| Summary Note |
A literary murder mystery with a speculative edge, this novel explores the limits of courage, the consequences of greed, and the way unlikely strangers can become people we hold dear. Fleeing their pandemic-stricken homelands, a shipload of migrant workers departs the UK, dreaming of a fresh start in prosperous Australia. For young Dubliner Cleary Sullivan, deaf three years now, the journey promises adventure, new friendships, and sea-monster sightings. For Glaswegian songstress Billie Galloway it’s a chance to leave a shameful mistake behind, while London schoolteacher Tom Garnett hopes to shake his addictions and set his future on a brighter path. But when a crew member is murdered and people start falling gravely ill, the Steadfast is plunged into chaos. Who is to blame? Who can be trusted? And where does the real danger lie? Set in the near future, this novel is a compelling literary thriller brimming with guts, intelligence, and heart. Inspired by the true story of the Ticonderoga, a fever ship full of migrant workers that reached Melbourne in 1852, sparking the creation of Australia’s first quarantine station, the story takes place 200 years after this landmark event, and taps into contemporary tensions around migration, climate change, and the future of work. |
