The Lubber’s Hole - A Patrick O’Brian Podcast

Jack and Stephen get some help from their friends, Stephen navigates the highs and lows of London street life, and we discover what's been happening to Diana Villiers.  To cap it all, Stephen and Jack are persuaded that the best place for them is at sea.

Desolation Island opens with bucolic absurdity - we’ve got Jack Aubrey on ‘Fiddler’s Green’, Stephen dissecting a fresh cadaver's hands before dinner, a catastrophic get-rich-quick scheme, and Jane Austen-style fibbing from almost everyone. Grab a glass of port and mind your poke—we're getting the band back together.

The pieces fall into place for the final stages of the invasion of Mauritius - we find out how that’s all going to play out! Plus resolution for Stephen, a boiled baby for Tom Pullings, grief and anger for McAdam, un-earned glory for Admiral Bertie, and a delightful piece of news from home for Jack Aubrey.

After flexing his brain surgery skills, Stephen is off to subvert the catholics of Mauritius, but gets a nasty dunking. Jack Aubrey has a chance to take on Commodore Hamelin on equal terms.

They're all at it: Jack Aubrey summons his resilience, Tom Pullings summons himself, and fate summons a familiar captain back to the waters off Mauritius.  We’re going to have cat-and-mouse pursuits, false dawns, anti-climaxes and yet another blood-soaked action at sea, with a hidden clue as to the fate awaiting one of our main characters.