The Second Mate
By Philip McCutchan
Tom Chatto is back…
And the turn of the twentieth century – the era of the great steamships – signals a new dawn.
Now with his Master’s Certificate in hand, Tom Chatto has set his sights on becoming second officer on the Omega, a British liner bound for Valparaiso, Chile.
But among the 800 passengers on board is an unwelcome face from Tom’s past. Someone who is determined to exact revenge at any cost…
Adding to Tom’s troubles are the attempts of wealthy widow Grace Handley to seduce him. But with Tom already in love with the daughter of a wealthy Argentinian cattle rancher, will he be able to resist Grace Handley’s charms?
Things come to a head when, around the Cape Horn, the Omega is blocked by a foundering windjammer in a blistering storm.
With the lives of everyone on board in danger, Tom must use every skill and ounce of courage he has to overcome his biggest challenge yet and save the lives of all on board.
A thrilling, seafaring adventure, Second Mate is the follow-up to Philip McCutchan’s Apprentice to the Sea, featuring plucky protagonist, Tom Chatto.
Philip McCutchan grew up in the naval atmosphere of Portsmouth Dockyard and developed a lifetime’s interest in the sea. Military history was an early interest of his, resulting in several fiction books about the British Army and its campaigns, especially in the last 150 years. He served throughout WWII in a variety of ships, including the cruiser Vindictive, the ocean boarding vessel Largs, and the escort carrier Ravager, ending the war as a lieutenant, RNVR. He is also the author of Drums Along the Khyber.
