The Unrecovered
A Richly Atmospheric Tale of Madness, War and All-Encompassing Obsession Set in Scotland
1st Edition
Published on 13. February 2025
304 pages
978-1-5266-7052-6 (ISBN)
Description
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.
More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
File size
0,52 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-5266-7052-6 (9781526670526)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Richard Strachan
The Unrecovered
A richly atmospheric tale of madness, war and all-encompassing obsession set in Scotland
Book
10/2025
Raven Books
€13.00
Available immediately
Richard Strachan
The Unrecovered
A richly atmospheric tale of madness, war and all-encompassing obsession set in Scotland
Book
02/2025
Raven Books
€21.50
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Person
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.
Content
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Author's Note
- Part I
- Friday 22nd March 1918
- From Jacob Beresford's Journals, March 1918
- Tuesday 26th March 1918
- Friday 29th March 1918
- From Jacob Beresford's Journals, March 1918
- Tuesday 2nd April 1918
- From Jacob Beresford's Journals, April 1918
- Thursday, 4th April 1918
- Florence
- Monday 29th June 1914
- Part II
- Saturday 13th April 1918
- Monday 15th April 1918
- Saturday 20th April 1918
- Sunday 21st April 1918
- Friday 26th April 1918
- Saturday 27th April 1918
- Lahore
- Saturday 13th June 1914
- Part III
- From Jacob Beresford's Journals, May 1918
- Thursday 9th May 1918
- From Jacob Beresford's Journals, May 1918
- Monday 13th May 1918
- From Jacob Beresford's Journals, May 1918
- Friday 17th May 1918
- Sunday 19th May 1918
- Jerusalem
- December 1917
- Part IV
- Monday 20th May 1918
- Epilogue
- Monday 3rd June 1918
- Acknowledgements
- A Note on the Author
- A Note on the Type
