From Sunday Times bestselling author and Richard & Judy Book Club pick David Mark, a thrilling historical adventure of murder and mayhem on the high seas.

Two assassins. One prize. A deadly voyage to the unknown.

London, 1628. Nicolaes de Pelgrom is a skilled assassin and an asset to his wealthy, scheming master. No victim is beyond de Pelgrom's deadly reach – even if that means enduring the perilous voyage to Batavia in south-east Asia.

Jeronimus Cornelisz is a conniving apothecary determined to escape the backstreets of Amsterdam and become rich beyond imagination. Hired to escort a precious cargo on that same ship to Batavia, he will kill anyone who stands in his way.

When these mercenary killers clash, so too do their missions. One cannot succeed without destroying the other. But this deadly game is bigger than both of them... so who will triumph and who will die?

Reviews for David Mark

'Dark and compelling' Elly Griffiths
'Mark's books are always taut, intelligent page-turners' Abir Mukherjee
'David Mark is the king of grimy historical crime' Alex Reeve
'A lush masterpiece' Historical Novel Society
'Breathtaking' Peter May