The Salvage by Anbara Salam is a gothic literary thriller set on a small Scottish island in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The protagonist is Marta, a trailblazing marine archaeologist sent to investigate a Victorian shipwreck on behalf of a local wealthy family descended from the ship’s captain. On her first dive, she sees a figure lurking in the depths of the wreckage, and when items from the ship go missing and a record-breaking winter traps her on the island, the horror only escalates.
Marta is brilliant at her job and dedicated, but she’s also impulsive, guilt-ridden, and haunted by her past. Distrustful locals, impatient clients, and her boss (who also happens to be her estranged husband) keep the pressure on while the mystery around the ship’s history mounts. Her one reprieve is charming bartender, Elsie, who works at Marta’s hotel, and with whom she soon develops a complex and illicit relationship.
This was as delightfully creepy as I hoped it would be. The author does an excellent job of maintaining tension and ramping up dread throughout the story. The isolated setting with a population with multiple reasons to devolve into hysteria and existing religious fervor creates an immersive sense of claustrophobia. The mystery kept me on my toes throughout.
Additionally, I loved that the female protagonist was flawed and messy. Her romance with Elsie, given the historical time period and the religious setting is anything but straightforward, adding some much-needed depth. Plus, how refreshing to find historical horror that has a diverse cast! If you enjoy literary horror in the vein of Our Wives Under the Sea, gothic horror, or even something like Midnight Mass this is certainly worth picking up.
