Ghosts of the Vikings

Shetland Sailing Mysteries #5

by Marsali Taylor

Treasure hunters and opera stars collide in the north of Shetland in this latest of the Shetland Sailing Mysteries.

Cass has embarked on a tentative relationship with DI Gavin Macrae and they are both invited to the gala opening of her mother’s new opera. The performance goes well but it is soon clear that things are not as smooth backstage. As the wind rises, and the power goes off, even Cass's much-loved yacht Khalida can't provide a refuge from a ruthless killer...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Scotland

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2016

About the author

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.

Reviews

[GeraniumCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect reading for armchair sailors

I thoroughly enjoy the mix of Shetland lore and history, sailing boats, and murder mystery in this series. This one adds opera to the mix, with histrionic singers and glittering performances, and then throws in some archaeological skulduggery as well. Cass is an engagingly competent protagonist too. I read this one with Google maps to hand, so that I could follow her as she sails to Unst, and find the places she visits. Much as I would love to follow her path in reality, that's not going to happen, but I can travel vicariously while enjoying an entertaining plot.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

So gut mir die Reihe sonst auch gefällt, dieses Mal war mir alles ein bisschen zu viel. Die Künstler waren mir ein bisschen zu überspannt, die Atmosphäre ein bisschen zu klaustrophobisch, die Ermittler der Polizei ein bisschen zu langsam und dass Cass mit ihren Freunden quasi beim Tee trinken wieder den Fall löst.... jedes für sich wäre nicht so arg gewesen, aber die Kombination war zu viel. Diesmal konnten auch die Landschaftsbeschreibungen nichts mehr herausreißen.

[Rob Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️3.5⭐️

The Agatha Christie comparisons in this edition are quite obvious but help enliven this installment that I couldn't quite get into as much as previous books. One large red herring plot could have been removed in my opinion.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small opera group are touring grand houses in Scotland, giving performances for small mostly small audiences. Like most small companies there are frictions and characters with their own agendas. After a well received performance a young beautiful rising star collapses and dies. As a gale rages outside Cass Lynch, along with DI Gavin Macrae work to discover the killer before anyone else comes to harm.

Once again Marsali Taylor combines her love of sailing and of Shetland to create a murder mystery that kept me guessing. I have really enjoyed the development of the the main character , as the books have progressed. I'm already looking forward to the next one!

[Rog Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the seventh book which I have read in this cosy crime series. This is the fifth book in this series (eleven books so far) and was originally published as "Ghosts of the Vikings". I like the main character of Cass Lynch and I like the references to life in the islands so I find the books charming.

I did not enjoy this book as much as most of the others as I found the plot to be over-complicated with too many mysteries. Cass's French mother is an opera singer who is playing venues in Shetland with her small company before heading south to Scotland. One of the younger singers dies suddenly and Cass wonders if it could be murder. There is also a sub-plot about treasure hunters hence the original title of the book. After another death Cass finds herself in danger. It's a decent enough read but the author has written much better stories.

[Saila Routio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got to love this too – what a perfect Agatha Christiesque story set in the lovely Belmont House with a group of people. And one of them is the killer, but which one...? Already in the beginning the suspense grows as the reader knows that someone will die at some point, but who will it be?
Must give this five stars, again, although I found it hard to believe a laptop could be left on for that long during a power cut – in my experience they don't last half a night. But maybe this one was brand new and had a super battery. Also I was wondering how the treasure hunters could not see a car approaching even if it had no lights on, but the moon was shining and that would surely reflect from the car's surface? Well, that's just me getting totally immersed in the story, places and details. A thoroughly enjoyable read! And the riddles are a lovely feature.

[margaret chalmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A song, a cuddle and a murder.

Excellent as always. This one more accessible to folk not in to sailing jargon. Cass is finished with her stint in land studying, ready to join her tall ship as an officer. First she she unites with her police boyfriend to attend her mother's classical excerpts from opera. One gig is in Shetland. Death strikes and our Cass finds out who and why. Oh, and there are also treasure hunters in the mix. Cass is nearly killed, again. Cat remains the best behaved cat ever known. I suspect it is a dog in feline disguise. Great read. Great descriptions of Shetland. Thoroughly recommended.

