Charlotte Riley

In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. This story reveals the encounter's harrowing aftermath, as the ship's surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive.

At the end of WWII, British intelligence officer Callum Ferguson is assigned to persuade captured German scientist Dieter Koehler to work with the British RAF to develop an urgently needed jet engine.

While Dieter is helping the British achieve their jet engine goals, Victor provides information to Callum showing that Dieter may not be as innocent as he seems. Then, Callum works to regain favor with Kathy by helping her get access to a useful German prisoner.

With Dieter's wedding just around the corner, the entire hotel is involved in preparations for the event. Callum confronts Rachel to understand her true feelings for him, and Victor remains haunted by the effects of the war.

Callum struggles to keep up with his work responsibilities and the demands of the hotel's newest guest, Frau Bellinghausen, while his relationship with Rachel becomes more compromising. Callum gets to know Harold, an ex-Foreign Office bureaucrat, who reveals some startling truths about the outbreak of the war.