Eric and Edith live in an Anglo-Saxon settlement which is under threat from invading Vikings.
The Victorian blacksmith, Dan, and his wife Sarah are under threat from the lady of the manor.
And Zoë and Ken's modern rural idyll is under threat by a ghost ship (a Viking longboat, that makes its way upriver in fog) and a campaigning neighbour, as well as the cracks in their own marriage.
I was fully engrossed in all three timelines which were well-balanced, expertly interwoven and convincingly presented.
The characters are fully drawn with depth and compassion, and are utterly believable as are their interactions and the relationships between them down to the conniving jealous 11 year old girl, who I absolutely loved. The descriptions of the settings and times, even the atmospheres, are vivid and, as a sailor myself, I also thoroughly enjoyed the sailing and boats – both real and ghostly.

Barbara Erskine has once again crafted an impeccable story; building suspense and intrigue until the end to create a book I found extremely difficult to put down and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending