Storm clouds gather and lightning streaks across the sky as the cargo ship Per se sets sail from Grundartangi, heading for South America. Nine crew members are on board, most with something dubious in their baggage. Some of the men have heard that the crew is to be dismissed and plan to take matters into their own hands as soon as the storm subsides. The atmosphere on the ship is filled with suspicion, fear, and hostility, and when communication with the outside world is cut off, it seems as if evil forces take control…

Is the ship cursed? Is there a stowaway on board? While Per se is tossed about in a severe storm on the open sea, the crew fights a fierce battle against various dangers, a struggle that escalates until it becomes a matter of life and death.

The Cursed Ship, previously published as The Ship, is Stefán Máni’s seventh novel. It is an intensely thrilling page-turner so powerful that it sends chills down the reader’s spine.

the Blood Drop, Icelandic Crime Award and nomination for the Glass Key Award in 2007.
Crime Fiction of the Year in France by literary magazine Liré in 2010.

“With The Ship, Stefán Máni delivers an outstanding crime novel that transcends the genre.”
MATTHIAS BIEBER, TZ

“Incredibly absorbing, with a compact narrative and rich vocabulary that grips the reader until the end.”
CHRISTA PETERS, RECKLINGSHAUSER ZEITUNG

“Seldom has a book evoked such dark, menacing feelings… The tension rises relentlessly, exposing the darkness and evil within each member of the crew.”
KERSTIN STRECKER, DIE WELT

“This novel is a relentless companion, recreating a nightmare that begins anew with each menace. Perfect for feverish nights filled with cold shivers.”
ULRICH BARON, SPIEGEL