A young woman in trouble, an old sailing boat, a voyage into the unknown.
“Outstanding – Hard To Put Down”
“Beautifully-written, exhilarating, compassionate”
“Thrillingly original”
Rosie Winterbourne is a 27-year-old British naval rating. She is intelligent, somewhat boyish in appearance, and gifted with a remarkable memory. Unfortunately, she is also obstinate and often impulsive to the point of recklessness.
On compassionate leave following her mother’s death, Rosie begins suffering sporadic seizures and scary visions, a worrying and career-breaking condition she hopes to keep secret from the navy. She finds solace and distraction in restoring her father’s dilapidated old yacht, recalling those halcyon days as a kid sailing with her Dad. Inevitably, Rosie begins to dream of just sailing away and leaving all her troubles behind.
Believing herself ready to resume her duties, Rosie returns from leave early. But when her destroyer deploys to the Mediterranean, the rating’s mental health deteriorates. Following a psychotic seizure whilst ashore in Gibraltar, her secret is brutally and publicly revealed. Flown to the UK for neurological assessment, Rosie finds herself ignominiously discharged from the navy and referred for psychiatric treatment.
Embittered by her loss of career, Rosie throws all her energies into getting Pasha to sea. But the project does not run smoothly. A collision during trials, financial hardship and a criminal indictment for theft all contribute to delays. Nevertheless, the day finally arrives when the yacht is deemed fit to sail the open ocean.
But is Rosie? To survive alone in the wild Atlantic will take every shred of courage and tenacity she can muster. And not just at sea. There are hair-raising exploits on remote islands and encounters with predatory characters that add jeopardy to an already hazardous venture. Still suffering psychotic seizures, Rosie is anxious for her sanity. Bizarre happenings abound that may be real or imagined – such as swimming with dolphins in mid-ocean – did that really happen?. Then there is the enigma of Georgie, the mysterious aunt who keeps showing up at times of crisis. And who the hell is Landrover Man?
The first book in the Rosie Winterbourne Series, fans of adventure with a dangerous undercurrent will enjoy this energetic thriller.
