On a dark night in the Danish harbor of Dragor, Ulf receives a log-book from a lone sailor who then disappears. The log's bizarre records lead Ulf and his friend, Torben, into a dangerous winter crossing of the North Sea toward Scotland. As they pass through the Caledonian Canal, a lock-gate bursts open, nearly killing them. Fear and paranoia begin to take hold as they come to suspect that someone wants them dead. And then they notice the black fishing boat trailing close in their wake. Before long, Ulf and Torben find themselves at odds with arms smugglers, a Druidic cult, and some of the world's most dangerous waters. First published in Sweden, Bj????????????????rn Larsson's bestselling thriller has been compared by critics to Erskine Childers's The Riddle of the Sands. Larsson combines a mastery of detailed sailing language with an intriguing and momentous plot which culminates in a macabre denouement on an ancient Celtic site.