In a London prison, Sarah, committed to hang for the murder of a man, must escape her sentence and board the Rajah headed to Van Diemen’s Land. In the 1840s, 200 women guilty of petty crimes are to board the ship and start life afresh on the far away island. Sarah is determined to be one of them. The night before the prisoners in her cell are to board the ship, she drugs another inmate, ties her up, takes her name tag, and hides her under a blanket.
Sarah, now Clara, keeps a low profile while on board afraid someone might recognize her. She has joined Kezia’s quilt making group. A free do-gooder, Kezia hopes to offer some of the women a skill, so they don’t turn to crime again. Hattie is also a member of the sewing group and the one who recognizes Clara. It isn’t long before Hattie is murdered. Is Clara responsible or is there some other prisoner who has committed the crime? It’s up to the captain, Mr Ferguson, Mr Dovavan (the surgeon on board), Mr Davis (the priest), and Kezia to find the murderer before the ship docks in Hobart.
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