“Absolutely stunning. Harrowing and deeply thought-provoking. This beautifully written WWII novel echoes the best existential novels of a bygone age. Brilliant!” — RHYS BOWEN, author of In Farleigh Field.
“Rupert Colley’s The Unforgiving Sea is a poignant fable that reminds us of the frailty of our morality. Through richly drawn characters, Colley shows the power of confession and forgiveness and the strength of the human character. It is a tale of triumph set during one of history’s darkest nights.” — KELLY DURHAM, author of Berlin Calling.
Ten men adrift on a lifeboat. Only one will live to tell the tale.
Part Two of The Searight Saga.
June 1944, World War Two, the middle of the Indian Ocean: a convoy ship is torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat. Most on board are killed but ten sailors manage to clamber aboard a lifeboat. With almost nothing to eat or drink, the men are cast adrift at the mercy of The Unforgiving Sea.
The sea and the elements push the men to their limits but it is the vagaries of man that brings out the worse in each of them. Discipline and comradeship deteriorate as, day by day, events take their deadly toll, leaving each man to fight for himself.
Robert Searight, the son of Guy from This Time Tomorrow, emerges as the sole survivor. Traumatised by the experience, he returns to his English village to find peace and recuperate. His only task is to return a dead friend’s wedding ring to Marion, the man’s widow. But on returning home, Marion, having left in mysterious circumstances, is nowhere to be found. No one, it seems, is prepared to say why.
His return to the village brings back the heartache he felt when, a year previously, his fiancée, troubled by her own past, breaks off their relationship.
And here, in his village, having received a warm welcome home, Robert faces the contradictions of a small community, decent on the outside but seething with prejudice and suspicion inside; a village with a foul secret at its heart.
But ultimately, it’s his own dark secret that he must confront before he can come to terms with his broken heart and the trauma of having survived The Unforgiving Sea.
A sequel to This Time Tomorrow, The Unforgiving Sea is, on its surface, a tale of murder, survival and loss, while at its core we find a story of deep love, loyalty and forgiveness.
Part Two in the Searight Saga.
Available as a Kindle book and paperback.
Part One: This Time Tomorrow
Part Three: The Red Oak
“A masterpiece of story telling … The threads of various episodes in the main characters life are interwoven to create this fascinating tale.”
“An unbelievable experience that will leave you speechless.”
“I found myself caught up in this story right from the beginning and hated that the story ended.”
