The Ghost of the Mary Celeste by Valerie Martin

The Ghost of the Mary Celeste

by Valerie Martin

'A masterpiece' GUARDIAN

'A wonderfully ingenious novel, compelling, convincing and exciting' John Banville

A mystery unsolved to this day
A mystic who confounds the cynics
A writer looking for the story that will make his name

A ghost ship appears in the mist. To the struggling author Arthur Conan Doyle, it is an inspiration. To Violet Petra, the gifted American psychic, it is a cruel reminder. To the death-obsessed Victorian public, it is a fascinating distraction. And to one family, tied to the sea for generations, it is a tragedy.

In salons and on rough seas, at séances and in the imagination of a genius, these stories converge in unexpected ways as the mystery of the ghost ship deepens. But will the sea yield its secrets, and to whom?

Reviewed by Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews on

2 of 5 stars

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Fond of:
It was well written and descriptive to a t.

The characters were not lacking in development adding a boost to the overall story.

Enjoyed Arthur Conan Doyle's role in the Mary Celeste as I like reading fictional novels on writers, artist etc.

Not fond of:
The plot itself did little to awaken me. I guess I was expecting more on the crew/passengers of the Mary Celeste before its disappearance but instead was presented with a mysterious psychic, of which I'm as much a believer as Houdini after his mother's death.

Final Thoughts:
The Ghost of the Mary Celeste was a little slow paced for me, but that may have to do with the subject matter. Although, I think someone with an interest in the nautical genre would find this intriguing.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 13 April, 2015: Finished reading
  • 13 April, 2015: Reviewed