The Ghost Ship: An Epic Historical Novel from the Number One Bestselling Author (The Joubert Family Chronicles)

Product Information

Mosse portrayed a woman who lived in a man’s world, land the place she so disliked, her ship and the open seas her home, her comfort. Respected by those she worked with, hated by those who felt threatened, Mosse had created one hell of a woman. Opening in 1890 in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria’s stateliest hotel has moved gracefully with the times. Today its fin de siècle architecture and marble floors have been accessorised with a rooftop swimming pool and restaurants that spill out into the courtyard. The 204 rooms have less drama but plenty of comfort.

I would definitely recommend The Ghost Ship to fans of Kate Moss and lovers of historical fiction. It helps if you have read the previous novels but it could just as easily be read as a stand alone novel. The Ghost Ship—which follows The Burning Chambers and The City of Tears—is described by the publisher as “an epic tale of courageous women battling to survive in a man’s world, of vengeance and breathtaking peril on the high seas, of long-buried family secrets and a love story spanning three generations”. To fill out whatever time is left in her schedule, she also writes plays, and sits as the president of the arts festival and the patron of the flower festival in her native Chichester, where she lives with her husband, Greg. Yes, she was strong, brave, but Mosse didn’t let Louise lose her femininity, a sense of vulnerability, the occasional lapse in confidence. It was her right hand person, her lover, Gilles, who Mosse used beautifully to bring out Louise’s more genteel side. The second main character is Gilles, a young man who was ‘rescued’ by Louise and taken under her wing. They become close. He has quite a secret. We learn of his difficult upbringing, and about his going to work for his uncle at a young age.I did greatly enjoy the romance, although I found it overly restrained, much like the rest of the story. I too chafed against the bonds placed on Louise by her society and time. It made me very glad to be born now innstead of then. This is Book 3 in her Joubert Family Chronicles, that are inspired by the Huguenot diaspora. It follows on from ‘The Burning Chamber’ (2018) and ‘The City of Tears’ (2021). It is also the story of a secret romance that cannot be revealed to anyone: it just would not be accepted in the 1600s.

Transporting, intelligent, heartwarming and intriguing, this is historical fiction at its finest - Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie Lane Details: www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/kate-mosse-romance-and-revenge-on-the-barbary-coast-18690 Wednesday 20 September Piracy. Romance. Revenge. Across the seas of the seventeenth century, two seafarers are forced to fight for their lives. The sequel to The City of Tears, The Ghost Ship is the third novel in the Joubert Family Chronicles from bestselling author Kate Mosse.The Ghost Ship’ is an evocative read that sweeps you along with its rich historical details and beautiful writing. This is the third book in the ‘Burning Chambers’ series that follows the Reydon-Joubert family but it absolutely can be read as a stand-alone story. I have been a huge fan of Kate Mosse’s books and this was a welcome return to the series. It did not disappoint!

Louise’s companion in her endeavours is Gilles Barenton who has his own reasons for wanting to escape his past. Their paths become entwined in the most dramatic way, triggering long buried memories of bloody events in Louise’s own childhood. I’ve just got better as I’ve got older,” she tells me, “at leaning in to the disappointments or the failures, and letting myself feel sad about them, or a bit demoralised about them, and then drawing a line rather than trying to pretend that I don’t mind.” Details: https://www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/kate-mosse-in-conversation-40162 Sunday 8 October

Member Reviews

Event: Budleigh Salterton Book Festival. Chairing the ‘Hilary Mantel Emerging Writers’ event with Santanu Bhattacharya, Rachel Connolly & Kaliane Bradley This ship is what leads Louise to her destiny and, eventually, her infamous legacy. Her quest to break the rules is heart-pounding and vibrant and taking the journey with Louise ,and following her adventure, is everything you could want in a pirate story.