Sharpe's Devil

Infobox_Book |
name = Sharpe's Devil


image_caption = Recent UK edition cover
author = Bernard Cornwell
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series = Richard Sharpe
genre = Historical novels
publisher = HarperCollins
release_date = 1990
media_type = Print (Hardcover and Paperback) and audio-CD
pages =
isbn =
preceded_by = Sharpe's Ransom
followed_by =

Sharpe's Devil is the 1990 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell based on the life of fictional hero Richard Sharpe.

Plot introduction

The last book, chronologically, in the Sharpe series is set four years after the events of " Sharpe's Waterloo". Richard Sharpe has retired to live on the farm in Normandy with his common-law wife Lucille Castineau. Patrick Harper has a bar in Dublin with Isabella and has put on a great deal of weight. The two are called out of retirement by an old friend who sends them on a mission to South America.

Doña Louisa, who Sharpe befriended in " Sharpe's Rifles", visits the farm and asks the former rifleman to sail to Chile in search of her husband, Don Blas Vivar, who has disappeared while serving as Captain-General of the rebellious colony and may have fallen victim to his political rival and successor Miguel Bautista.

Harper joins Sharpe for the trip and along the way the two encounter their former enemy Napoleon Bonaparte and the rebel Scottish admiral Lord Cochrane.

Plot outline

Prologue

Sharpe and Harper are travelling to Chile with Spanish Colonel Ruiz and his regimental officers aboard the frigate "Espiritu Santo" commanded by Captain Ardiles. The group decide to stop off en route at St. Helena to pay a visit to exiled French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte. Bonaparte grants an audience but quickly dismisses the Spaniards asking only Sharpe and Harper to remain. Bonaparte then beguiles Sharpe into taking a gift to an admirer in Chile for him.

Part One: Bautista

British Consul George Blair welcome Sharpe and Harper to the Chilean port of Valdivia and informs them that Don Vivar's body was recovered and buried three months previously. Sharpe and Harper visit Bautista's adjunct Captain Marquinez to arrange passes and permits to travel to Puerto Crucero, exhume the body and return it to Spain. Back at their lodgings they interrupt burglars who inflict wound Harper and escape with loot including Bonaparte's gift.

Sharpe and Harper have a meeting with Bautista who brands the accused thieves and returns all the stolen good except for the gift from Bonaparte. Marquinez provides the required passes and permits and rides out with Sharpe and Harper on the first stage of their journey. Overnighting at the "Celestial Fort" they are warned by Captain Morillo of a possible ambush at the hands of Sergeant Dregara and given a local scout called Ferdinand to guide them safely across the hills.

Sharpe and Harper arrive in Puerto Crucero and are welcomed by Major Suarez until Sergeant Dregara catches up and has them arrested. After five days in prison Bautista arrives and accuses the riflemen of espionage. In evidence he reveals a coded message hidden in Bonaparte's gift. In punishment the Captain-General has Ferdinand executed, confiscates the riflemen's money and weapons and has them deported back to Europe onboard the "Espiritu Santo".

Part Two: Cochrane

Lord Cochrane and his men ambush the "Espiritu Santo" and, with the assistance of Sharpe and Harper, capture it taking Captain Ardiles prisoner. Cochrane rendezvous with his flagship the "O'Higgins", patches up the rapidly sinking "Espiritu Santo", loads Major Miller and his marines aboard the crippled ship, and sets sail for a suicidal attack upon the port of Puerto Crucero.

Cochrane and Miller lead the marines ashore, with Sharpe and Harper in tow, and with supporting fire from the "O'Higgins" capture the citadel from Major Suarez. With the citadel secure Don Vivar's grave is opened to reveal nothing but a dead dog inside. A captured Spanish soldier informs them that Don Vivar is being held prisoner in Valdivia and Sharpe reluctantly agrees to join Cochrane's assault on the city.

Part Three: Vivar

Cochrane's men are forced to land in longboats after the ships come under fire from the port fortifications. Sharpe leads a flanking assault that takes the first two forts.

Characters

* Richard Sharpe; former British rifleman who has been called out of retirement on his farm in France to travel to Chile in search of an old friend.
* Patrick Harper; Irish former RSM in Sharpe’s regiment who has put on a great deal of weight since his previous appearances in the series and is now described as fat like "a prize boar".

* Captain Ardiles; reclusive and sardonic Spanish captain of the frigate "Espiritu Santo" that takes Sharpe and Harper to Chile.
* Miguel Bautista; cruel and corrupt politician who succeeds Don Vivar as Captain-General of Chile.
* George Blair; surly Liverpool merchant acting as British Consul in the port of Valdivia who welcomes Sharpe and Harper to Chile.
* Napoleon Bonaparte; former French dictator exiled to St. Helena who seduces Sharpe into running an errand for him.
* Lucille Castineau; French noblewoman who is the common-law wife of Sharpe and his two young children Patrick and Dominique.
* Lord Cochrane; Scottish pirate and former British naval commander who now serves the Chilean revolutionaries.
* Ferdinand; local scout who leads Sharpe and Harper safely across the mountains and is executed as punishment by Bautista.
* Sergeant Dregara; Spanish soldier who does Baustista’s dirty work.
* Captain Marquinez; young and flashy adjunct to Captain-General Bautista who facilitates Sharpe's mission.
* Major Miller; British marine commander working for Cochrane.
* Captain Morillo; Spanish commander of the "Celestial Fort" who warns Sharpe of an ambush and is demoted to private and sent to the mines as punishment by Bautista.
* Major Suarez; Spanish commander of the Chilean port Puerto Crucero who arrests and imprisons Sharpe and Harper after their arrival.
* Lieutenant Otero; first officer of the frigate "Espiritu Santo" who tells Sharpe of the Scottish pirate Lord Cochrane.
* Colonel Ruiz; bombastic commander of a Spanish relief regiment that travels to Chile with Sharpe.
* Don Blas Vivar; brave and honest aristocratic Spanish military commander who befriended Sharpe in "Sharpe's Rifles" and has since gone missing while serving as Captain-General of Chile.
* Doña Louisa Vivar; wife of Don Vivar who Sharpe had first known as Miss Parker in "Sharpe’s Rifles" and who sends him to Chile in search of her missing husband.

External links

* [http://bernardcornwell.net/index.cfm?page=2&BookId=18 Section of Bernard Cornwell's website on "Sharpe's Devil"]