Dear Mr. Cornwell, I just finished reading Sharpe’s Enemy, and I wanted to write and say how much I enjoyed it. I’ve been reading your Sharpe novels in their chronological order and with each one I read I just can’t wait until I get to the end so I can read the Historical Note. And I do save it for the end. What prompted this email was your forward at the beginning of Sharpe’s Honour. I was quite moved by Teresa’s death at the end of Sharpe’s Enemy, and thought it was brilliant how that stripped all the joy out of Hakeswill’s end. Having encountered Hakeswill first in the India series, I was quite surprised when he turned up Europe, having of course somehow survived the snake pit in Sharpe’s’ Fortress. It was beginning to feel like he was going to be around forever, that Hakeswill would somehow be Napoleon’s aide or something by the time Sharpe gets to Paris. When he crossed the French lines I thought, “Ah, there it is. He really can’t die, can he?” So I thought it was a great an unexpected twist that he should be brought back by the Frenchman returning a favour. It was a good time for Hakeswill to die. It feels like his passing foreshadows different challenges for Sharpe in his new responsibilities; Sharpe has well and truly left his beginnings behind him. The tide of the war is turning. Nonetheless, I understand when you say that you miss having Hakeswill for the pressure and danger of his physical presence, and I commend you for doing the hard thing of pruning the good and useful to let new things grow in. Teresa’s death, though hard to take, was also the right thing. Sharpe’s reaction and grief returned my compassion and respect to him, respect lost when he cheated on his wife with Helene. Also, in the broad sense, Teresa’s death and losing that connection with Antonia frees Sharpe up to move into France and all around once more. The moment when Wellington says that the glory gets tarnished was also a nice touch. And I do really like Wellington. I have a hard time reading straight history, but the way you wright makes him fascinating enough that I may actually attempt some of your source material for myself. All that is to say I enjoy your novels, I think you plan them excellently (or rework your way up the mountain excellently), and I especially appreciate your notes before and after the novel telling about your challenges in writing a particular story and the various historical trivia and facts. I suppose that you hear this a lot, but it’s so cool to be able to pause in the middle of a book, open up Google Maps and check out the satellite images of the battlefields. As if I don’t have enough of a travel bug already! My dad’s read all your Sharpe novels and more besides, and it was he who put me on to you. He and my mom have been planning a trip to Portugal, and having read your descriptions of places in the peninsular war I can’t help but wonder if you didn’t have any influence on their choice of destination. Anyways, thanks so much for the great reads, and keep up the good work! I look forward to finishing the series. Yours sincerely, Matthew Shettler