Description:

It’s ironic, but fact is often harder to believe than fiction. Yet a fact is something that is known to be true. The reason why Fated is more mind boggling than a conventional novel is that it’s a true story. In 1953 a ship, the Rev James, leaves the Mersey on a routine voyage to the Far East. Scouse, the chief steward, is an amateur numerologist. He sees omens of doom in the ship’s name; her Official Number; the sailing day; the sailing date and many other things. ‘There is going to be grief,’ he concludes. The officers scoff. OK, so the ship has an unlucky past and the Chinese crew think there is a bad ancestor aboard. But that’s all superstitious nonsense. Then tragedy strikes – exactly as Scouse predicted. That alone is bizarre. But when, many years later, a malicious rumour about that event surfaces in the north of Scotland, one of the ship’s ex-officers feels compelled to investigate. It’s then that he makes a disturbing discovery that turns whole affair into an eerie mystery