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up in the company of opera singers with her mother's career, Cass is used to the high-drama and emotional world of the industry, but even she has to admit that the current production in which her mother is touring, is exceptional by these standards. Her mother arrives on Unst for a performance in a restored house, while the island is under siege from metal-detector wielding amateur treasure hunters and a storm in on its way. When the lead singer dies under tragic circumstances, Cass has to start an investigation under less than ideal circumstances.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some unlikely things in this story but enjoyed it nevertheless. There is something very charming about both the Shetland setting and the way that Cass is able to move around it in her boat, which is like a separate little world where she can retreat with her cat, and, happily, her policeman. I was reading this out of order because I couldn't get hold of all of this series easily at first: it's probably better read in order but still enjoyable.

[Patricia Scaife · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last Cass and Gavin are finally together. There are some holes in the plot and unlikely events but I couldn't stop reading till the end. I've since read the first four books again and can't wait for the next

[Groucho42 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her mom comes back to the Shetlands on tour while folks are trying to find viking caches. Cass, of course, gets involved in it all. Plots are kind of uninteresting but unlike many mystery main characters the changes in her life actually happen and are believable.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read any others in this series but enjoyed this. Cass was a good character and quirky. I am not a sailor but enjoyed the information on this as well as the romance, crime, music and Shetland history.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thoroughly absorbing mystery, Marsali has a wonderful way of interweaving the story with just enough everyday actions and personal relationships to make the reader feel involved. Still outlandish plot but then it wouldn’t be a crime novel otherwise.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have loved reading this series, although I now have to wait for the next one to be published.

[Sandra Tait · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should be reading these in order! I like the setting, and this one's in Shetland all the time, love the Shetland language, but found this book went on a bit, hence 3*** rather than 4

[Janey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story and main characters. Some of the others blurred a bit for me. Very enjoyable story.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, love the description of the island and folk and other happenings

[wendy geen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

I have really enjoyed this series of books and the characters are credible and developing. I look forward to the next one.

[Kathryn M Scanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love in the best way

Loved the romance and the suspense. I felt the waves at times, what fun! This author really gets the climate/topography,

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cass's mother's opera company is touring Shetland at the same time as the discovery of a Viking hoard is attracting some undesirable types to the area. Strange incidents occur in the house the opera company is renting and then one of the company dies in mysterious circumstances.

This fifth entry to the series delivers what Taylor's readers have come to expect: lashings of gorgeous Shetland scenery and sailing, characters you'd love to meet in real life, a smattering of local history and a crime story that manages to avoid being grim or gory whilst also steering clear of the 'cosy crime' label.

One does have to suspend disbelief slightly - Cass has run into more dead bodies in a year than most of us will in a lifetime! - but that's the price you have to pay when your main character is neither a member of the police force nor a private investigator. And it's a price I'm more than happy to pay. I've noticed that some reviewers complain about the complexity of the plot -I didn't find it unnecessarily complex, and I think that if you took the misdirections out, you would be left with a mystery that was too easy to solve. Reading the novels back to back this time, I did notice Taylor using a similar denouement to a previous novel In both cases, an unexpected viewing angle leads to Cass understanding what another person saw, thus revealing the killer but I think this is forgivable - after all, Agatha Christie quite often reused entire plots! And the similarity is only likely to be picked up if you read the books close together.

Recommended for those who like gently-paced, character-led mysterious with a strong sense of location and no gratuitous violence.

[Wren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book as the author is such an engaging oral storyteller. However, even though the protagonist is an interesting character with a lively family and a love interest the writing is ponderous and way too wordy. The sailing bits should be a framework that the novel hangs on but as written they don't add any suspense or excitement.

The time frame is off in the story too, around page 120 she starts bringing in Lent and then sleeps on deck? Lent runs anywhere from Feb - April. Can't imagine anyone sleeping on deck of a smallish sailboat during that stormy time of year in Shetland of all places..

This book required a very close edit. It has great elements and could have been much better than it was. Not recommended.

[Terry Watson]

I abandoned this book
when I realised that it was part of a series and I hadn't read the previous books.

[Kath Bennett]

As expected.

As expected another good read, I'm getting to know a lot about the Shetland isles now. I recognise names when they are on the television.