In 1847 the love for a woman and a debt of honour threatens to destroy two men in the harsh penal colony of Norfolk Island Driven by intense jealousy and guilt Lieutenant Edmund Thornton sets out to destroy convicted felon Michael Hanlon both of whom share a love for Sarah Henshall Her unexpected arrival on the island sets into motion a series of tragic eventsCan Edmund slay the beast of jealousy and find redemption Or must he accept his fate and risk losing forever the woman he can no longer live without