Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "murder"

The Bloody Black Flag: A Spider John Mystery by Steve Goble

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


All Spider John Rush wants is to see his wife and child in Nantucket, but fate always draws him back to the sea and piracy. Such is the case when he and his friend Ezra reach Boston. To evade the law, they must accept an offer to join Captain William Barlow’s Plymouth Dream. These pirates need of able mariners like Ezra, but they especially prize John’s carpentry skills. Although old hands with the sweet trade, joining a band already formed means he and Ezra are outsiders. Further alienating them from the others is a tattooed man, who knows the blood of a witch runs through Ezra’s veins. Having survived the sinking of a ship on her maiden voyage makes him an even greater pariah.

Unlike other pirate ships, Captain Barlow runs Plymouth Dream with an iron fist. He’s not opposed to listening to others, but he and only he makes the decisions. He puts no store in superstitious drivel, so as long as Spider and Ezra do what is expected, they are welcome aboard his ship.

Soon after they depart New England waters, Spider John finds Ezra dead. The consensus is that his death is the result of over-imbibing and melancholy. John knows there is nothing accidental or suicidal about his friend’s demise, but aboard a ship of cutthroats, only a fool starts slinging accusations of murder around. Spider vows to find the killer and make him pay. Solving the crime with only two clues – knowing the killing device was made from the wood of an apple tree and the silver flask left to disguise the death – further complicates his task, especially since he must find the killer before they reach their destination. To help him in his search, he enlists the help of Hob, the young cabin boy who goes everywhere on the ship without raising undue attention. The more they hunt, the more names are added to the suspect list. As if the fates are amused by Spider’s fruitless investigation, they spice it up with a phantom frigate that doggedly pursues the Plymouth Dream and the theft of a priceless object that Barlow intended to sell to a mysterious Frenchman.

The Bloody Black Flag is the first tale in the Spider John Mystery series. Spider is more a thinker, than a man of brawn and action, although readers who prefer ship chases, boarding prey, and mutinies will find those woven into the warp and weft of this tapestry. The wide variety of characters makes for an interesting cast, all of whom are running away or hiding from something. Figuring out which is the murderer will keep readers guessing until the end, and it may be as surprising to them as it is to Spider. Goble expertly weaves pirate lore into this historical mystery and his gift of words easily transports us back to October 1722 and the deck of the Plymouth Dream.




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A Bottle of Rum by Steve Goble

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Once forced into piracy in order to survive, master carpenter Spider John Rush has abandoned the sweet trade and seeks only to return to his wife and the son he’s never seen. Odin, a one-eyed pirate who once sailed with Blackbeard and Ned Low (or so he claims), accompanies him on the lam from the pirate-hunting Admiralty and navy-hunting press gangs. They’ve traveled incognito to Lymington, England where they repair Crosskeys tavern in exchange for room and board until they can find a ship to take them to Nantucket.

One evening in August 1723, they play chess for a bottle of rum. A woman screams, “Murder!” and unable to resist the lure of a puzzle, Spider John races upstairs. Odin’s for forgetting the whole affair, but Spider recognizes the knife sticking out of the proprietor’s neck. Bloody footprints lead him to the open window, where he spies a small man hobbling away into the darkness. Needing to know how the knife he fashioned found its victim and what happened to the friend he made it for, Spider John sets off in pursuit – which just makes him look guilty to the patrons who spy him holding the knife and escaping out the window.

As Spider John unravels this intricately woven tapestry of murder, the clues lead him to smugglers, a nasty associate from his past, a healer on a scientific quest, a house for troubled souls, and three women: a caretaker with access to poisoned rum, a pirate who’s determined to learn the true reason for his visit, and a young lady with a bizarre fascination with death. And let’s not forget his irrational fear of birds! It plays an important role in the story as well.

Although this story takes place entirely on land, pirates abound. There’s plenty of action reminiscent of swashbuckling battles at sea, as well as enough twists, turns, and red herrings to please any mystery lover who enjoys puzzles that require both brain and brawn to uncover the truth. The quirky and memorable characters are never commonplace nor do what’s expected. This third installment in the Spider John Mystery series is the best one yet.




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Harbor of Spies: A Novel of Historic Havana by Robin Lloyd

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


At the end of January 1863, the Laura Ann arrives at Havana, but is unable to enter the bay because night has fallen. Nor can she return to open waters because a Confederate gunboat is out there hunting merchant ships flying the Stars and Stripes of the United States. Acting captain Everett Townsend is debating what to do when he hears shouts coming from the shark-infested water. He rescues an injured man named Michael Abbot, who has just escaped from El Morro Castle.

