The Ghost Ship

This book is so incredibly lovely that I don't know where to start. The Ghost Ship has adventure, buccaneering, illicit love and lots of secrets. It most of all is a story of a defiant woman making her mark in a man's world. Our heroine Louise has always wanted to be the captain of a ship. When she turns twenty-five she receives an inheritance from her father and quickly buys a ship called Old Moon. Ten years later, she hosts a farewell dinner party for the Old Moon's retiring captain and meets Gilles, a wine merchant's apprentice. Louise and Gilles become fast friends and later begin a relationship. However, Gilles has a secret of his own. He is a she.

While Louise hires another man to be her captain, she decides that she is going to show more travel with her ship to the Canary Islands. Fate steps in and Louise becomes the captain. It is her commandeering of this ship that leads Louise to inquisitors in the Canaries, a Spanish and hence Catholic, island nation. With her family being well known Huguenots she is already a suspicious person to the inquisitors. However, some one on the ship has talked with them about her.

Louise’s quest to break society's rules had me scared for her throughout the novel. She was a tough lady but without her inheritance she would have probably married and bore children. Money gave her options. It was lovely to reconnect with her grandparents who we met in book two. Grandmother Minou is one of my favorite characters in the series and she has some of her own secrets that get exposed. We also find out what happened with her parents.

Alot happened in this intricate plot. Author Mosse obviously did plenty of research into the Huguenots. She brought their travails to life. I also liked that she wrote a Preface before the story began telling the reader what was fact and fiction. It was nice that I didn't need to question facts as I read the book.

The Ghost Ship is a must read. show less

A ghost ship has plagued the sea for months. This ghost ship has been a pain in the side for pirates. It has also been a saving grace for the enslaved. So, it must be found and the captain contained. But, the captain is not who anyone expects.

Louise is living in the wrong time period. She wants to own her own ship, but in 1600 Holland…you can imagine the hardship this is. But, due to her uncle, Louise does succeed in her dream. Not only that, she succeeds in making the seas a safer place. Something that the powers that be could not do. This lands her in prison and a noose around her neck. But, don’t count her down yet…you need to read this to find out.

I have been a fan of this author since her very first book. And I have read them show more all. This story, like all her books, is very well researched. There is so much that I learned and enjoyed in this tale.

Need a unique historical fiction…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion show less

Louise Reydon-Joubert has come into her inheritance and is a wealthy woman. Now all she wants to do is to go to sea. Whilst in La Rochelle she meets Gilles Barenton and is immediately attracted to this young man, however Gilles hides a secret. Louise sails in her ship, The Old Moon, to Las Palmas but along the way the captain meets an unfortunate end, this is the opportunity Louise has craved.
I have stuck with this book series from Mosse and I'm glad I have done as this is easily the best of them so far. Mosse is clear that she has been influenced by the tales of the pirates Bonny and Read and this is evident in the tale of Gilles but it just adds colour to the narrative. What I do love is the way this novel is set in the time where the show more Dutch Netherlands were becoming independent from Spain and the VOC were becoming successful, however it also tackles the thornier subject of slavery and the often overlooked enslavement of Europeans by the Barbary corsairs. I lot of background and an exciting tale. show less

The usual quality writing and research I have come to expect from this Author, with superb characterisation throughout. Atmospheric with a real feel for time and place. Engaging from first to last page, however whilst I enjoyed the book it did not totally grip me like the previous books in this trilogy, they were almost impossible to put down.
Enjoyable.

I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series until I started reading the book. In spite of that, it read very well as a stand alone.

Set along the Barbary coast in the 1600’s, a woman named Louise becomes captain of the ship she owns and sets out to thwart the pirates who a dealing in the slave trade. Louise is very unconventional and it makes life more difficult for her during those times.

Eventually she is caught and tried for murder, but instead of hanging, she is ordered into exile. Louise sets off once again and readers are left with questions about what became of her and those aboard her ship.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am pleased to give my honest review.

A sweeping story covering Paris, La Rochelle, Amsterdam and Canary Islands as Louise follows her ambitions and goes to sea, challenging the usual expectations for women's roles. As usual full of historical research of life in seventeenth century Europe.

The third part in the story of the Joubert family takes place in Paris, Amsterdam, La Rochelle and at sea, with rebellious Louise at the centre of the story, wanting to live her kind of life despite social disapproval.