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Saltwater: A midsummer ghost story
The second in a quartet of exquisitely haunting ghost stories set in the wilds of Scotland.
The Isle of Stroma, 1896. Tom Torrance has been sent to oversee the completion of a new lighthouse, which will guide ships through one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the United Kingdom. The construction so far has been plagued by difficulties, giving rise to superstitious whisperings amongst the men, but Tom is a man of sense and science. He will not be cowed by stories of hauntings and bad omens.
Yet Tom is unprepared for the conditions on the the isolation and delirium of the endless summer nights. He soon learns that the real dangers on the island have nothing to do with the wild waves. There are some problems that science cannot answer, and some threats so ancient and strange, that nothing can keep them at bay.
The Isle of Stroma, 1896. Tom Torrance has been sent to oversee the completion of a new lighthouse, which will guide ships through one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the United Kingdom. The construction so far has been plagued by difficulties, giving rise to superstitious whisperings amongst the men, but Tom is a man of sense and science. He will not be cowed by stories of hauntings and bad omens.
Yet Tom is unprepared for the conditions on the the isolation and delirium of the endless summer nights. He soon learns that the real dangers on the island have nothing to do with the wild waves. There are some problems that science cannot answer, and some threats so ancient and strange, that nothing can keep them at bay.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published June 18, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 19, 2026
Accompanied by his younger brother, Jamie, Tom Torrance is returning to the Isle of Stroma from Edinburgh, where he has just attended the funeral of his beloved mother, who died of a fever which very nearly claimed the life of Jamie too. It is 1896, and Tom is overseeing the building of a lighthouse on Stroma, a small, isolated island in the Pentland Firth, off the north of Scotland. The project has been beset by problems but Tom is determined to finish the job before the scheduled visit of his employer, Mr Stevenson, just after Midsummer. But his recent bereavement has left him sad and anxious, and suffering from insomnia. No sooner does he get back to the island than an accident happens that severely injures two of his men. There are mutterings among the crew – they are beginning to wonder if Tom himself is the jinx that seems to be plaguing the construction…
Thomson has blended the true story of the building of the lighthouse on Stroma with the local history of the island, added references to Scottish legends and folklore, and topped it off with some nicely judged supernatural horror, to create a chilling ghost story that has some depth beneath the spookiness. I’ve said this many times and it’s a subjective opinion – for me, horror works best in short stories. It is difficult to avoid repetition and keep the tension level high over the length of a novel. This one falls into that trap – I feel it would have worked better as a novella, with some of the repeated instances of ghostly happenings removed. On the other hand, it’s very well written, especially the descriptions of nature and the island; the chilling parts are genuinely spine-tingling; and I found the underlying story of the impact of the lighthouse on the lives of the people of Stroma lifted it above the usual scare-for-scare’s-sake kind of ghost story.
Tom is in a bad way. His insomnia has left him exhausted, and he is seeing apparitions of drowned men who seem to be threatening him. In his rational moments, he can explain these away as phantoms of his tired mind, but they do have a way of appearing just before something bad happens. And his rational moments are getting further apart as his mind spirals into a state of terror. He clings to a few things for comfort – his pride in his skills as a lighthouse builder, the presence of his brother, and his attraction to Flora Christie, a beautiful Stroma woman whose skills as a healer and reputation for being able to see the dead mean that she is both respected and feared by the islanders.
Flora has a wildness about her – her flaming red hair, her skill with herbs and medicinal potions, her profound belief in the legends of the islands. A witch, perhaps – or a Selkie? Tom doesn’t know, and his repressed lust for her is so strong that he doesn’t care. She is interested in Tom too, but her reasons are hidden – she seems to feel that he is important to the island in some way. As Midsummer approaches, the women of the island collect all the wood they can find on this treeless island to build a giant bonfire, and the atmosphere of threatening tension grows…
Thomson makes great use of the Simmer Dim – the name given to those summer nights in the far north when darkness never truly falls. It’s an interesting reversal – usually it’s the perpetual winter darkness that is used for ghost stories. Thomson shows the light nights as feeding Tom’s insomnia, while the gloom is just deep enough to cast shadows where things can lurk half-seen. She also shows how the islanders have benefited for centuries from the shipwrecks around their wild shores – their homes are filled with items salvaged from wrecks, and the broken ships are their main source of wood. The lighthouse will impoverish the island – no more ghoulish windfalls gained at the expense of the drowned.
It all leads up to a truly chilling climax, all managed without the need for graphic violence or gore. It feels like a throwback to an earlier style of ghost story, and put me in mind of Algernon Blackwood or William Hope Hodgson – writers who use savage nature effectively as a threatening force. It has been compared to Michelle Paver’s Dark Matter – for me, it’s not as scary as that one, but it has more depth in its use of setting and history. Despite wishing it were shorter, I admired and enjoyed it. I believe it’s one of a quartet Thomson is writing, each set in some wild area of Scotland in different seasons of the year. I shall seek out the earlier one, Hawthorn, and look forward to the others when they’re published.
NB: This book was provided for review by the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group via NetGalley.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Thomson has blended the true story of the building of the lighthouse on Stroma with the local history of the island, added references to Scottish legends and folklore, and topped it off with some nicely judged supernatural horror, to create a chilling ghost story that has some depth beneath the spookiness. I’ve said this many times and it’s a subjective opinion – for me, horror works best in short stories. It is difficult to avoid repetition and keep the tension level high over the length of a novel. This one falls into that trap – I feel it would have worked better as a novella, with some of the repeated instances of ghostly happenings removed. On the other hand, it’s very well written, especially the descriptions of nature and the island; the chilling parts are genuinely spine-tingling; and I found the underlying story of the impact of the lighthouse on the lives of the people of Stroma lifted it above the usual scare-for-scare’s-sake kind of ghost story.
Tom is in a bad way. His insomnia has left him exhausted, and he is seeing apparitions of drowned men who seem to be threatening him. In his rational moments, he can explain these away as phantoms of his tired mind, but they do have a way of appearing just before something bad happens. And his rational moments are getting further apart as his mind spirals into a state of terror. He clings to a few things for comfort – his pride in his skills as a lighthouse builder, the presence of his brother, and his attraction to Flora Christie, a beautiful Stroma woman whose skills as a healer and reputation for being able to see the dead mean that she is both respected and feared by the islanders.
Flora has a wildness about her – her flaming red hair, her skill with herbs and medicinal potions, her profound belief in the legends of the islands. A witch, perhaps – or a Selkie? Tom doesn’t know, and his repressed lust for her is so strong that he doesn’t care. She is interested in Tom too, but her reasons are hidden – she seems to feel that he is important to the island in some way. As Midsummer approaches, the women of the island collect all the wood they can find on this treeless island to build a giant bonfire, and the atmosphere of threatening tension grows…
Thomson makes great use of the Simmer Dim – the name given to those summer nights in the far north when darkness never truly falls. It’s an interesting reversal – usually it’s the perpetual winter darkness that is used for ghost stories. Thomson shows the light nights as feeding Tom’s insomnia, while the gloom is just deep enough to cast shadows where things can lurk half-seen. She also shows how the islanders have benefited for centuries from the shipwrecks around their wild shores – their homes are filled with items salvaged from wrecks, and the broken ships are their main source of wood. The lighthouse will impoverish the island – no more ghoulish windfalls gained at the expense of the drowned.
It all leads up to a truly chilling climax, all managed without the need for graphic violence or gore. It feels like a throwback to an earlier style of ghost story, and put me in mind of Algernon Blackwood or William Hope Hodgson – writers who use savage nature effectively as a threatening force. It has been compared to Michelle Paver’s Dark Matter – for me, it’s not as scary as that one, but it has more depth in its use of setting and history. Despite wishing it were shorter, I admired and enjoyed it. I believe it’s one of a quartet Thomson is writing, each set in some wild area of Scotland in different seasons of the year. I shall seek out the earlier one, Hawthorn, and look forward to the others when they’re published.
NB: This book was provided for review by the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group via NetGalley.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
July 6, 2026
1896, the island of Stroma. Tom Torrance has been sent to oversee the building of a lighthouse. Tom is unprepared for the conditions of the island with it's superstitions and it's getting close to midsummer.
This is the second book in a series of four ghost stories set in each season of the year. This one is set in the few days leading upto midsummer.
I quite enjoyed this book. What I always like is small communities that have their own way and superstitions. The story certainly had some creepy moments and was full of atmosphere.
My niggle is at times I didn't know if Tom was dreaming or awake at times and this did leave me a liitle confused. My other niggle is that the chapters were really long and I felt that certain sections were never ending. I did however enjoy the story.
This book reminded me of The Wicker Man and this all does come clear at the end. I could see where the story was going and I did guess very easily another part to the story.
I previously enjoyed Hawthorn which is the first book in the series so will look forward to the next ghost story which is set in the spring.
Thank you the publisher via Netgalley for a copy of the book to review.
This is the second book in a series of four ghost stories set in each season of the year. This one is set in the few days leading upto midsummer.
I quite enjoyed this book. What I always like is small communities that have their own way and superstitions. The story certainly had some creepy moments and was full of atmosphere.
My niggle is at times I didn't know if Tom was dreaming or awake at times and this did leave me a liitle confused. My other niggle is that the chapters were really long and I felt that certain sections were never ending. I did however enjoy the story.
This book reminded me of The Wicker Man and this all does come clear at the end. I could see where the story was going and I did guess very easily another part to the story.
I previously enjoyed Hawthorn which is the first book in the series so will look forward to the next ghost story which is set in the spring.
Thank you the publisher via Netgalley for a copy of the book to review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A truly haunting tale, beautifully written.
"Saltwater" opens in the Summer of 1896. Tom Torrance works for the Northern Lighthouse Board, and is travelling to the Isle of Stroma off the northern coast of Scotland, to oversee the completion of a new lighthouse which will guide ships through one of the most dangerous stretches of water in Scotland. Accompanied by his brother Jamie, he is returning from Edinburgh following the death of their mother. Construction of the lighthouse has been plagued by difficulties, but Tom is determined to see it finished by Midsummer, an important time on Stroma.
However, no sooner has Tom landed on the isle, and resumed work, than he is plagued by one problem after another. The strange behaviour of the superstitious islanders, combined with the growing anxiety amongst his workers, leave him weary and restless. He has a growing sense of dread, not helped by his feckless brother's lack of interest in the work, his growing infatuation for a local wise-woman, Flora, and his inability to sleep. And as midsummer approaches, the tension rises still more. He is urged to return home, but insists he must complete the job. But when he starts seeing ghosts, he questions his sanity.
As with the author's previous book, "Saltwater" is set against the backdrop of a glorious, wild, beautiful and dangerous part of Scotland. We experience the barren land, the wild winds and the blue skies through Tom's eyes. The waters around Stroma are treacherous, and while at the time, the main trade was fishing, the fishermen had a healthy respect for the sea and in particular the whirlpool known as the Swilkie. The reason for the lighthouse was to make the Pentland Firth a safer passage for ships.
Along the way we meet a colourful cast of characters - surly fishermen, a well-meaning minister, a rough but fair foreman, and Flora's mother, Thrawn Jean, a wise-woman equally respected and feared by the superstitious villagers. Most of the book is narrated by Tom, although now and then we see events from the perspective of Jamie and Flora. As his fears grow, his migraines and sleeplessness pull him down, and he slowly comes to realise that there is more to the islanders superstitions than he allowed for. It's this slow build-up of fear and apprehension that keep the pages turning, as the reader and Tom question what is happening to him. The climax of the story is truly chilling.
Much of the background to Stroma is based on fact, making the story all the more poignant. The lighthouse still exists today, albeit unmanned.
Fans of Susan Hill and Michelle Paver will love this, the second book in a planned 4-book series of ghostly tales. Highly recommended.
"Saltwater" opens in the Summer of 1896. Tom Torrance works for the Northern Lighthouse Board, and is travelling to the Isle of Stroma off the northern coast of Scotland, to oversee the completion of a new lighthouse which will guide ships through one of the most dangerous stretches of water in Scotland. Accompanied by his brother Jamie, he is returning from Edinburgh following the death of their mother. Construction of the lighthouse has been plagued by difficulties, but Tom is determined to see it finished by Midsummer, an important time on Stroma.
However, no sooner has Tom landed on the isle, and resumed work, than he is plagued by one problem after another. The strange behaviour of the superstitious islanders, combined with the growing anxiety amongst his workers, leave him weary and restless. He has a growing sense of dread, not helped by his feckless brother's lack of interest in the work, his growing infatuation for a local wise-woman, Flora, and his inability to sleep. And as midsummer approaches, the tension rises still more. He is urged to return home, but insists he must complete the job. But when he starts seeing ghosts, he questions his sanity.
As with the author's previous book, "Saltwater" is set against the backdrop of a glorious, wild, beautiful and dangerous part of Scotland. We experience the barren land, the wild winds and the blue skies through Tom's eyes. The waters around Stroma are treacherous, and while at the time, the main trade was fishing, the fishermen had a healthy respect for the sea and in particular the whirlpool known as the Swilkie. The reason for the lighthouse was to make the Pentland Firth a safer passage for ships.
Along the way we meet a colourful cast of characters - surly fishermen, a well-meaning minister, a rough but fair foreman, and Flora's mother, Thrawn Jean, a wise-woman equally respected and feared by the superstitious villagers. Most of the book is narrated by Tom, although now and then we see events from the perspective of Jamie and Flora. As his fears grow, his migraines and sleeplessness pull him down, and he slowly comes to realise that there is more to the islanders superstitions than he allowed for. It's this slow build-up of fear and apprehension that keep the pages turning, as the reader and Tom question what is happening to him. The climax of the story is truly chilling.
Much of the background to Stroma is based on fact, making the story all the more poignant. The lighthouse still exists today, albeit unmanned.
Fans of Susan Hill and Michelle Paver will love this, the second book in a planned 4-book series of ghostly tales. Highly recommended.
May 19, 2026
I read an eARc of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.
This is a wonderfully atmospheric ghost story. We hit gold straight away with the setting, an isolated island in Scotland. Our main character is there to supervise the construction of a lighthouse, in a place that doesn’t really seem to want one. He’s brought his younger brother with him, but frequently gets frustrated at his lack of interest in the work. W have the isolated coastal setting, haunted by the many drowned people the lighthouse intends to stop being repeated. The setting is perfect for this kind of story.
There’s a growing tension throughout as the main character starts to become slightly obsessed with local woman, making him jealous of his own brother. Little accidents and unfortunate events pepper the construction of the lighthouse, and locals try to warn him of peril. These things stack and stack until we can see a danger our main character refuses to acknowledge.
The main character is a conflicting man, very smart and capable but devoid of common sense sometimes and unable to see what’s right in front of him. There’s elements of folklore here and I really want to compare this to another work but I think that would give spoilers! So I’ll have to encourage my friends to read this too so we can talk about it.
Two very good books I’ve read from this author and I’ll be looking out for what they do next.
This is a wonderfully atmospheric ghost story. We hit gold straight away with the setting, an isolated island in Scotland. Our main character is there to supervise the construction of a lighthouse, in a place that doesn’t really seem to want one. He’s brought his younger brother with him, but frequently gets frustrated at his lack of interest in the work. W have the isolated coastal setting, haunted by the many drowned people the lighthouse intends to stop being repeated. The setting is perfect for this kind of story.