Cuba is an enticing mystery to Everett because it is the homeland of his mother, but once she left the island, she refused to speak of it or her family. Helping the injured fugitive comes naturally to him since his family aids runaway slaves passing through Maryland. But Cuba is a far cry from the United States, and being a Good Samaritan sets in motion a series of falling dominos with dire consequences for Everett.

Abbot has been investigating the murder of an English diplomat that was swept under the rug, but there are those with power and influence who don’t want the matter reopened. They become aware of Everett’s assistance and, soon, he finds himself imprisoned and unable to contact anyone. The Spanish officials believe him to be a spy, an executable offense. Don Pedro Alvarado Cardona offers him a lifeline. The cost, however, is almost as disgraceful and distasteful as when Everett was booted out of the US Naval Academy. If he wishes to live, he must become a Confederate blockade runner. Havana is nominally a neutral seaport; in reality, it is a depot where Confederate ships can load British armament to smuggle into the South or unload cotton and other goods that would otherwise rot in blockaded Southern ports.

Everett reluctantly accepts Don Pedro’s offer, but vows to escape at the first opportunity. That chance doesn’t come. Instead, he is offered a chance to visit the plantations where he comes face-to-face with the realities of slavery and people who knew his mother. A foreign diplomat offers Everett a way to change the current path his life is on, but it requires him to gain the trust of Don Pedro, a suspicious and mysterious man who has many secrets.

Harbor of Spies takes place over a span of six months – a time that may seem short for the reader, but is an eternity for the characters. Lloyd has crafted an intricate web of interconnected subplots and enigmas that subtly ensnare those who venture into the past that was Old Havana, where societal disparities were rampant and no one trusted anyone. A real diplomatic murder serves as the catalyst and the depth of Lloyd’s historical research is evident throughout. He provides vivid portrayals of slavery, human trafficking, manipulations, crime, blockade running, corruption, espionage, jealousy, and romance. This is a story where everyone wears a mask and nothing is as it seems.




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City of Liars by Michelle Fogle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The home to which Joachim Déulocresca returns is not the same one that he left. Fear and hate, tinged with greed – all under the guise of devout Catholicism – permeate Barcelona. No one is safe, especially if you are a Jew. After his contact is burned at the stake, Joachim removes the badge marking his religion to become a Christian pilot in search of a new ship.

The first Act of Faith is a powerful draw for devout Aularia Bautista. What better way is there to publicly demonstrate her Catholic faith? Her parents forbid her to attend, but willful naivete compels her to go. The auto-da-fé and anger she witnesses horrify her, and she confides this to her tutor who offers her a “better” way to demonstrate her piety.

Joachim and Aularia initially meet at the execution; their next encounter is at her home. Her father, a wealthy spice merchant, hires Joachim as his new navigator and agent. A shared attraction brings them together, while a confession nudges them to cooperate in helping Jews elude the Inquisition. But Barcelona is a city of liars, a place where everyone wears a mask. When the masks are lifted, Joachim and Aularia find themselves enmeshed in situations more portentous than expected and from which neither may escape.

The depth of Fogle’s research is evident and seamlessly interwoven into a story that incorporates graphic depictions of prejudice, murder, betrayal, deception, Barbary pirates, and rape. Absent is an author’s note to explain why she uses “Señyorita” instead of “Señorita.” While two first person viewpoints are initially disconcerting, Fogle deftly weaves a labyrinthine tale in which sectarianism is as relevant in 1487 Spain as it is today.




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(This review originally appeared in the May 2022 issue of Historical Novels Review: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...)

Plow the Dirt but Watch the Sky: True Tales of Manure, Media, Militaries, and More by Martin Kufus

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The title alone suggests that this is not a typical pirate book, and you’re right. Only a single chapter is devoted to pirates. In 2012, Kufus is one of four men hired to guard a cargo ship and her crew as they traverse the dangerous waters around the Horn of Africa. He writes about the skills needed to work in maritime security, as well as the risks and liabilities. He also shares historical background about Somali piracy, what his duties are aboard the 340-foot ship, and the measures taken to keep the pirates off her. Although he does not encounter pirates on this voyage, he shares an account from one of the seamen who has. Two aspects that Kufus makes clear are that modern pirates bear no resemblance to those depicted on the silver screen and the majority of mariners who become victims of piracy hail from China, India, Kenya, the Philippines, China, and Thailand.

