The Unrecovered: A richly atmospheric tale of madness, war and all-encompassing obsession set in Scotland
Feb 2025 · Bloomsbury Publishing
Ebook
304
Pages
About this ebook
Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut prize
'Beautifully written' Michelle Paver
'I devoured this' Rebecca Netley
'A rare gem of gothic literature' A. M. Shine
At a Scottish manor house requisitioned as a temporary hospital during the First World War, Esther works as a volunteer nurse while dreaming of becoming a poet. With her husband and beloved father both dead, she knows that if the war ever ends she must build a very different life for herself.
Meanwhile, on the coast beyond her new home lies Gallondean Castle, a gloomy near-ruin that has been unhappily inherited by Jacob. Jacob is already haunted by his own demons but as he uncovers details of the castle's past, the shadows only seem to be growing darker around him.
However it is Daniel, one of the soldiers who appears to have received only a minor, yet mysterious, injury, whose life will come to connect with both Esther and Jacob in horrifying and unexpected ways...
Unsettling and evocative, deeply atmospheric and brilliantly engaging, The Unrecovered is an unforgettable historical debut inspired by a real life legend and marks the arrival of an outstanding new talent.
'Beautifully written' Michelle Paver
'I devoured this' Rebecca Netley
'A rare gem of gothic literature' A. M. Shine
At a Scottish manor house requisitioned as a temporary hospital during the First World War, Esther works as a volunteer nurse while dreaming of becoming a poet. With her husband and beloved father both dead, she knows that if the war ever ends she must build a very different life for herself.
Meanwhile, on the coast beyond her new home lies Gallondean Castle, a gloomy near-ruin that has been unhappily inherited by Jacob. Jacob is already haunted by his own demons but as he uncovers details of the castle's past, the shadows only seem to be growing darker around him.
However it is Daniel, one of the soldiers who appears to have received only a minor, yet mysterious, injury, whose life will come to connect with both Esther and Jacob in horrifying and unexpected ways...
Unsettling and evocative, deeply atmospheric and brilliantly engaging, The Unrecovered is an unforgettable historical debut inspired by a real life legend and marks the arrival of an outstanding new talent.
Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut prize
'Beautifully written' Michelle Paver
'I devoured this' Rebecca Netley
'A rare gem of gothic literature' A. M. Shine
At a Scottish manor house requisitioned as a temporary hospital during the First World War, Esther works as a volunteer nurse while...
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About the author
Richard Strachan is a former bookseller, who lives in Edinburgh with his family. His short fiction has been published in various magazines including The Dark and Interzone and by Galley Beggar Press in their digital singles list. The Unrecovered is his debut novel, and his second novel, Witchfire, will be published in 2026.
Richard Strachan is a former bookseller, who lives in Edinburgh with his family. His short fiction has been published in various magazines including The Dark and Interzone and by Galley Beggar Press in their digital singles list. The Unrecovered is his debut novel, and his second novel, Witchfire...
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