1805 - Rio de Janeiro - Oliver Quintrell receives orders to sail to England in company with HMS Stalwart - a 74-gun third rate ship-of-the-line. Heading north along the coast of Brazil, the captain is aware of the danger posed by French ships patrolling those waters. But he is unaware of the undercurrent of unrest simmering aboard the third rate. When insurrection turns to mutiny and the life of every man aboard the 74 is threatened, Captain Quintrell and the crew of HM frigate Perpetual must do all they can to bring those responsible to justice.