The Bloody Black Flag: A Spider John Mystery

Spider John Mysteries #1

by Steve Goble

Agatha Christie meets Patrick O'Brian in the first book in a new series of swashbuckling historical mysteries featuring Spider John Rush, a most reluctant pirate. 1722--aboard a pirate ship off the American Colonial Coast. Spider John Rush never wanted to be a pirate, but it had happened and he'd learned to survive in the world of cut and thrust, fight or die. He and his friend Ezra knew that death could come at any moment, from grapeshot or storm winds or the end of a noose. But when Ezra is murdered in cold blood by a shipmate, Spider vows revenge. On a ship where every man is a killer many times over, how can Spider find the man who killed his friend? There is no law here, so if justice is to be done, he must do it. He will have to solve the crime and exact revenge himself. One wrong step will lead to certain death, but Spider is determined to look into the dying eyes of the man who killed his friend, even if it means his own death.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Pirates, Historical, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Crime

237 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2017

About the author

My first novel, a historical mystery called "The Bloody Black Flag: A Spider John Mystery," was released Sept. 12, 2017, from Seventh Street Books. My second novel, "The Devil's Wind: A Spider John Mystery," was released in the Fall/Winter of 2018. The third, “A Bottle of Rum,” was released in November 2019, and “Pieces of Eight” is coming. Sometime in 2021.

Also in 2021, I will debut a new detective series from Oceanview Publishing. Look for “City Problems” in July.

Learn more at stevegoble.com.

Quarterly newsletter: https://stevegoble.us2.list-manage.co...

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars rounded up. I was on a pirate mood because of the Netflix documentary about pirets and I found this book on my book app. A mystery that revolves around pirates and murder. 1722. Spider John Rush never wanted to be a pirate but the pirate life choosednm him I guess. When he's crew mate and friend is murdered he decides to revenge his death and get to bottom on who did it. A fairly entertaining book, but wasn't over enthusiastic over it, but its series so I will continue on with it and hopefully I'll enjoy it more as I go along

[Alyssa Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Spider John's good friend and partner in crime turns up dead on the deck of the pirate ship Plymouth Dream, he suspects immediately it was no accident and vows to find the killer. But this is no easy feat when one is dealing with all manner of ruthless men, living, as they say, on the account. It's typically each man for himself, and few are willing to see Ezra's death avenged, especially since many of them believe they're better off without the man. This is no run of the mill mystery, to be sure! And it's not a cozy, so reader beware that the historical details of life on a pirate ship are authentic and at times brutal. Still, the pirate code of honor, and Spider John's personal code of honor bring heart and soul to the story and assures the reader justice will be done. The writer has done amazing research and readers will feel the ship rocking beneath their feet and the deck shuddering with the explosions of the cannonballs. Great fun in the tradition of swashbuckling, seafaring adventures!

[Cindy Vallar · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Prometheus and Seventh Street Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Historical fiction and it's about pirates? Count me in! THE BLOODY BLACK FLAG by Steve Goble is set in the 1700's aboard a pirate ship trying to solve a murder. Spider John Rush and his friend Ezra both knew living the lives of pirates was a risk and that they could be facing death at any moment. However, when Ezra is found dead. The crew shrugs it off as a drinking accident, but Spider John think he was murdered. Rush is on the case and he vows to seek revenge for his friend's death.

This had a good history of pirates within it's pages. I've always enjoyed pirates, whether it's in stories, movies, or in history. Goble does a great job setting the scene and painting a picture for the readers. The life of a pirate is a dangerous one! I loved how it was a unique setting and that the murder mystery was being solved on the ship. For it being a shorter novel (around 250 pages) there was enough packed into the story without getting too chaotic and it didn't leave things unanswered. With shorter novels that can be difficult at times.

Overall, if you like pirates and historical fiction, with a dash of murder thrown in, then you'll want to pick this one up!

I give this one 3.5/5 stars!

[R J Royer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book thinking that it would be an unexpected place to have a murder but after reading the book you realize that murder was second nature to pirates even on the same ship. Spider, our hero, is likable enough that you want him to solve the crime he is so focused on even though it gets him into more than enough trouble.

[Paul Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of a pirate is a hazardous one, fraught with many dangers.  How much more so when you are sailing with a captain who is a bit maniacal.  Spider John Rush and his best mate Ezra join the crew of Plymouth Dream and find themselves at odds with many of their shipmates, a situation that thrusts Spider John into a mystery to be solved and revenge to be meted out.  The tale is engaging and certainly exciting.  Life aboard a pirate vessel is presented in fine detail; the characters are believable; the plot lines are nicely filled with surprises.  All in all it is a page turning read that keeps the reader on the edge of their seats as mysteries are unraveled as Spider John seeks answers and revenge.  4.2 stars

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

*Ahoy to all ye murder-loving pirates*


The Bloody Black Flag caught my attention because it combines too things I love: pirates and murder mysteries. I was intrigued by the idea of this variation of the classic locked room mystery setup.

