Greyhound Literary

The Unrecovered

Agent : Sam Edenborough
Adult •
Fiction
The Unrecovered
Publication date :
February 2025
  • Bloomsbury (Raven) (UK & Commonwealth)

'Immersive, beautifully written, and with an intriguing setting, The Unrecovered builds towards an hallucinatory climax' – Michelle Paver, author of Dark Matter and Thin Air

What the years have buried, is about to be exposed...

On the Scottish coast, lies the gloomy fortress of Gallondean. Local legend has it that if the heirs to the house hear the howling of a spectral hound nearby, their death will quickly follow.

The current owner of the house is Jacob Beresford who, up until the unexpected death of his father, had never set foot within its crumbling walls. Jacob, already haunted by his own demons, has no need of more ghosts, but as the First World War staggers through its last terrible months and he uncovers unsettling details of his new home's past, the shadows seem to be growing around him.

Then he meets Esther, a young volunteer nurse, and one of her patients, who was wounded in mysterious circumstances, and their lives come to intersect in horrifying and unexpected ways.

Danger stalks the woods and coast around them, but it soon becomes clear that the gravest threats are within..

Both 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.

Early praise for THE UNRECOVERED:

‘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 MacInnes

‘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

The Unrecovered is a deeply felt portrayal of the suffering of war and repentance set against the backdrop of a brooding landscape and an ancient legend. The gorgeous writing aches with emotion, mystery and suspense. A mesmerising read.' - Theresa Howes, author of The Secrets We Keep and The French Affair

‘A harrowing tale of madness, illness, and inherited horror. The genteel exterior of Roddinglaw House, a converted hospital for war wounded in the First World War, belies the nightmares that are lurking within and nearby. The Unrecovered is a ghost story, a war metaphor, a tribute to poetry, and a literary novel all combined into one book, but above all, it is a great read.’ - Laura Shepperson

‘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’ – AM Shine, author of The Watchers (now a major film, produced by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Dakota Fanning) and Stay in the Light

‘Strachan melds supernatural historical fiction and the supernatural wonderfully. A brilliant, suspenseful novel that will move you to edge of your seat and ensure you remain there to the very last page.’ – Robert Welbourn

'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.' – Rebecca Netley, author of The Whistling