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.

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's life once again becomes a series of adventures.

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?

Set against the background of the American War of Independence, Reigning is the third book in Malcolm Archibald's 'The Rise Of An English Lawbreaker' trilogy of historical adventure novels.