“P is for Pirates” is one of twenty-six stories Kufus shares about experiences in his life that have left indelible memories. As a child he shovels manure on the family farm and strikes out when playing Little League baseball. As an adult, he is a newspaper reporter, a magazine editor, a foreign correspondent, an Army paratrooper, a Russian-speaking soldier working in signals intelligence during the Cold War, and a first responder. In addition to the personal events that he relates, he also discusses science fiction, music, fishing, Apollo 11, the failed attempt to rescue the Embassy hostages in Iran, murder, the 1918 influenza pandemic, tornadoes and floods, and rattlesnakes. In some chapters, he includes photographs of his experiences.

Although I read this book from A to Z, Kufus provides two alternatives for those who prefer to pick and choose or like to read chronologically. Regardless of how you read this book, you never know what you will encounter despite each chapter’s title. While these are recollections of his past, they also remind us of our own and they evoke emotions that allow us to identify with him. Some chapters contain humor, such as his undercover assignment at a nudist colony. Others are poignant, such as his friend’s traumatic brain injury or a child and a gun. Still others are nail-biters, such as when he goes sport skydiving or tries to rescue stranded firefighters.

Piracy may be only one topic discussed within these pages, but Plow the Dirt but Watch the Sky holds a treasure chest full of memories be they his . . . or yours.

(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Kufus.html)



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Murder Aboard: The Herbert Fuller Tragedy and the Ordeal of Thomas Bram by C. Michael Hiam

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On 3 July 1896, the Herbert Fuller left Boston. Ten days later, the captain, his wife, and the second mate were dead. Murdered with an ax while they slept. Surrounded by ocean, that meant someone on board had done the horrendous deed and any one of the survivors could be next.

There was no inkling of anything out of the ordinary before that fateful night. The barkentine carried a cargo of white pine bound for South America on a journey that should have taken about two months. There were twelve people aboard the ship, including Lester Hawthorne Monks, a student at Harvard University. That night, before going to sleep, he read a story of mutiny and murder by William Clark Russell. Sometime after he retired, he was awakened by a scream. When he went to investigate, he found Captain Charles Nash dead. Later, he and the steward also found the bodies of Laura Nash and August Blomberg.

Soon after, the remaining nine men aboard decided to preserve the bodies and some of the evidence and to sail for Halifax, Nova Scotia, which they deemed the closest port where they could report the murders. They also tried to determine who did the deed. The most likely suspect was Charley Brown, a Swedish sailor who acted suspiciously. But perhaps Thomas Bram, the first mate, was the murderer. Or maybe the two acted together. Whatever the truth, surely the authorities in Halifax would find the answer. If not them, the Americans would since the victims were American, the Herbert Fuller was American, and she had departed from an American port.

What ensues, however, is an account of questionable justice rife with lies, exaggerations, racism, and manipulation. No one, not even the passenger Monks, the victims, the sailors, or even the attorney who prosecuted the case, were above reproach. Only one victim supposedly got justice, because errors made by the grand jury meant the defendant could be tried for only one murder. Black-and-white pictures and diagrams, some submitted as evidence, are included, as is a bibliography and index.

Hiam provides an insightful and riveting account of the days before, during, and after the murders were committed. He shows how even some of the participants and those who followed the proceedings questioned the findings and the verdicts. It is also a compelling commentary on society and the legal system in the final years of the 19th century.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Hiam.html)




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Murder on Oak Street by I.M. Foster

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jilted at the altar, Daniel O’Halleran accepts a job that combines his two passions: medicine and criminal investigation. He moves to Patchelogue, Long Island, where Kathleen Brissedon, the daughter of a wealthy resident, asks him to look into an unsolved murder for her desolate stepbrother. The case is one that has haunted Daniel for two years; he did the autopsy and was frustrated because the New York City police gave the crime only a cursory examination.

Before Daniel has a chance to delve into the mystery, a new murder occurs. On a hot summer night in 1904, someone slits Thomas Brissedon’s throat. With the help of a local police sergeant, as well as an uncle who works for New York’s police department, Daniel learns the victim collected secrets and was willing to use anyone, including his own children, to get what he wanted. Daniel discovers there is a connection between the two murders, but how and why must wait until he figures out who killed Thomas. Was it the angry stepson? The callous, drunken son with gambling debts? The guttersnipe wooing Kathleen? The cousin in love with the maid, whom Thomas fired? The wife whose husband has what Thomas wanted? The partner he ruined? Or is Kathleen the murderess?

