This voyage is special It will change everything One September evening in 1785, the merchant Jonah Hancock hears urgent knocking on his front door One of his captains is waiting eagerly on the step He has sold Jonah's ship for what appears to be a mermaid As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlours and brothels, everyone wants to see Mr Hancock's marvel Its arrival spins him out of his ordinary existence and through the doors of high society At an opulent party, he makes the acquaintance of Angelica Neal, the most desirable woman he has ever laid eyes on and a courtesan of great accomplishment This meeting will steer both their lives onto a dangerous new course, on which they will learn that priceless things come at the greatest cost Where will their ambitions lead? And will they be able to escape the destructive power mermaids are said to possess? In this spell-binding story of curiosity and obsession, Imogen Hermes Gowar has created an unforgettable jewel of a novel, filled to the brim with intelligence, heart and wit