The story followed one Spider John whose unfortunate past landed him on the pirate ship Plymouth Dream. Shortly thereafter, Spider’s only friend Ezra got murdered and Spider was determined to bring the killer to justice.

Although I loved the setting and premise of the story, I had a hard time connecting with the story. The main character never quite clicked with me. So although I was interested in finding out who committed the murder, it was more of a vague curiosity than any burning need to solve the mystery. Hence why it took me so long to finish a short novella.

There was another subplot in the story involving intrigue and general pirating activities. That did help liven up the story, but I think it could have used even more swashbuckling. I will add that these are not sanitized, cutesy pirates. The story certainly does not gloss over the less-than-romantic realities of pirating. Hell, if you’ve ever smelled a boys’ locker-room, imagine how bad a bunch of men confined in a small space at sea for months smell! The reality is far from sexy.

The Bloody Black Flag was satisfying enough while clearly building for the sequel. I enjoyed the story well enough and think it shows promise for a debut. But I am not yet certain whether or not I will continue on with the series.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars

[Viviane Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

What child has read a book about pirates or seen pirate movies and imagined living such an adventurous, constantly thrilling life. Well, that hunger can be sated again with Steve Goble’s novel about Spider John, a man who feels safer as a pirate at sea than a landlubber always having to watch his back for fear of the hangman or jailkeeper because of past deeds. The time is 1722 and the place is the Colonial Coast of America. Spider John and his good friend, Ezra, have escaped capture ashore and are now part of the crew of the Plymouth Dream, with a captain who would not think twice about killing any crew member if his rules are broken.
Early on, a young, bitter looking “bloke” keeps eying Ezra and it turns out he believes Ezra is the descendant of witches and therefore to be burned at the stake or hanged. This is an area of Massachusetts still carrying shadows of the earlier “witches” frenzy that wound up with rash charges made and confirmed, followed by death. Imagine Spider John’s devastation when Ezra is found dead in his room.
Spider John is determined to find the murderer, but in between his investigation steps are battles to be fought against attackers of their ship. These are the swashbuckling battles that are expected by the reader and do not fail to satisfy with their minute descriptions of hand-to-hand combat as well as sword-fighting duels that are life and death matters.
There is no law on a pirate ship and Spider John has no intention of capturing Ezra’s killer but instead will kill him. Surprises aplenty will thrill the reader as this search continues! Nicely done and hopefully the first of many more Spider John stories to follow!

[Chandra Claypool (WhereTheReaderGrows) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not one for historical type books, but add some pirates and you've got my interest! This book is about Spider John's quest to find his best mate's, Ezra's, murderer. It looks like a drunken accident but Spider knows better and is on a quest for vengeance.

Historical detail of a pirate's life is interweaved with the murder mystery and a search of a stole piece of treasure. I found this not to be your every day fun pirate read but more of a realistic gritty, gruesome and fight for survival at all times kind of read instead. I think I prefer to watch movies about pirates rather than read about them - mostly because of the speech - it's more fluid to hear than to try and voice in my head.

Overall a fun, easy book filled with action, murder, pirate, treasure and battles. At less than 250 pages, if you're looking for historical pirate information along with a couple story lines, you'll be pleased for this quick read.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery series set in the world of 18th century piracy...yes, please! I liked the world building and descriptions of life on the outlaw seas. The rich, historical detail of a pirate ship and crew made this a unique and engaging read. Hopefully, Spider is reunited with Hob and the surviving Red Viper's crew in the next book. I'm certainly looking forward to it!

If anyone has suggested read alikes (I've read Patrick O'Brian) for this book, I'd love to hear about them.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've done a lot of reading but I've never come across a who-done-it set aboard a pirate ship in the early 1700's. I found it an exciting and fun read that I finished in one evening. This book is full of action, brutality and lots of interesting characters. I can't wait to see what Spider and his band of men are up to in their next adventure.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never really read many pirate books but this one definitely kept me engaged. Fast moving story without much lag time. A little more detailed descriptions in some areas and it gets 5 stars !

[Viva · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I read a pirate book and actually this one is not bad. It's simply written, easy to read and follow. At 235 pages I finished it in a couple of days. I thought this book had a lot of potential. I liked the characters, the setting and the swashbuckling. I thought the author did a good job of putting the reader in a pirate ship and the time and technical details were accurately written.

But I didn't really like the story that much. The story really only revolved around one thing, which became clear about 40% into the book and which I thought limited the story. But I liked everything else. I would give this book 3.5 stars which would round up to 4 stars. The way this book is written, there will be a sequel and I would definitely give that sequel a try.

I got this book as a free ARC.

Spoilers: That one thing is this one mysterious object that the Captain possesses. It's supposed to be worth a lot of gold. It's stolen by someone aboard the ship. The course of the story changes when this thing is stolen and it becomes the backdrop of the rest of the book. The story ends after Spider discovers who the thief is but the reveal is done without any suspense. This is much more a pirate book than a "mystery" book.

