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The Silver Tide
Cornwall, 1863. On a windswept beach, Maggie Pascoe watches in horror as her family is lost to the sea. Her father and three brothers are among dozens of fishermen from the town of St Branok who perish in a summer storm.
Destitute and alone, she finds comfort in her friendship with widow Norah Bray, whose young son also drowned in the disaster.
But the tragedy was no accident. As Maggie battles to uncover the truth, she hides a devastating secret – one that could destroy her bond with Norah forever.
Inspired by a true story, The Silver Tide is a powerful tale of love, betrayal and one woman’s courageous fight for justice.
Perfect for fans of Winston Graham's Poldark series, Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden.
Praise for
‘J.H. Mann writes compelling fiction set in Cornwall. He transports his readers to rugged coasts…and introduces us to fascinating characters’ – Margaret James, Writing Magazine.
‘If you love Cornwall, storms at sea and an engrossing mystery then look no further’
- Cathie Hartigan, author of Notes from the Lost and the bestselling Secret of the Song.
‘J.H. Mann lovingly evokes the Cornish landscape, from the Atlantic coast to the bleak and threatening moors, for his gripping stories’ – Debi Alper, author of the Nirvana series of thrillers.
Destitute and alone, she finds comfort in her friendship with widow Norah Bray, whose young son also drowned in the disaster.
But the tragedy was no accident. As Maggie battles to uncover the truth, she hides a devastating secret – one that could destroy her bond with Norah forever.
Inspired by a true story, The Silver Tide is a powerful tale of love, betrayal and one woman’s courageous fight for justice.
Perfect for fans of Winston Graham's Poldark series, Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden.
Praise for
‘J.H. Mann writes compelling fiction set in Cornwall. He transports his readers to rugged coasts…and introduces us to fascinating characters’ – Margaret James, Writing Magazine.
‘If you love Cornwall, storms at sea and an engrossing mystery then look no further’
- Cathie Hartigan, author of Notes from the Lost and the bestselling Secret of the Song.
‘J.H. Mann lovingly evokes the Cornish landscape, from the Atlantic coast to the bleak and threatening moors, for his gripping stories’ – Debi Alper, author of the Nirvana series of thrillers.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2025
25 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 12, 2025
Set in 1863 in the coastal town of St Branok, The Silver Tide follows a hard-working community that makes its living from the sea. The novel delves into themes of love, loss, betrayal, and the power of people coming together in times of hardship. This was an absolute page-turner—I was hooked from the first chapter!
From the very beginning, Maggie demonstrates her bravery and fearlessness. When she senses something is wrong, she speaks up, especially when confronting the opposite sex. Although The Silver Tide is a work of fiction, the author drew inspiration from real-life events and people. The fascinating author's note at the end of the book details the inspiration behind Maggie and other parts of the story—it's well worth a read!
I loved the depiction of strong women in this book. These were the brave women behind the brave fishermen, who had to pick up the pieces when things went wrong. They were resourceful, resilient, and fierce. I also really appreciated the strong sense of community throughout the story.
I was unaware of sea rescues carried out in the form of a human chain. It must have been terrifying for the heroic men and women who did this during storms, but it shows what people can achieve when they work together. I also found the early history of lifeboat rescues fascinating. I came away from the book feeling like I’d genuinely learned something.
The sea feels like another character in The Silver Tide, it connects everyone in the story. Mann captures both its beauty and its danger. Countless Cornish fishermen have lost their lives to it. St Branok is a rugged, hard-working town where the sea provides food and livelihood, but it can also take lives and break apart families.
It’s worth noting that the author writes from experience: he is a shore-based volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He also has strong familial ties to Cornwall, and his father was one of the county’s early lifeguards.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
From the very beginning, Maggie demonstrates her bravery and fearlessness. When she senses something is wrong, she speaks up, especially when confronting the opposite sex. Although The Silver Tide is a work of fiction, the author drew inspiration from real-life events and people. The fascinating author's note at the end of the book details the inspiration behind Maggie and other parts of the story—it's well worth a read!
I loved the depiction of strong women in this book. These were the brave women behind the brave fishermen, who had to pick up the pieces when things went wrong. They were resourceful, resilient, and fierce. I also really appreciated the strong sense of community throughout the story.
