A worthy successor to "Hook and Jill," this story covers a number of genres. It's a pirate fantasy, a story of passion and sexuality, a missing person mystery, and a study of power. In fact, more than anything else, this is a story about the wielding of power through all available means: brute strength, nerve, sexuality, deceit, and intellect. The story is less one of swasbuckling than of intrigue. The plots and deceptions -- and the truths -- are abundant and subtle, and the reader isn't always aware of them until their impact explodes on board the Roger.

Jones has a gift for characterization, and as the story unfolds the major characters -- and the supporting ones -- slowly reveal their depths and complexities.

The main conflict of the story is a compelling one: how Jill will survive -- with her pirate's honor and heart intact -- when Hook disappears and she is left on her own to deal with the powerful, greedy men on board the Jolly Roger. The fact that she too is powerful, greedy -- and passionate ups the stakes for everyone.

The other strength of the story is the villains -- two of the most reprehensible characters I've ever encountered.

The one weakness of the book is the length. Jones is very fond of her plots and deceptions, and the story would have been equally -- if not better -- served by not dragging them out quite so long. I found myself wanting to jump ahead to the inevitable final showdown, but afraid that if I did so I'd not understand all the implications of the characters' actions. But the third quarter of the book was slow going.

My other quibble is the portrayal of Jill. While every inch a pirate queen, she seems very much an author's fantasy/Mary Sue character. Every man wants her, and she is always heroically clever and bold. She has no faults, even if sometimes, very rarely, she is outmanuvered. She's just a bit too perfect. But this is a fantasy, and whatever points Jones loses for a Mary Sue heroine she gains back in the creation of a character who is unashamed of her passions, and who refuses to submit to even the normal conventions of a pirate society. She chooses her own ways to her own ends, and forces those around her -- including the reader -- to respect her choices. ( )