An Element of Chance - David Donachie

The fourth volume in The Privateersman Mysteries1795: As war spreads across the globe, Harry Ludlow joins the struggle for the richest trade in the world. When half his crew is illegally pressed into the Royal Navy by the vicious Captain Toner, Harry sets off in pursuit. Toner’s ship reaches the West Indies with Harry close behind, and they sail into a maelstrom of piracy, corruption, and murder stirred up by a French privateer. Soon, the British officer in charge of the station calls upon each man to help as best he can. All the while, Harry’s kidnapped crew fights for survival on a ship driven to the point of mutiny.