(1 review)
$5.50
Double Or Nothing
by Peter Argonis
Language: English
Categories: Fiction » Historical » Victorian
Content Rating: Older than 17
When Sir Charles Tolliver learns of his only, estranged son's death in the Crimean War, he has to take in his daughter-in-law, Suzanne and her daughter Alice, strangers at first. Through their mourning, they grow to respect and like each other, but it takes the sudden reappearance of Suzanne's long-lost twin sister Paulina for Charles Tolliver to embrace life again and to become involved in the waning days of the Sailing Navy. Stationed in the Mediterranean Sea as second-in-command of British naval forces, he plays a decisive role in the liberation of Sicily. A revision of the 2021 story, with a rewritten beginning.
Note to Anthony Carter fans: this novel also features Anthony and Harriet Carter in the last years of their lives.
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Reader Reviews
SpartySAM
An Interesting Spin on the Argonis Universe
Reviewed it on May 29, 2026
Let me begin with a simple statement of bias - Argonis is one of my favorite authors. Anything that he writes, I read (and enjoy). His stories dealing with British naval affairs from 1780s to 1860s are interesting, well-researched, and well written. More importantly, when you pick up a book like "Double or Nothing", you are entering a universe where the other related books provide a lot of the context. Developing such a universe is not ease to do but Argonis does it.
So, with "Double or Nothing", you are introduced to Sir Charles Tolliver, a senior Naval officer, who has suffered a temporary breach with his son - a breach that is partially healed when the son goes to fight in the Crimean War (an amazing example of British military incompetence) and where he dies. This leaves Sir Charles with the choice of closing the rifts by reaching out to help his son's widow. The result is an interesting love story which ultimately involves the widow's long lost identical twin. The results are entertaining and a very different spin on the HEA venue.
This is not a deep story like the others written by the author but it is a light, satisfying tale that is worth the time and effort.
Highly recommended.