“That’s a sweet piece," said Jean, briefly forgetting to be aggravated. “You didn’t snatch that off a street.”

“No,” said Locke, before taking another deep draught of the warm water in the decanter. “I got it from the neck of the governor’s mistress.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“In the governor’s manor.”

“Of all the -”

“In the governor’s bed.”

“Damned lunatic!”

“With the governor sleeping next to her.”

The night quiet was broken by the high, distant trill of a whistle, the traditional swarming noise of city watches everywhere. Several other whistles joined in a few moments later.

“It is possible,” said Locke with a sheepish grin, “that I have been slightly too bold.”

Red Seas Under Red Skies starts out strong, with Locke and Jean in a whole new interesting city, planning all new interesting crimes. It’s got something of an Ocean’s Eleven feel, with the due planning on taking on casino… only for things to go ever increasingly sideways. And then about a third of the way into the book… They’re pirates now. Ocean’s Eleven? Nah, Pirates of the Caribbean.

It’s a rather abrupt tonal shift and it takes a while (if ever) to get back to where I thought the book was going to be about. That’s not to say it’s bad, the pirate sections are fascinating. It just takes a while to figure out what’s going on.

Overall, it’s a solid book. I love seeing more of Locke and Jean, along with any number of other new characters, both friends (some of which even survive the book) and enemies (likewise). The ups and downs of Locke and Jean’s relationship is really what sells these books…

One thing that bothered me a bit is how quickly the book ends. We really only have a chapter each to end the two major plotlines and after months they didn't even check to see if the paintings were replicas ? Doesn’t seem very Locke.

Looking forward to what’s next.