Blue Water: the Instant Times Bestseller (Laurence Jago)

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Never knowing who to trust, and always suspecting someone, Jago tries his best to discover which of his fellow shipmates has the most incentive to steal the treaty and, dare we say it, commit murder to get their hands on it!

It’s great to have these familiar faces reunite with Laurence Jago, while also getting to know them better. I found the storytelling atmospheric and transportive to the Georgian era on the high seas as political instability and revolution is overshadowing France.There were a few red herrings, which Nattrass focused on a bit too much, meaning the ultimate reveal felt a bit underwhelming. If you enjoy historical fiction weaved in with mystery and murder then you should add Blue Water to your tbr. When the civil servant meets an unfortunate - and apparently accidental - end, the treaty disappears, and Laurence realises that only he can keep the Americans out of the war. Set during a voyage from Britain to Philadelphia in 1975, we follow Mr Jago on a hunt to find the Treaty between the Brits and Americans that has gone missing aboard their ship. The book does not grip you at any point, the book does not take you to imagine the scene if that makes sense.

Having narrowly escaped London with his life at the end of “Black Drop”, unfairly disgraced former Foreign Office clerk Laurence Jago is once again surrounded by enemies and intrigue. The writing was superb and the period setting well rendered, but the plot development suffered from the limited scope offered by the book's setting. There is quite an eclectic group of people on board, and that is before a girl eith a dancing bear boards at one of the stops. Leonora Nattrass very skilfully casts suspicion on first one character then another and it soon appears that almost everyone on the ship has a secret to hide.Peter Williams’ presence is strangely reassuring, as he quietly goes about his tasks, and we come to learn more about him. In the first book he struggled with the opium addiction and the temptation is still there, onboard the Tankerville. The style of writing took a little while to get used to but I think helped to add to the story as it helped draw the reader into the period more. With almost the entire story taking place at sea and therefore with a limited number of characters, the mystery has a ‘locked room’ feel and kept me guessing until the end. The machinations of the plot are cleverly put together, Jago being the 'innocent' and surrounded by a wonderfully drawn cast of characters.

This is a wonderfully written story, full of superstition and seances, intrigue and secrets, with a little romance and even a dancing bear! Not to mention the cormorant which began the voyage on the ship, much to the horror of the crew as it is a bad omen. Whilst I really enjoyed 'Black Drop' I feel that this novel shows Nattrass really hitting her stride.While some want to see it brought to fruition, others would be happier if it never saw the light of day. Nattrass's nautical detail is most effective, never overplayed and just as satisfying as any of the C. When Jenkinson, the carrier of the treaty, dies after an accident involving a spar, it appears the whereabouts of the hidden treaty has died with him. A failed solicitor, he is drifting through life – the office, the pub, a barely furnished flat, lacklustre relationships.