Before Sharpe is permitted to retire the Duke has one last request of his services. It seems that only a man of Sharpe's proven courage and deviousness can prevent disaster in Paris following Napoleon's Waterloo! Ove the years I have read and collected the whole Sharpe series and enjoyed them enormously - this latest and welcome addition to his story does not fail to engage or entertain. It's a cracking good romp whilst also informing the reader of the historic reality of Paris post Waterloo. If you're a Sharpe fan get ready to enjoy his latest call to arms.

Sharpe is one of my favourite characters of all time. I was unable to put the book down.

It's been a while, but Richard Sharpe is back, and it's like he never left. "Sharpe's Assassin" is pure, classic Sharpe and fans will not be disappointed. Our favourite characters are all back, with an old nemesis, a new enemy, and some new friends all thrown together in the aftermath of the famous battle. The book picks up directly after the events of "Sharpe's Waterloo", with Lieutenant-Colonel Sharpe and Harper sadly burying Dan Hagman. But they're not even done before Wellington sends Sharpe to Paris to help retrieve some prisoners vital to the cause. Napoleon might be down but he and his supporters are not out. What follows is a tale that blends seamlessly with the saga fans love. The South Essex, as was, continues to follow Sharpe, even as he descends into the murky world of spies and conspiracies. Patrick Harper remains the true and strong friend that Sharpe depends on, as he struggles with the demands of a war he thought he was done with, and longs to return with his family to Normandy. Wellington remains the brusque, dour man we love, although his respect for Sharpe perhaps shines through a bit more now. We have all the components of a fine Sharpe story - an impregnable citadel to breach, wrongs to right, battles we simply cannot win, but do, and a baddie, who turns out to be a decent guy. Through the clever use of conversation and musings, we even get a potted history of Sharpe's life so far, for the benefit of new readers. Cornwell's research is as spot-on as usual, and he's careful to separate fact from fiction in the afterword, for perfectionists. Bernard Cornwell might well frown, but I simple cannot read a Sharpe novel now without hearing the voices of Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley as Harper, and it adds an extra element to my enjoyment. No apologies. "Sharpe's Assassin" is what fans old and new have been waiting for, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Form line and get stuck in!

Another day another battle, will Sharpe be up to this task? Along with his usual men he meets his match with the French but cunning teamwork and sheer sweat wins the day. This is a book that I could not put down until I had read it, How many more stories can we expect from this soldier of fame. Brilliant storyline.

One of those Books that you can't put down.