1794. As wars of revolution rage, the chance to make illicit riches from smuggling is greater, the competition to win them fiercer. Returning to England, Harry and James Ludlow expect to realize the profits from their latest travels. Instead, they become embroiled in a vicious struggle between rival smugglers, played out in the English Channel. Witnesses to a bloody confrontation, they flee to Deal-only to find that, behind its picturesque façade, the town is a haven for dealers in contraband, seething with corruption and violence. The Ludlows' search for a well-deserved rest quickly turns into a savage contest of wills between Harry and an unseen enemy who intends to protect his livelihood by any means available.

An avowed lover of naval fiction with a streak of mischief, David Donachie has sailed into a breach in the nautical genre by blending seagoing adventure with the mystery and twists of a whodunit. A Scot by birth, he lives on the Channel coast of England, where he works to keep his inspirations in motion (`I have about three ideas a day by the way, all my ideas are great`) and has lately published a biographical novel about Admiral Lord Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton. He now lives in Deal with his partner, Sarah and two children, Thomas and Charlotte.