The Unrecovered

A richly atmospheric gothic tale of madness, war and all-encompassing obsession set in Scotland

The Unrecovered

A richly atmospheric gothic tale of madness, war and all-encompassing obsession set in Scotland

Richard Strachan (Author)

Hardback ~~$42.99~~ $38.69 Paperback ~~$22.99~~ $20.69 Paperback ~~$32.99~~ $29.69 Ebook (PDF) $26.38

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Description

'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.

Product details

Published	03 Feb 2026
Format	Paperback
Edition	1st
Extent	304
ISBN	9781526670557
Imprint	Raven Books
Illustrations	0
Dimensions	198 x 129 mm
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Richard Strachan

Richard Strachan is a former bookseller, who lives…

The gothic richness that imbues Strachan's writing is haunting as it is beautiful, and reminiscent of the wonderfully dark tales that inspired me to become a writer. The Unrecovered is a rare gem of gothic literature, and the meticulous melding of historical fiction into the narrative makes its horror all the more captivating

A. M. Shine
Immersive, beautifully written, and with an intriguing setting, The Unrecovered builds towards an hallucinatory climax

Michelle Paver
Creeping unease gives way to abject horror in this dark tale of dreadful inheritance and inexorable fate. Strachan is a formidable talent, weaving virtuoso sentences and deft allusions through this compelling historical nightmare

Martin MacInnnes, author of Booker Prize longlisted In Ascension
A formidable and deftly crafted nightmare, from a time of universal war, stretching backwards and forwards over the generations and across the map. The latest haunting in a classic Scottish tradition derived from Stevenson and Hogg

Iain Sinclair
In this beautifully written and compulsive debut, Strachan weaves the horrors of WW1 with the shadow of a dreadful legacy. Dark, intelligent and profoundly moving, I devoured this stunning debut in two sittings. I will be thinking about this story and its characters for some time

Rebecca Netley, author of The Whistling
Mark your calendars for February – The Unrecovered by Richard Strachan is an astonishing debut. A multilayered and gripping exploration of grief, trauma and atonement taking in Robert Browning, the Crusades, Peter Pan, colonialism and spooky hounds: complex, compelling and eerie

Naomi Kelsey, author of The Burnings