John Smith, ex-smuggler and highwayman, and now Lord Fitzwarren, a respectable London ship owner, has an unscrupulous rival. Charles Shapland hopes to destroy his trading empire by any means possible.<br /><br />However, Smith and Bess, his wife, are prepared to defend their position. When Kate Rider, a woman with a grudge against Smith, joins Shapland, the situation becomes complicated. Add in the mysterious Mr. Jay, a group of scuffle-hunters and the Bow Street Runners, and Smith&rsquo;s life once again becomes a series of adventures.<br /><br />Facing his most dangerous foe yet, Smith will need to rely on his loyal friends, Bancroft and Judd. But is there more to them than meets the eye?<br /><br />Set against the background of the American War of Independence, Reigning is the third book in Malcolm Archibald&#39;s &#39;The Rise Of An English Lawbreaker&#39; trilogy of historical adventure novels.