The Jinx Ship: The Dark Adventure that Befell Tod Moran When He Shipped as Fireman Aboard the Tramp Steamer "Congo," Bound Out of New York for Caribbean Ports

Tod Moran series #2

by Howard Pease

A murder mystery set on a ship in the early 1900s when coal was still used as the fuel source.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Adventure, Nautical

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1927

About the author

Howard Pease was an American writer of adventure stories from Stockton, California. Most of his stories revolved around a young protagonist, Joseph Todhunter ("Tod") Moran, who shipped out on tramp freighters during the interwar years.
Pease received two literary awards during his lifetime. In 1944, he received the California Commonwealth Book Award for his novel Thunderbolt House (reprinted by Scholastic as Mystery at Thunderbolt House, published that year, and in 1946 he was awarded the Children's Book Award from the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education "for a book that deals realistically with problems in the child's world" for his novel Heart of Danger.

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Tod Moran series written by Howard Pease in 1927.

Tod takes a berth on the Congo which is considered a bad luck vessel for all its misfortune in previous voyages. The ship sails for the Caribbean where Tod encounters murder, voodoo, government agents, and hurricanes as he must solve the mystery of the Jinx Ship.

The racism of the time is dealt with in an effective manner considering this is a children's book.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly as a boy and it holds up fairly well as an adult.

[R.W. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, Howard Pease's second book, is another retelling of Pease's own shipboard experience as a wiper aboard the SS K. I. Luckenbach that transited the Panama Canal and took him through the Caribbean to France. As such, we are treated to a story of Voodoo as well as intrigue based upon Pease's sister ship having suffered a fire aboard, and a mad dash to port to put it out.

Well, saying it is a retelling is not entirely accurate to the story line, but completely accurate to his own experience below decks.

This story is probably Pease's most popular and successful title, and yet, he couldn't stand to re-read it for decades because he was put under pressure to follow-up on his first successful book, The Tattooed Man. He felt it was published before he could finish it properly.

Pease's full stories were printed in American Boy Magazine and illustrated by the renowned artist Anton Otto Fischer whose graphic work was found on many covers such as The Saturday Evening Post.



If you are interested in the artwork that illustrated Pease's stories, go to:
Pease Images

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in elementary school and it has stuck with me for 45+ years. I need to re-read it; I remember only that it had me totally enthralled and to this day I cannot let it go. I still have a copy and you couldn't tear it away from me.

[picasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of my favorite mystery-adventure books that i've ever read.

recently i went to an estate sale (nov. 16) and picked up 42 books for roughly 24 cents each. ($10)

i would like to thank Walter, the original owner, for bringing me the opportunity to read older books written as far back as the early 1900's. i would have never discovered this book otherwise, and even death can bring beautiful opportunities.

the jinx ship follows the story of a man named tod moran. while it is from a series, it can easily be read as a standalone (although youll want to read more). stranded in new york struggling to find a job, he becomes aware of a ship named the congo. known for trouble and mysteries, people refer to it as "the jinx ship". tod writes it off as a bunch of baloney and decides to set sail with some fellow men looking for work (toppy, bruce harvey). as time goes forward the ship reveals some secrets, which tod intends to solve...

awesome read, the mystery's ending was something i did not see coming!

got me out of my book slump thanks again Walter!

[Edward D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book about seventy years ago and loved it. It has stayed prominent in memory over the years despite earning a Ph.D. and two MA's. It was an exciting read for a young voracious reader!

I learned a lot about the life of the coal shovelers, the wipers, etc., of the ship's boiler rooms and enjoyed a good mystery at the same time!

[Edb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good, old (published in 1936) murder mystery set at sea in the early 1900s.