David Palin
The Scorpion Archipelago
A Chilling Thriller of Lost Civilisations and Buried Truths
Publisher:
Matthew James Publishing
Formats:
Paperback, eBook, hardcover
Date:
January 2026
Some secrets should stay buried. Some destinations should never be explored.
When the legendary oceanographer, Professor Edward Sutch, announces one final expedition, his archaeologist daughter, Jane, joins him on a journey shrouded in secrecy. Accompanied by a vaunted photographer and Jane’s reckless husband, whose motives are far from pure, the team set off for a remote, unmapped group of islands, unknown to the modern world.
What they discover is more than just a forgotten civilisation. A trap laid centuries ago is triggered, ancient evils start to resurface, and history begins to repeat itself. At the heart of the Archipelago, they uncover buried truths – both within the island and within themselves; truths that were never meant to resurface.
The Scorpion Archipelago is a haunting exploration of obsession, belief, and the cost of uncovering the truth. A dark and atmospheric thriller laced with ancient mystery and unsettling power.
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The Spark
My love of Geographical, the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society, set the wheels in motion for this story. Reading articles about parts of the Earth which are still almost inaccessible to the common man; the fates of ancient civilisations and the discovery of manuscripts – whose imagination wouldn’t be fired by such things? Add into the mix a factor that hasn’t changed through the millennia – mankind’s ability to self-destruct – and off I went; travelling that unknown path which is the writing of a novel.
“What a wonderfully dark and atmospheric read. The Scorpion Archipelago pulled me in almost immediately and kept that slow-burn sense of unease simmering right through to the end."
“A totally gripping adventure thriller that had me hooked from the start. Every time I thought I knew where the plot was going there was another shocking twist. I read the book in super-fast time and found it almost impossible to put down. Utterly spellbinding.”