The Bonny Boy

A Harry Gilmour Novel, Book 4

By: David Black

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

A wartime sub prowls the Med...but who is the enemy?

It is 1942. Lt. Harry Gilmour has already made a name for himself in the Royal Navy submarine service. He has risked his life to save a fellow seaman after his first boat, HMS Pelorus, is rammed and sunk in the North Sea. He’s played a leading role in HMS Trebuchet’s epic foray into a fjord in the then-neutral Soviet Union to scatter German ships secretly assembling to invade Iceland. And as number three on HMS Umbrage in the Mediterranean, he had assumed command after her skipper had been lost overboard and gone on to attack an Italian cruiser squadron.

Yet he is only an RNVR officer - a wavy-navy wunderkind. But when he gets his own submarine as the Royal Navy supports Montgomery’s Eighth Army campaign, an unexpected enemy looms on the horizon. Harry comes face-to-face again with Captain Charles "Bonny Boy" Bonalleck, skipper of the doomed Pelorus and now in charge in the Med. Harry blames the Bonny Boy for the tragedy - and has told him to his face.

Can Harry trust Bonalleck’s offer to let bygones be bygones? Will the mission he is sent on help end the war - or end his career?

David Black is the author of the Harry Gilmour series of novels set in the Royal Navy submarine service during the Second World War. He also wrote All the Freshness of the Morning, a fictionalized account of President John F. Kennedy’s epic wartime service as skipper of the US Navy torpedo boat PT-109 during the Solomons’ campaign against the Japanese in the South Pacific. Black is a former UK national newspaper journalist and TV documentary producer. He now lives in Argyll and writes full time.

©2019 David Black (P)2020 David Black

Captivating Novel

The Bonny Boy is the fourth book in the Harry Gilmour series of historical fiction thrillers by David Black. These well-written novels feature the adventures of an officer in the Royal Navy submarine service during the Second World War.

The events in The Bonny Boy are set in 1942 and friends of the series will meet up again with Lt. Harry Gilmour. Harry moves up in the world and he’s offered his own command of a submarine. But when he is forced to work with another officer that he had troubles with in the past, he has to decide if he will trust him or not.

Beautifully written, filled with a lot of interesting details and vivid descriptions, driven by a compelling plot, this is historical fiction done right!

The audiobook version of The Bonny Boy is narrated with talent by actor and musician James Langton. Mr. Langton reads in a calm and pleasant voice, keeping the listener interested and immersed in this already captivating story. He also manages to switch swiftly between accents for each of the characters. All four audiobooks available in the Harry Gilmour series are narrated by James and this helps a lot when it comes to immersion and the atmosphere.

I recommend The Bonny Boy to fans of historical fiction, fans of submarines, fans of the Royal Navy, and of course, to all the fans of World War II.

I enjoyed this audiobook although I haven’t listened to any of the others so far. I guess that those who loved the first three audiobooks will also feel right at home with this one.

Great book. Great series.

Well written and fast paced historical fiction. Great narration as well. Can’t wait for the next book!