Mr Fitton at the Helm

First published in 1998, Mr Fitton at the Helm tells of the further exploits of sailor Michael Fitton. When the commander-in-chief of the West Indies Squadron orders a second officer onto the schooner Gipsy, Lieutenant Fitton is far from pleased. Feeling his command threatened by this newcomer Mr Fitton also finds his search for the notorious pirate Van Horn's secret base severely hindered. His new officer quickly becomes a thorn in Mr Fitton's side - not only is he inept but he also falls hopelessly in love with the admiral's beautiful niece, Maud. However, when Van Horn kidnaps Maud, Mr Fitton must lead a dangerous attack on both sea and land, which could provide him with the opportunity of solving more than one of his problems.

Showell Styles was born Frank Showell Styles in 1908. His childhood was spent in the Welsh hills and he became an avid mountaineer and explorer. During the war, Styles joined the Navy and was posted in the Mediterranean, but even there he walked and climbed as much as he could. An aspiring writer, Styles already had articles published in Punch, before setting out toe make his living as an author. His first novel, Traitor's Mountain, was a murder mystery set on and around Tryfan in Wales. He became a prolific writer with over 160 books published. As well as books on mountains such as The Mountaineer's Weekend Book, he wrote detective fiction under the pseudonym of Glyn Carr, and humorous pieces as C.L. Inker. Showell Styles died in 2005.