While it takes one third of the book to introduce the characters and set the stage for the murder, once Thomas succumbs, the pace quickens and it becomes an intriguing who-dun-it. This first book in the South Shore Mystery series interweaves murder, mayhem, and romance with well-drawn characters rife with foibles and a vile, despicable villain. Foster, a historian and librarian, brings the Edwardian period and bygone Patchelogue to life, and readers will look forward to Daniel’s next mystery as well as his developing relationship with Kathleen.


(This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...)



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Caribbee by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This fourteenth Kydd Sea Adventure returns Captain Thomas Kydd to the Caribbean, which he hasn’t visited since he was press-ganged into the Royal Navy as a seaman. Now, he comes to Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane of the Leeward Islands Squadron for assistance in rescuing captured men in Argentina. Instead, Kydd and L‘Aurore are reassigned to Cochrane’s command since he is woefully short of frigates to protect the all-important sugar trade and to prevent the French from sending theirs to ports where the proceeds can fill Napoleon’s war chest.

Unfortunately, Kydd’s return isn’t all happy. One of the other commanders in the squadron is known to him and not in a good way. Captain Tyrell of the ,i.Hannibal was a lieutenant when they first encountered each other and his penchant for strict discipline left a bitter taste in Kydd’s mouth. Now in command of a ship-of-the-line, Tyrell is even more of a martinet, continuing to sow seeds of hatred amongst his crew. Equally unsettling is the fact that Tyrell thinks Kydd familiar but cannot fathom why. Sooner or later, Kydd fears that Tyrell will remember and destroy all that he has worked so hard to attain.

In the meantime, Renzi is plagued with a deep sense of foreboding. Napoleon is not one to take defeat lying down. In the year since Trafalgar, he has had time to plan and foment payback. Renzi fears that when he launches his next attack, it will prove catastrophic. It doesn’t take long for the emperor to reveal his next move, and it brings English trade to a standstill. One of the Jamaican planters affected is none other than Renzi’s brother.

Further complicating British trade in the West Indies is the fact that a pair of mysterious corsairs are seizing British vessels without fear of reprisal. The raiders and their prizes simply vanish and are never heard from again. While Kydd and his men patrol the Caribbean Sea in search of the enemy, Renzi follows through on the thought that a masterful organizer, similar to a spy master, is behind the many French successes. If Renzi can figure out where the enemy’s base of operation is, Kydd and the rest of the squadron can destroy the enemy once and for all.

Caribbee is an engrossing tale that mixes sea adventure and intelligence while contrasting how two men command their ships. One garners loyalty, the other, hatred bordering on mutiny. One aspect of this comparison involves the transfer of one of Kydd’s lieutenants and how he deals with the intolerable situation that he encounters. Interwoven into the central theme of the war and the navy, readers will enjoy noteworthy episodes that include tangling with an underwater volcano, a love interest for Kydd, a bumbling lieutenant who makes an audacious arrival that arouses Kydd’s ire sufficiently to want him transferred off L’Aurore, and a charge of murder that may see Kydd hanged. One of the best so far in the series where readers get reacquainted with people from Kydd and Renzi’s past and jaw-dropping action abounds.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Stockwin.h...)



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Sailing the Graveyard Sea: The Deathly Voyage of the Somers, the U.S. Navy's Only Mutiny, and the Trial That Gripped the Nation by Richard Snow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In 1804, Richard Somers was one of eleven men who volunteered to navigate a fire ship to its target during the First Barbary War. Unfortunately, he and his men died when the vessel exploded. Decades later, the United States Navy named a new brig-of-war in his honor and intended it to be a school-ship, one where novices would learn to become capable sailors. When she set sail on 13 September 1842, the majority aboard the USS Somers were between thirteen and nineteen years of age. Only thirty of the 120 men aboard were older.

One man, who was eighteen at the time, was Acting Midshipman Philip Spencer, whose father served as secretary of war for President Tyler. John Spencer, a lawyer and politician, was successful, uncompromising, ill-tempered, and determined. Philip strove to please him but never succeeded. His favorite book, published in 1837, was The Pirates Own Book, and perhaps it fueled his desire to head West and try his hand at unlawful adventures on the Mississippi. Trouble at college convinced his father that a better option would be for Philip to join the US Navy, which is how he eventually landed aboard the Somers.

Alexander Slidell Mackenzie entered the navy at age eleven and rose from midshipman to command the USS Somers. He came from wealth and he had connections, one of whom was his brother-in-law, Oliver Hazard Perry. Commander Mackenzie was pious and followed the rules and he expected his men to do likewise. When they did not, he was known to have them flogged.

