Keane Collection

Book 1 - Keane's Company Welcome to James Keane - card sharp and ladies' man - and one of the finest soldiers of Wellington's army. Keane - hot-tempered, a maverick, never quite accepted by his fellow officers - is in trouble for killing his man in a duel: an activity forbidden by Wellington. To avoid court martial, he takes on an unwelcome assignment: to form an ill-assorted bunch of reprobates into an elite unit capable of operating behind the lines. A nineteenth-century Dirty Dozen. Keane's Company is the first novel featuring James Keane and his band, whose adventures will continue in a series following the Peninsular War. Book 2 - Keane's Challenge French troops led by one of Napoleon's best generals are massing on the border. Wellington's outnumbered force and his unreliable Spanish allies need to pick off the smaller French units if they are to stand their ground. For that they need information: accurate intelligence on numbers, arms and whereabouts. That's where Captain Keane and his company of reformed scouting officers are invaluable tools - despite being unpopular with the regular soldiers. But it soon becomes apparent that someone high up in Wellington's headquarters is a spy for the French. Only someone able to travel widely outside the camp, someone privy to battle plans, could be the double agent - and Keane's enemies within the army are quick to point the finger. Keane must defend his crew against their accusers - or root out the traitor himself. Keane's Challenge draws a fascinating picture of a disparate group of men brought together in a Peninsular War adventure that sees maverick hero Keane ride again. Book 3 - Keane's Charge The intrepid band of warriors, led by Captain James Keane, have been given their toughest job yet by Wellington. Both the British and French armies have retreated from the old university city of Coimbra, leaving it in ruins, the inhabitants destitute and the houses full of wounded from all sides. Infiltrating the streets are the Spanish guerrilla fighters who may support either side, the local Portuguese determined to avenge the horrors inflicted upon their city and the rival spies and intelligence agents determined to find the book of ciphers, hidden in the famous library of Coimbra, guarded by a dissident Jesuit group. James Keane and his men are sent into the midst of this not only to prevent the book falling into enemy hands but also to discover which of the guerrilla groups are to be trusted and supported by the British. But does this mean following their own plans, mostly concentrated on finding Massena's gold, over Wellington's orders? James Keane and his band of brothers are a great creation and the story of a city in a warzone with no frontiers has remarkable echoes of other times.