The Black Banner

1719, and the high seas are plagued by the lawless. Pirates rule the crystal waters of the Caribbean, hunting heavily-laden merchant ships with savage ferocity. Entire crews are condemned to die beneath a cutlass blade unless they swear allegiance to the black banner.

Penniless Becky Baxter crops her hair, dresses in breeches, and leaves the dangerous backstreets of Bristol far behind. She embarks on a new life of adventure and fortune as the youngest deckhand on a merchant ship, the Bonny Marie. But she quickly discovers that there are far more dangerous enemies than her drunken Ma and evil Mr Crudder…

Pirates!

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The Black Banner has been awarded an IndieBrag Medallion.

"Not since Treasure Island have we had such a fast- paced swashbuckling yarn come out of Bristol, and this time the hero's a heroine! With excitement and plot twists a plenty, Robert Louis Stevenson would have been proud. Look out for some ghosts from Bristol's rich maritime past…"
—Mark Steeds, Secretary, Long John Silver Trust, Bristol

"The perfect combination of Treasure Island and Pirates of the Caribbean for young girls… the author captures the spirit and sound of the period as she whisks the reader back in time and immerses them in an era of upheaval and adventure. The characters are richly drawn and the dialogue rings true."
—Patricia Rockwell, author & publisher

"Sail away on a swashbuckling adventure aboard the Bonny Marie with young Billy Baxter – who is not the boy he pretends to be! The Black Banner has it all – pirates, plunder, and the pleasure of a rollocking good read!"
—Helen Hollick, author of the Sea Witch series