The Firedrake

Jack Rennick is a newspaperman. Since he crawled out of the trenches of the Great War, London is where he's built a reputation for knowing every back-alley thug, backbencher, and army sub. Among the black-coated army having drinks in a saloon, Jack saves the life of a rough stranger, and the two become fast friends, with Jack putting the man up for the night. Before passing out, the stranger warns Rennick of dangerous times ahead and tells him to "Hold fast — the Firedrake."

The next morning, a gruesome sight unfolds in the guest room: smoke, and the ash of the stranger's remains. Jack Rennick is accused of arson and murder and races north to clear his name and decipher the drunken clues of a hazy night.

Outside the naval yard at Aberdeen, Jack befriends Izzy Fowler, a former flapper, her fast times faded, her spirit fully intact. The two team up to beat the frame-up and uncover the truth behind the Firedrake.

Set in 1937, this story of political espionage and intrigue takes readers from London to Aberdeen and across the British Empire in a race to find the truth about the Firedrake.

Anticipated Spring 2027

COMP TITLES

The Terror — Dan Simmons (2007),
Bitter Seeds — Ian Tregillis (2010),
The Ministry of Time — Kaliane Bradley (2024),
The Devil and the Dark Water — Stuart Turton (2020),
Leviathan — Scott Westerfeld (2009).