A loosely 1600s historical high-concept mystery set on the high seas, with an almost Holmes-and-Watson pairing but the Holmes of this story (Sammy Pipps) is imprisoned for the voyage while the Watson (Arent Hayes), a not-so-gentle giant, teams up with a nobleman's battered wife (Sara Haan) are left to try and solve the mystery of who is threatening to sink the ship they are on.

This book is an absolute blast - the prose is amazingly balanced: concise enough that the pace is fast, while evocative enough that it paints a picture in your mind. It's quite the page-turner and yet a book you will want to cherish every chapter - luckily most chapters are so exhilarating they are highly satisfying!


The mystery is extremely compelling, hard (for me) to solve and I'm thankful that's the case as the revelations are satisfying and compelling. The author plays fair - in retrospect I can see the clues laid down clearly, but subtle misdirection stops you from seeing it.

It absolutely sticks the landing, while still having an unexpected ending! 100% recommend this book.