Wrongly convicted of a crime, Robert Penfold is condemned to 5 years penal servitude. After a year he is transported on the hulk VENGEANCE destined for Australia. Once again karma is against him, and he is shipwrecked on an uncharted island in the South Pacific. Helen Rolleston (the woman he loves and who does not even recognize him) happens to also be on board and shares his fate. After several months of hardships, they are rescued thanks to Robert's ingenuity, and she returns to Britain alone in order to vindicate him. As with all good Victorian Sensation novels you can expect a complex plot and a superb cast of characters. - Summary by Celine Major