The Salvage, Anbara Salam
The Salvage, Anbara Salam
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The Salvage

Author: Anbara Salam

Narrator: Angus King, Raghad Chaar

Unabridged: 12 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/07/2025

Categories: Fiction, Lgbtq+, Gothic


Synopsis

Goodreads Editor’s Pick * Town & Country Best Book of Fall * Ms. Magazine Best Book * Most Anticipated: Autostraddle & Literary Hub * A Favorite Queer Book of 2025 from Book Riot

"A favorite read of the year. The Salvage is a journey both eerie and inspiring to embark on.” —Chicago Review of Books

It is 1962, and Marta Khoury, a trailblazing marine archaeologist, has been called to Cairnroch, a small island off the east coast of Scotland. A Victorian shipwreck, dragged from arctic waters, holds the remains of a celebrated explorer and the treasures of his final expedition. But on her first dive down to the ship, Marta becomes convinced she has seen a dark figure lurking amid the wreckage.

When the Cuban Missile Crisis and the deep chill of a record-breaking winter keeps Marta stranded on Cairnroch, she forms a relationship with Elsie, a local woman working in the island’s only hotel. When the ship's artefacts inexplicably disappear, Marta and Elsie have to brave the freezing conditions to search for the missing objects before anyone else catches on. As something eerie seems to follow her at every step, Marta must confront if the haunting is a figment of her imagination, the repercussions from a terrible mistake from her past, or if something more sinister is at play that will trap her and everyone on the island—and their secrets—in an icy wilderness.

About The Author

Anbara Salam is half-Palestinian and half-Scottish, and grew up in London. She is the author of Hazardous Spirits, Belladonna, and Things Bright and Beautiful. She has a PhD in Theology and lives in Oxford, England.


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Quotes

A slow-burn gothic thriller . . . . will appeal to any reader looking for an intricately detailed, deftly researched historical novel with a hint of intrigue, a hint of romance, and plenty of shadowy corners where anything might be lurking.”—Literary Hub, A Notable Small Press Book of 2025

“Saturated with desperation and desire, this atmospheric novel demands to be experienced.” —The Lesbrary

“Equal parts historical fiction, gothic thriller, and haunted whodunnit.”Necessary Fiction

“Using a timeless structure to examine the ways that religion, ghosts, and grief shape a community, this gothic tale wrestles with themes of redemption and resolution.” —The Rumpus

“Readers will be guessing until the very end what is real, what isn’t and what is going to happen next. This book was like nothing else I read this year.”Locus, 2025 Books We Loved

“Dead men’s shadows, creaking cupboard doors and poisoned relationships make for a gothic takeover of the science in this tale. I liked the way our archaeologist is gradually convinced of the supernatural terrors, even while a supposedly superstitious islander counters with evidence rooted in the everyday world.”—Scientific American, A Favorite Book of 2025

"Suspenseful, eerie. . . this moody mystery is an exploration of prejudice and ostracization, and a warning against living in the past."—Ms. Magazine, Best Book of the Month

"Without a doubt, a fabulous read...The language alone is miraculous, and Salam’s knack for creating a mysterious and compelling setting is enough to mark this as a favorite read of the year. The Salvage is a journey both eerie and inspiring to embark on."—Chicago Review of Books

"Salam’s prose shines…. Salam is shedding light on a universal human experience through a new lens."—Full Stop

"Delightfully creepy...The mystery kept me on my toes throughout." —Lesbrary

"Dials up the creepy…. if you’re looking for a fresh new voice in horror fiction, Anbara Salam might just be what you’re after."—This Is Horror

"As an ethnic and professional outlier in a patriarchal, homogeneous society, Palestinian Scottish Salam’s protagonist provides plenty of opportunities to expose and confront misogyny, racism, entitlement, and abusive history…. [a] slow-burn mystery."—Booklist

"An atmospheric psychological thriller… intertwines cabin fever, personal guilt, and ominous island histories."—Foreword Reviews

"As chilly as the icy sea, as haunting as the prospects of ghosts, The Salvage is a novel to keep you up all night. Anbara Salam is a master of suspense. Be careful when you start this book, because you won’t want to stop." —Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of The Child Finder and the forthcoming The Talking Bone

"A rich, gothic mystery, The Salvage has a moody, salt-drenched atmosphere, and layers of intrigue that span centuries. I couldn’t put it down." —Flynn Berry, bestselling author of Under the Harrow