There’s a growing tension throughout as the main character starts to become slightly obsessed with local woman, making him jealous of his own brother. Little accidents and unfortunate events pepper the construction of the lighthouse, and locals try to warn him of peril. These things stack and stack until we can see a danger our main character refuses to acknowledge.
The main character is a conflicting man, very smart and capable but devoid of common sense sometimes and unable to see what’s right in front of him. There’s elements of folklore here and I really want to compare this to another work but I think that would give spoilers! So I’ll have to encourage my friends to read this too so we can talk about it.
Two very good books I’ve read from this author and I’ll be looking out for what they do next.
April 18, 2026
Saltwater is the second in a series of four ghost stories. I found the first - Hawthorn - to be gripping and atmospheric, but in comparison, Saltwater was slightly disappointing.
Whilst excellently written as expected, I didn’t care about any of the characters, found the story to be very slow paced and the “twist” to be glaringly obvious.
That being said, it was still an interesting premise with beautiful descriptions of the Isle of Stroma.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Sphere for the ARC.
Whilst excellently written as expected, I didn’t care about any of the characters, found the story to be very slow paced and the “twist” to be glaringly obvious.
That being said, it was still an interesting premise with beautiful descriptions of the Isle of Stroma.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Sphere for the ARC.
June 22, 2026
I very much enjoyed the second book in Elaine Thomson’s ghost story quartet and finished it on the day of Summer Solstice 🌞 It had more of a folk horror and Wicker Man feel to it than the first book, Hawthorn, but it was fitting for its midsummer theme and setting. I must admit I found Tom, the makn character, a bit whining and naive, but then again it kind of felt right for this story and I liked how it wrapped up and was connected to Hawthorn. Can’t wait for the next story in the series!
June 24, 2026
Beautifully atmospheric journey to a remote Scottish island
Like the author's previous novel, this one, too, immerses the reader in Scottish lore and history. An old fashioned ghost story with characters that stay with you long after the ending. A fun, eerie read!
Like the author's previous novel, this one, too, immerses the reader in Scottish lore and history. An old fashioned ghost story with characters that stay with you long after the ending. A fun, eerie read!
July 7, 2026
Among my favorite things: saltwater, midsummer, ghost stories. And lighthouses and coasts and islands/highlands. Enjoyed this novel but didn’t find it eerie enough, and the “twist(s)” at the end were a little predictable. 3.5
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the second in a series of four seaonal ghost stories. This one is set on an isolated Scottish island at midsummer, late 1800s, a lighthouse is in its finishing stages of construction and the locals are grumbling about mishaps and strange goings on which seem to increase when our protagonist arrives to supervise them.
The main character is Tom Torrance, an engineer for the Northern Lighthouse Board. His brother also accompanies him as their mother has recently died and Tom feels he has to still look out for Jamie.
I was gripped from the start and the story builds as midsummer gets closer. It's very eerie and scary and I found it an immersive read. The writing is very atmospheric, I coud feel the isolation, and the wariness of the islanders and it all led up to a fantastic twist.
I enjoyed every bit of this folkloric tale and was reminded of Susan Hill's writing. A brilliant ghost story that I will read again.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher and author for this eARC.
The main character is Tom Torrance, an engineer for the Northern Lighthouse Board. His brother also accompanies him as their mother has recently died and Tom feels he has to still look out for Jamie.
I was gripped from the start and the story builds as midsummer gets closer. It's very eerie and scary and I found it an immersive read. The writing is very atmospheric, I coud feel the isolation, and the wariness of the islanders and it all led up to a fantastic twist.
I enjoyed every bit of this folkloric tale and was reminded of Susan Hill's writing. A brilliant ghost story that I will read again.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher and author for this eARC.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews