Dear Bernard,

I was overjoyed about having two new Sharpe books, however I would like to bend your ears again about the missing period of Sharpe’s career, and that is the time between giving up his red coat and musket as an ensign in India and obtaining his Green Jacket uniform as a Second Lieutenant carrying a Baker rifle in the UK, both of which feature throughout his entire career, there could indeed be some intrigue at this point of this young new officer, how did he get to Portugal? I call this the ‘Missing Link’. even a short story would suffice.

Kenneth Blackman