I was unaware of sea rescues carried out in the form of a human chain. It must have been terrifying for the heroic men and women who did this during storms, but it shows what people can achieve when they work together. I also found the early history of lifeboat rescues fascinating. I came away from the book feeling like I’d genuinely learned something.
The sea feels like another character in The Silver Tide, it connects everyone in the story. Mann captures both its beauty and its danger. Countless Cornish fishermen have lost their lives to it. St Branok is a rugged, hard-working town where the sea provides food and livelihood, but it can also take lives and break apart families.
It’s worth noting that the author writes from experience: he is a shore-based volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He also has strong familial ties to Cornwall, and his father was one of the county’s early lifeguards.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
September 22, 2025
The Silver Tide by J H Mann is a historical adventure. It is part of A Wild Cornwall series but can be read as a stand-alone.
The story is set in a Cornish fishing village in 1863. Facts are blended with fiction to create this marvellous tale.
We see that life is precarious. The sea is a dreadful master. It is rich in pilchards but the unpredictability of the sea means that it takes lives where it will.
1863 saw the beginnings of life boats. Following a terrible tragedy, a Cornish village campaigns for a life boat.
We see the role of religion as a vicar walks amongst his flock, quoting Bible verses. He also practices the gift of hospitality.
The role of women was to support the men folk. Single women had very few choices. They relied on others to help them in times of trouble.
The village was in the grip of one man and his bully boys. He is feared by all except the leading lady who stands up to him.
This is an exciting tale of adventure. There were moments when my pulse rose as the sea tried to claim more victims.
The wild rugged and unforgiving Cornish landscape comes to life under the author’s descriptive pen.
I can highly recommend The Silver Tide.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
The story is set in a Cornish fishing village in 1863. Facts are blended with fiction to create this marvellous tale.
We see that life is precarious. The sea is a dreadful master. It is rich in pilchards but the unpredictability of the sea means that it takes lives where it will.
1863 saw the beginnings of life boats. Following a terrible tragedy, a Cornish village campaigns for a life boat.
We see the role of religion as a vicar walks amongst his flock, quoting Bible verses. He also practices the gift of hospitality.
The role of women was to support the men folk. Single women had very few choices. They relied on others to help them in times of trouble.
The village was in the grip of one man and his bully boys. He is feared by all except the leading lady who stands up to him.
This is an exciting tale of adventure. There were moments when my pulse rose as the sea tried to claim more victims.
The wild rugged and unforgiving Cornish landscape comes to life under the author’s descriptive pen.
I can highly recommend The Silver Tide.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
October 30, 2025
The Silver Tide is loosely based on a true story and is an incredibly moving book. I felt a wide range of emotions whilst I read this and once I finished it, which I did in a couple of sittings due to the fact that I couldn’t put it down, I was unable to read anything else for a while .
Jason is incredibly gifted at pulling you into his books in a way that makes you feel that you are there with Maggie as she battles to find out what happened when her father and brothers were lost at sea. The description of the characters and where they fit into the book is written in such a way that your imagination can create them. His characters are strong and the settings are created in such detail that you can almost taste the salt water on your lips and feel as though you are on the beach or the sea during the storms.
This is the second book that I have read by Jason , The Echoing Shore being the first , and his style of writing is compelling. Not once did I think I had had enough and put it down. I read the book in two sittings at the detriment of anything else that I should have been doing and didn’t regret that at all.
The only regret I did have at the end was not knowing when I am going to be able to read his next work.
This is definitely a huge 5 star read from me and J.H. Mann is an author who is on my “Watch List”
Jason is incredibly gifted at pulling you into his books in a way that makes you feel that you are there with Maggie as she battles to find out what happened when her father and brothers were lost at sea. The description of the characters and where they fit into the book is written in such a way that your imagination can create them. His characters are strong and the settings are created in such detail that you can almost taste the salt water on your lips and feel as though you are on the beach or the sea during the storms.
This is the second book that I have read by Jason , The Echoing Shore being the first , and his style of writing is compelling. Not once did I think I had had enough and put it down. I read the book in two sittings at the detriment of anything else that I should have been doing and didn’t regret that at all.
The only regret I did have at the end was not knowing when I am going to be able to read his next work.
This is definitely a huge 5 star read from me and J.H. Mann is an author who is on my “Watch List”
October 22, 2025
Cornwall. 1863. A storm that changes everything.
From the very first chapter of The Silver Tide, I was completely swept away (pun fully intended 😅).
