Ghost Sea

A spellbinding tale of the sea: love, murder, and mysticism.

At the turn of the century, a Kwakiutl warrior from British Columbia's wild northern islands raids an artifact collector's yacht to reclaim stolen sacred masks. He takes the collector's wife, Kate, as hostage on his 200-mile canoe voyage home. The collector hires Dugger, a coastal trader living on the edges of the law, to give chase in his ketch with the collector as passenger, but Dugger's financial salvation comes at a terrible price, for he is Kate's secret lover. Day and night Dugger sails the uncharted islands, through raging currents and ship-swallowing whirlpools, and the account of his pursuit is interwoven with Kate's harrowing and erotically charged journey.

Based on a true story, this novel reaches its thrilling climax at the last secret, hallucinatory potlatch of the ancient Kwakiutl culture, where the history of a doomed people is melded with the fury of three hearts.

"There are just enough flashes of suspense to hold out promise for the next in the projected series." Kirkus Reviews

"An hypnotic tale written by a master mariner and story teller....Sure to be a treasured classic." Pacific Yachting Magazine

"Ferenc Maté has re-invented the genre we haven't seen since London and Conrad; polished writing, humanism and sheer adventurism." Wooden Boat Magazine

In this spellbinding tale of the sea, love, murder, and mysticism, a Kwakiutl warrior from British Columbia's wild northern islands raids an artifact collector's yacht to reclaim stolen sacred masks. He takes the collector's wife as hostage, and the collector hires a coastal trader — the wife's secret lover — to give chase.

"It's Joseph Conrad meets Elmore Leonard."'"Vancouver Sun

At the turn of the century, a Kwakiutl warrior from British Columbia's wild northern islands raids an artifact collector's yacht to reclaim stolen sacred masks. He takes the collector's wife, Kate, as hostage on his 200-mile canoe voyage home. The collector hires Dugger, a coastal trader living on the edges of the law, to give chase in his ketch with the collector as passenger, but Dugger's financial salvation comes at a terrible price, for he is Kate's secret lover. Day and night Dugger sails the uncharted islands, through raging currents and ship-swallowing whirlpools, and the account of his pursuit is interwoven with Kate's harrowing and erotically charged journey.

Based on a true story, this novel reaches its thrilling climax at the last secret, hallucinatory potlatch of the ancient Kwakiutl culture, where the history of a doomed people is melded with the fury of three hearts.

Ferenc Mate's international bestseller The Hills of Tuscany and his nautical titles have sold two million copies. He lives in Tuscany.