to the front lines, even into the presence of Napoléon Bonaparte himself.  While Jacky's certainly gotten herself into some grand scrapes before, this one might be the most dangerous one of all.  If she fails, her friends will surely rot in prison and "Bloody" Jack—the infamous, unforgettable pirate and adventurer—will be no more.

It's no secret that I'm mad about the Bloody Jack series by the late L.A. Meyer.  I've loved every installment, each of which is full of humor, adventure, and charm.  My Bonny Light Horseman, the sixth book, is no exception.  It's exciting, fun, and just downright enjoyable.  No surprise here, I adored it.  I'm reading this series slowly, savoring every book, knowing that there will be no more.  R.I.P., Mr. Meyer.

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Bloody Jack series, including Bloody Jack; Curse of the Blue Tattoo; Under the Jolly Roger; In the Belly of the Bloodhound; Mississippi Jack; Rapture of the Deep; The Wake of the Lorelei Lee; The Mark of the Golden Dragon; Viva Jacquelina!; Boston Jacky; and Wild Rover No More)

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