Philip didn’t fit in easily with his fellow officers, so he gravitated to those who worked the ship. He bribed them with forbidden brandy, tobacco, and tales of misadventure at sea. Two favorites were Boatswain’s Mate Samuel Cromwell and Seaman Elisha Small. Together, they hatched nefarious plans.

Commander Mackenzie initially laughed at the improbability of their scheme. But all was not right aboard Somers, and before she returned to New York, three would hang from the yardarm. The resulting scandal would captivate the nation as cries for justice were heard far and wide.

Snow raises interesting questions as he recounts events, such was why Spencer chose to confide in the purser’s steward, a man beholden to Mackenzie. Details about life at sea and in the navy are interwoven with the principal story, helping readers to gain a better understanding of how and why events unfolded as they did. He provides key information about those involved to allow readers to see the individuals as actual people complete with their foibles and virtues. Combining the views of well-known contemporaries with the historical elements of what transpired permits readers to form their own opinions as to where the truth lies. Snow also ably demonstrates how resolutions don’t always satisfy everyone, even in the past.

Sailing the Graveyard Sea has all the attributes of a sea thriller: mutiny, piracy, intrigue, murder, opposing forces, and newsworthy vilification. The book includes a map that shows the voyage of the Somers during the last quarter of 1842, illustrations of ship life and those involved in the mutiny, a bibliography, and index. What became of the participants, how the events impacted their lives, and a summary of later accounts on this period in naval history round out this absorbing, well-researched story of an incident few readers have ever heard of.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/RSnow.html)




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The Pirate's Curse: Brigands of the Compass Rose by Toni Runkle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On the day Port Royal hangs the infamous Calico Jack Rackham in 1720, two women and a babe sail for the Carolina coast to begin life anew. Although the child is innocent, he bears the mark of evil. Having been betrayed, Rackham makes a pact with a mysterious African. Being raised from the dead may give immortality but always at a price. This pact involves a curse that transcends generations and those impacted bear a peculiar birthmark.

Fast forward to present day Arizona and a high school swim class. Bonnie Hartwright’s reluctance to change into her bathing suit draws the attention of girls more fortunate than herself – girls with money and family and friends. All of which Bonnie has given up hoping for after fifteen years of being passed from foster family to foster family. She is deathly afraid of water, and with good reason, but her classmates tease and taunt her. When one girl spies Bonnie’s unusual birthmark, she snaps a picture and posts it on social media. Seething, Bonnie is out for revenge; she just doesn’t foresee the consequences.

Those in authority deem her incorrigible and send her to an infamous juvenile detention center. After a few weeks in hell, she is selected to participate in a North Carolina summer reform program. There’s just one problem. This boot camp requires her to learn to sail on water. Surely, there’s a mistake, but she’ll grin and bear it until she can make her escape. She has no intention of ever going back to lockup.

Bonnie isn’t the only misfit brought to the camp. Many others are already there. As different as they seem, they have similarities. They pilfer rather than purchase. Defiance is second nature to them, especially when dealing with those in authority. Each has suffered misfortune in their young lives.

There is another commonality: they are all descendants of Mary Read, who dressed as a man and went pirating with Calico Jack and Anne Bonny. Murder eventually forces Mary to safeguard those she loves and those who will come after she dies. This passion gives rise to the Brigands of the Compass Rose, and each of the teens present will have the chance to earn their place among the other brigands who have come before – if they can survive the summer and each other.

Of course, there are those in the nearby town who are also descendants of early North Carolinians. Some are not happy with having a boot camp of juvenile delinquents nearby. One desires to use that land for his own purposes. He’s just waiting for the perfect excuse, which happens to arrive shortly after Bonnie begins training to become a brigand. Thieves are stealing treasure off luxurious yachts on the waterfront. And the only crooks in town are the teens at the sailing camp. Like sand sifting through an hourglass, the sword of Damocles threatens Bonnie and her fellow brigands-in-training. Unless they can learn to trust each other and act as a team, evil will triumph.

Runkle and Webb spin a delightful tale that grips readers from the get-go and doesn’t release them until the tale ends. Even then, there’s a promise of more adventure to come. The authors do a fabulous job of weaving pirate history and lore into the story that is seen through the eyes of a fifteen-year-old outsider who has no one in her life whom she can trust, befriend, or love. They bring the past to life and meld it with the present, spicing it with mystery, danger, and magic. An array of emotions – good and bad, happy and sad – and incidents that any reader will readily identify with make this the perfect piratical tale for old and young alike who seek a vicarious way of escaping the humdrum routine of everyday life.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Runkle-Web...)



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