Saltwater cover art

Saltwater

A midsummer ghost story

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Saltwater

By: Elaine Thomson
Narrated by: Lorne MacNaughton
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For fans of Michelle Paver and Sarah Waters, the second in a quartet of exquisitely haunting ghost stories set in the wilds of Scotland.

The Isle of Stroma, 1896. Tom Torrance has been sent to oversee the completion of a new lighthouse, which will guide ships through one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the United Kingdom. The construction so far has been plagued by difficulties, giving rise to superstitious whisperings amongst the men, but Tom is a man of sense and science. He will not be cowed by stories of hauntings and bad omens.

Yet Tom is unprepared for the conditions on the island: the isolation and delirium of the endless summer nights. He soon learns that the real dangers on the island have nothing to do with the wild waves. There are some problems that science cannot answer, and some threats so ancient and strange, that nothing can keep them at bay.

PRAISE FOR ELAINE THOMSON
'I was so impressed by Hawthorn' MICHELLE PAVER, author of Dark Matter
'Delightfully brooding and gloriously gothic' CJ COOKE, author of The Book of Witching
'A hugely entertaining and evocative treat' BRIDGET COLLINS, author of The Binding
'A new classic' SARA SHERIDAN, author of The Fair Botanists
'The best Scottish ghost story of the 21st Century so far' HERALD
'A wonderfully atmospheric ghost story' 5* NETGALLEY REVIEW
'A truly haunting tale, beautifully written' 5* NETGALLEY REVIEW©2026 Elaine Thomson (P)2026 Little, Brown Book Group Limited Horror Haunted Paranormal Ghost Fantasy Highlander
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Critic reviews

Very satisfying indeed [...] Although this is a novel of haars, mists, and tricks of the mind, what is most admirable is its clarity of vision
All stars
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This is a beautifully written tale - superbly narrated. You feel as though you are there on the island of Stroma, living it, breathing in the salty air. It really stays with you - just a perfect ghost story for summer.

Gripping, haunting, beautiful.

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