In the series debut, set in the late 1700s, Bill Smith is a young thief who avoids capture by becoming a stowaway on a ship. Through first-person perspective, Bill tells of his life at sea and his transition from unruly criminal to an admirable shipmate. He eventually finds himself in a type of special-forces commando unit serving the British empire in the East Indies. It's a type of Dirty Dozen force that completes challenging tasks that the official British Army can't perform for fear of community hostilities. Think of a 1700s S.O.B.s.
In this book, The Tiger & the Thief, it is 1799 and Smith is involved in the Siege of Seringapatam (real thing). In the book's opening adventure, Smith alone must break into a fortified compound, meet with an informer and determine the best time for the British forces to siege the place. But, he is quickly captured, interrogated, and must find a way to escape.
After this adventure the book dives into one adventure after another like a video game where Smith hops from checkpoint to checkpoint clicking off tasks. Typically these missions involve transporting various things or people across hundreds of miles of dense uninhabitable foliage or quelling various uprisings that distract the British (and French) forces. There's a bit of peacekeeping involved that made the action sequences less lethal.
Overall, The Tiger & the Thief was okay but it failed to deliver the same enjoyment as the predecessor. The rhythmic formula of jumping from task to task became a boring exercise with few surprises. The predictability and lethargic pace (at 240 pages) bogged this installment down. It is debatable on whether I'll continue on with the series. Lukewarm recommendation. Get it HERE.