Four years after the disappearance of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and his two ships, the HMS Investigator sets sail in search of them. Instead of rescuing lost comrades, the officers and crew soon find themselves trapped in their own ordeal, facing starvation, madness and death on the unknown Polar Sea. If only they can save themselves, they will bring back news of perhaps the greatest maritime achievement of the age: their discovery of the elusive Northwest Passage between Europe and the Orient. But the cost of hubris, ignorance, daring and deceit is soon laid bare. In the face of catastrophe, a desperate rescue plan is made to send away the weakest men to meet their fate on the ice. Drawing on long-forgotten journals, transcripts and correspondence, Payton weaves an astonishing tale of endurance. Brian Payton's previous books include Hail Mary Corner and Shadow of the Bear: Travels in Vanishing Wilderness. He lives in Vancouver.