J.H. Mann brings to life a rugged, wind battered Cornwall so vividly that I could practically taste the salt in the air and hear the crash of the waves.
Maggie Pascoe’s world collapses when her father and brothers are lost to the sea and that moment had my heart aching. The grief, the loneliness, the fight to survive...it’s raw, human, and hauntingly beautiful.
Her growing friendship with Norah Bray adds so much warmth amid the tragedy… but then the layers of mystery begin to unfold, and you realise not everything is as it seems.
I loved how this book blended heartbreak, suspense, and courage all at once. It’s got that gothic, windswept Cornish atmosphere that feels part Poldark and part Rebecca.
And when Maggie starts digging into what really happened that stormy night, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
A story of grief, secrets, and a woman’s determination to uncover the truth..beautifully told and impossible to forget. Highly recommend.
From the very first chapter of The Silver Tide, I was completely swept away (pun fully intended 😅).
J.H. Mann brings to life a rugged, wind battered Cornwall so vividly that I could practically taste the salt in the air and hear the crash of the waves.
Maggie Pascoe’s world collapses when her father and brothers are lost to the sea and that moment had my heart aching. The grief, the loneliness, the fight to survive...it’s raw, human, and hauntingly beautiful.
Her growing friendship with Norah Bray adds so much warmth amid the tragedy… but then the layers of mystery begin to unfold, and you realise not everything is as it seems.
I loved how this book blended heartbreak, suspense, and courage all at once. It’s got that gothic, windswept Cornish atmosphere that feels part Poldark and part Rebecca.
And when Maggie starts digging into what really happened that stormy night, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
A story of grief, secrets, and a woman’s determination to uncover the truth..beautifully told and impossible to forget. Highly recommend.
October 17, 2025
The Silver Tide by J.H. Mann is a historical fiction with a mystery to solve of how the ship went down and why the crew on board was killed. Maggie is a young woman who lost her entire family during a tragic weather event at sea. Norah is a village widow who also lost her son during the event and these two women come together and become close friends but there is a secret that threatens to tear them apart, I love how the author wrote this book, you can not help but be engrossed in the story and you want to read more about Maggie and what happened. I was surprised slightly by the ending but not entirely as the rest of the story kind of builds you up to want that ending to happen for Maggie and the town. The author did a great job researching and writing a fictional story based on a real life person and events. I would highly recommend this one to fans of historical fiction and mysteries!
September 24, 2025
This is a haunting and beautifully written story set in 1860s Cornwall. After losing her family to the sea, Maggie Pascoe is left with nothing but grief and questions. The mix of friendship, secrets, and a search for truth makes it both heartbreaking and suspenseful. Inspired by real events, The Silver Tide captures the wild spirit of Cornwall and the resilience of one woman fighting for justice. Such a beautiful read! Highly recommended!
October 14, 2025
Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources & 𝐉.𝐇 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐧 for the gifted copy.
Inspired by a true story! This book doesn’t start off fast, but I feel like it’s worth the read. Can you imagine losing everyone you love in a storm? The story isn’t all depressing , there’s more to it! You can tell the author really knows what they’re writing about. I love that this book is straightforward and not overly flashy. It’s the kind of story that makes you sit and think once you’ve finished it.
October 15, 2025
This book is set in one of my favourite places in the whole world, Cornwall. It is where I spent many a holiday there as a kid and we went there for our honeymoon so I judge books set there very harshly but my goodness this book meets all of those standards and more. I found Maggie's story so breathtakingly beautiful and I was gripped from the very beginning, there was a lot of heavy topics in this book which where handled with so much care.
September 7, 2025
A beautifully written escape. The mix of mystery and historical fiction pulled me right in, and I loved being transported to the wild Atlantic coast while sitting in the heat of a scorching Mediterranean summer. The characters - especially Maggie and Jack - really grew on me. A deeply satisfying story from an author to watch.
September 4, 2025
This author has a skill in transporting the reader right into the historical setting and atmosphere of an old fishing town in Cornwall. The characters are well developed and the descriptions give an authentic feel of time and place.
September 20, 2025
Loved it!
Can’t help but love this novel. Strong women overcoming obstacles. Bad men getting their comeuppance. Communities pulling together in a crisis.
Fabulous!
Can’t help but love this novel. Strong women overcoming obstacles. Bad men getting their comeuppance. Communities pulling together in a crisis.
Fabulous!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews