When infamous smuggler Martin MacBride returns to Cornwall after escaping slavery in Algiers, he finds his wife and child have died. Fuelled by anger, the heartbroken smuggler vows to avenge their deaths by killing his hated foe, John Cardinham. However, Cardinham is riddled with a hatred of his own. He is convinced that his fiancée, beautiful local inn-keeper Josephine Bryant, is in love with MacBride, and intends to see the smuggler brought to justice at an appointment with the gallows. The locals of Cornwall pull together for their hero in a formidable force against the revenue, and Cardinham, finding he has his work cut out, hires the services of notorious privateer, Jose Sparky Vaquero, who proceeds to double-cross all concerned. Thus begins a twisting, turning journey of blackmail, obsession and suspicion. But when the stakes are high and the pressure is on, mistakes are easily made, and underestimation can prove to be a costly one. "Julie Spiller has found her inspiration in Cornwall's past, a rich seam of our history, as many writers from Daphne du Maurier to Winston Graham could testify, and she has mined it with colour and skill. It is a terrific piece of work and I wish her every success with it." Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey