A death and a dark family secret see the orphaned Fleur finding her sea legs and a thirst for adventure in this brooding and brilliant book from an exciting new talent. Moments before he is murdered, Fleur's father tells her the terrible secret of who he really is. Now orphaned, Fleur has little choice but to leave her home and join the man who comes to claim her - her estranged uncle, William Hart. But William is a terrifying and ruthless pirate and Fleur is thrust into life on board the Libertine . Living amongst a devilish crew of battle-hardened buccaneers is dangerous for a young girl and earning their respect seems impossible. But Hart blood runs in Fleur's veins and when she gets the chance to avenge her father's death she might just prove to be the fiercest pirate of them all ...

Fleur has been reunited with the crew of the pirate ship the Black Dragon, and is especially happy to be home with her best friend Tom and her gruff uncle William the Heartless. They set sale for the Americas, a continent in the suspicious grip of the infamous witch trials at Salem. When Fleur discovers her mother - who she has long believed dead - is on trial for witchcraft, she mounts a daring rescue mission, which results in William being captured and transported to London to the Tyburn gallows. Fleur knows she must do everything in her power to save him, and captains the Black Dragon on its most treacherous journey yet. But dealing with rough waters and an ambush from the Royal Navy is nothing compared to the danger posed by her own mother Rose, the ultimate in unscrupulous pirate queens...