The Salvage
By (Author) Anbara Salam
John Murray Press
Baskerville
14th October 2025
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Historical crime and mysteries
Historical fiction
Fiction: general and literary
Paperback
320
Width 135mm, Height 216mm
It is 1962, and Marta Khoury, a trailblazing marine archaeologist, has travelled to Cairnroch, a small island off the east coast of Scotland. An arctic shipwreck containing the remains of a famous Victorian explorer has been towed back to the island at the behest of his wealthy descendants. Marta's job is to retrieve valuable artefacts from the vessel, deep beneath the freezing Scottish waters. But on her first dive, Marta becomes convinced she has seen a ghostly figure lurking in the wreckage.
When Marta discovers objects from the vessel have inexplicably disappeared, she must work to uncover their whereabouts before her boss - also her ex-husband, discovers their absence. As a series of unsettling and strange occurrences begin to unfold, Marta's work trip turns into a long winter as the worst snowstorms of the century sweep in and trap the islanders, and their ghosts, in an icy wilderness.Praise for Anbara Salam:'A modern gothic masterpiece' Scots Magazine'An exquisitely written work of Caledonian gothic' Francine Toon, author of Pine'A darkly sparkling jewel of a book' Kirsty Logan, author of Now She is WitchAs chilly as the icy sea, as haunting as the prospects of ghosts, The Salvage is a novel to keep you up all night. Anbara Salam is a master of suspense. Be careful when you start this book, because you won't want to stop -- Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of THE CHILD FINDER and the forthcoming THE TALKING BONE
Praise for Anbara Salam -
A modern gothic masterpiece * Scots Magazine *
With the literary lyricism and precise historical detail of a Sarah Waters novel . . . Salam injects a wry humour into this tale of secrets, lies, and the power of the ghosts of our pasts * Entertainment Weekly *
A compelling portrait of a woman spiralling down into an irresolvable crisis * Glasgow Herald *
An exquisitely written work of Caledonian gothic -- Francine Toon, author of PINE
A darkly sparkling jewel of a book -- Kirsty Logan, author of NOW SHE IS WITCH
Lush, atmospheric and completely captivating . . . It's the ultimate fireside read, combining Mitford levels of glamour with a haunting edge -- Daisy Buchanan, author of LIMELIGHT
Unnerving, dark and rich, Hazardous Spirits is a novel full of heart and strangeness -- Nell Stevens, author of BRIEFLY, A DELICIOUS LIFE
Anbara Salam is the Palestinian-Scottish author of THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL and BELLADONNA. She has a PhD in Theology and now lives in Oxford.