'A TRULY GRIPPING READ' - GUARDIAN 'FABULOUS, A DELIGHT' - S.G. MACLEAN 'HISTORICAL FICTION AT ITS BEST' - A.J. WEST 'A FINE ADVENTURE REMINISCENT OF PATRICK O'BRIAN' - SUNDAY TIMES Death came aboard with the cormorant. It arrived on the seventh day of our voyage... This is the secret report of disgraced former Foreign Office clerk Laurence Jago, written on the mail ship Tankerville en route to Philadelphia. His mission is to aid the civil servant charged with carrying a vital treaty to Congress that will prevent the Americans from joining with the French in their war against Britain. When the civil servant meets an unfortunate 'accidental' end, Laurence becomes the one person standing between Britain and disaster. It is his great chance to redeem himself at Whitehall - except that his predecessor has taken the secret of the treaty's hiding place to his watery grave. As the ship is searched, Laurence quickly discovers that his fellow passengers - among them fugitive French aristocrats, an American plantation owner, an Irish actress and her performing bear - all have their own motives to find the treaty for themselves. And as a second death follows the first, Laurence must turn sleuth in order to find the killer before he has an 'accident' of his own. The new pageturning historical mystery from the author of BLACK DROP, a 2021 TIMES Book of the Year. Perfect for readers of Andrew Taylor, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and S.J. Parris.
Leonora Nattrass studied eighteenth-century literature and politics, and spent ten years lecturing in English and publishing works on William Cobbett. She lives in Cornwall, in a seventeenth-century house with seventeenth-century draughts, and spins the fleeces of her Ryeland sheep into yarn. Her first novel, Black Drop, was published in 2021. Find her on Twitter @LeonoraNattrass
Title: Blue Water (Laurence Jago)
Author:
ISBN: 9781788165945
Binding:
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Publication Date: 2022-10-20
Number of Pages: 336
Weight: 0.5402 kg
Intrigue, tension, memorable characters and shipboard life depicted in all its reeking authenticity add up to a truly gripping read * Guardian *
A fine adventure reminiscent of the Patrick O'Brian novels * Sunday Times *
A satisfying nautical mystery * The Times *
Fabulous... A delight. Nattrass again and again had me wondering at her skill and marvellous turn of phrase in filtering complex eighteenth-century history in a way that resonates with our own times -- S. G. MacLean, author of The Seeker
I admired Black Drop. I loved Blue Water. Even more welcome than an extra rum ration on Christmas Day, and slips down just as easily -- Robert Lloyd, author of The Bloodless Boy
Danger and mystery trapped inside a rocking barrel, far from home. Artful and authentic historical fiction at its best -- A.J. West, author of The Spirit Engineer
A perfect storm of historical intrigue, bloody mystery and heart-stopping tension! An eighteenth century whodunnit on a ship, with a bear, a dog and a set of tarot cards. What absolutely top-sail rollicking entertainment -- Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal
Ingenious and deftly plotted with a pleasing cast of characters. Nattrass's nautical detail is most effective, never overplayed and just as satisfying as any of the C.S. Foresters I adored in my olden days. A hugely enjoyable read -- Alix Nathan, author of The Warlow Experiment
A compelling locked room murder-mystery filled with an exquisitely drawn cast of eccentric characters. A wonderful historical naval adventure which keeps the reader guessing right to the final pages -- Louise Fein, author of People Like Us
I absolutely loved this book. Full of intrigue and excitement with a brilliantly-realised cast of characters and a totally immersive setting, it's a superb historical thriller -- Philippa East, author of Little White Lies
I loved this rip-roaring tale of murder and intrigue on the high seas. A locked-ship mystery, and a cracking sequel to the brilliant Black Drop -- Trevor Wood, author of The Man in the Street
Beautifully written, immaculately plotted and filled with more red herrings than the Atlantic, it takes readers on a thrilling voyage of murder and mystery. If Patrick O'Brian & Agatha Christie had ever got it together... -- Kate Griffin, author of Fyneshade
Leonora Nattrass has woven an incredible novel against an incredible backdrop. It's a real art to combine history and intrigue and yet she has delivered it - again - with such skill -- Liv Matthews, author of The Prank
Brilliantly written, spine-chillingly evocative and hugely compelling. A stunning book -- Miranda Dickinson, author of The Start of Something
A compelling and spectacular nautical murder mystery. Superbly written characters in a convincing historic setting - I loved it! -- Guy Morpuss, author of Five Minds
Such a thrilling read. Characters who utterly drew me in and didn't let go until the final page. Spectacular -- J.M. Hewitt, author of The Eight Year Lie
A brilliant thriller set on the high seas with murder, duplicity and the search for a vital treaty trying to reach Philadelphia -- James Mylet, author of The Homes