The Vermilion Sea: A Novel

Set aboard a yacht in the 1920s, this novel follows Billie McKennan, a brilliant scientist fighting for recognition in her field. After the Great War, she secures a marine biologist position on an expedition funded by a wealthy eccentric, though she obtains it through a deliberate omission. She soon learns that others aboard are also keeping secrets. The opulent Eurybia departs for the Gulf of California carrying well-to-do passengers and talented scientists. To Billie's surprise, her ex-husband is among them. When a mysterious specimen is captured, the voyage's true purpose becomes unclear. As rumors and superstition spread among the crew, the line between science and the occult blurs. A sinister force takes hold of the vessel and its occupants. Billie must confront the reality of what she encounters in the vermilion sea and decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to survive.