The Baku Inheritance

Anton knew something was wrong the moment he stepped ashore …

1890: The ancient city of Baku on the outermost edge of the Russian Empire. 

When Anton Sabroski returns home after years away to find his father on his deathbed, he is horrified to discover the once-wealthy oil baron has been declared bankrupt, and the family’s oil fields are now in others’ possession. To Anton’s amazement, his father has left him a mysterious package with a Fabergé egg and his will, which requires Anton to retain in his employment Klara, a puzzling and intriguing young woman.

But Anton has another reason for returning to Baku. He wants his talented friend Rafiq to design an oil tanker according to top-secret specifications that would permit it to use the Suez Canal. As Americans and European vie for control of the Caspian oil fields, Anton and Rafiq are caught up in a brutal clash between some of the world’s richest men, and Klara has her own secrets.

An exotic tale of betrayal and loss, love and revenge, set against nineteenth century Baku – a volatile oil city on the edge of the Russian Empire.

Silver Medal Winner for Adventure Fiction First Chapters Award from the Historical Novel Society 2024