[Le Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just ok. It seemed to go over ideas/facts/incidents repeatedly. And the 6 page pirate battle was exhausting; just get it over with already and tell us who won. A lot of rambling on that without could have reduced this book to about 138 pages instead of 238.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...


The Bloody Black Flag
A Spider John Mystery
By Steve Goble
ISBN#9781633883598
https://stevegoblefiction.wordpress.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Synopsis:

1722–aboard a pirate ship off the American Colonial Coast.

Spider John Rush never wanted to be a pirate, but it had happened and he’d learned to survive in the world of cut and thrust, fight or die. He and his friend Ezra knew that death could come at any moment, from grapeshot or storm winds or the end of a noose. But when Ezra is murdered in cold blood by a shipmate, Spider vows revenge.


On a ship where every man is a killer many times over, how can Spider find the man who killed his friend? There is no law here, so if justice is to be done, he must do it. He will have to solve the crime and exact revenge himself.


One wrong step will lead to certain death, but Spider is determined to look into the dying eyes of the man who killed his friend, even if it means his own death. (Goodreads)

Review:

The Bloody Black Flag, the first novel featuring Spider John Rush, is full of plundering, mutiny, theft, and murder. With heavy handed swashbuckling, and a little mystery thrown in, it is an action packed pirate ride.

Spider John and his friend Ezra find themselves running from trouble to the open arms of the pirate ship Plymouth Dream. Neither man wants anything to do with pirate life and just desire to make it back home to their families, but one must do what one must to survive. Ezra quickly becomes suspected of being bad luck for the crew, so when he is found dead on deck everyone assumes he had too much to drink and fatally hit his head. Everyone, that is, except Spider John. He is convinced that Ezra met with foul play and makes it his mission to pinpoint the killer and avenge his friend. As the carpenter for the ship, he has the unique opportunity to move about the ship at will and investigate.

These are not the pirates of Disney movies and romance novels. Goble gives readers a gritty picture of the brutality of life on a pirate ship. Spider John is exceedingly likable and shows great intelligence in his investigating. However, there is not a lot of investigating going on. Spider John spends much of his time ruminating over his friend’s fate and hoping that the killer does not die in battle before he has a chance to kill him. In fact, it is easy to forget that The Bloody Black Flag is a murder mystery since there is much more emphasis placed on life on the ship. I guessed whodunit rather early in the story, and the secondary plot concerning Captain Barlow’s treasure takes over the second half of the book. Everything does tie together nicely at the end, but the climactic revelation of the murderer is anything but.

Spider John is an interesting character, and I would like to know more of his back story. I do think the premise of a Pirate Detective is a good one. I just hope that it is a sustainable, perhaps if Goble moves the action off of the ship for the next book. Some of the other characters are also intriguing, specifically fourteen year old Hob. Other characters, including Dr. Boddings, are much harder to determine their trustworthiness. Captain Barlow and fellow pirate Peter Tellam are truly nasty and easy to dislike.

I enjoyed The Bloody Black Flag as long as I treated it like a bigger-than-life historical escapade and not a straight up murder mystery. I will definitely give the next book in the series a try when it publishes.

[Rusty Dalferes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and devoured the second one in the series. I can't wait for the third to come out.

Set in 1722, the novel follows Spider John Rush, reluctant pirate who wants nothing more than to return to his wife and son in Nantucket, as he's forced by circumstances to sail with a bloodthirsty pirate captain. He joins the outlaw crew with his best friend, Ezra, who is murdered not long after the ship hits open water. Spider John spends the rest of the novel attempting to solve the murder while enduring the hacking, slashing, swashbuckling, murderous adventures that comprise life as a buccaneer.

I won't lie, as a mystery novel, the plot leaves a bit to be desired, leading to my four- and not five-star rating. There are long spaces in between any steps forward in the investigation, and the ultimate conclusion of the mystery hits us with a bit of last-minute information for which mystery writers often get chided by readers who want to try to figure out whodunit on their own.

But, man, as a pirate adventure novel, this novel brings all the action. There are plenty of sword, pistol, blunderbuss, cannon, and knife escapades. There are pretty women who are also strong; flinty and hilarious crewmen who give spice to the story; straight-laced British Navy officers acting their haughty parts perfectly; and Spider John and his group of friends, whose bond begins in this novel and leads through the next. Spider John is a great character, a smart (even though he can't read), strong (even though he dislikes violence), loyal (even though he's forced to switch sides at times) pirate (even though all he wants to do is give up piracy and return to Em and Johnny).

The mechanics are good, as it's well-written and properly edited, with a nice mixture of formal narrative voice and colloquial pirate banter. As a whole, I'd give a lukewarm recommendation of this book to fans of mysteries, but wholeheartedly endorse it for fans of adventure tales -- if you liked Treasure Island, you'll love this novel.

Thanks to Seventh Street Books for providing me with a copy of this book.

[The Brazen Bull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Bloody Black Flag: A Spider John Mystery
Author: Steve Goble
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
Publication Date: September 12th, 2017

“On land, he could always feel the looming noose. The crowds, the doorways, the alleys all could hide crouching dangers- an agent of the law, an eyewitness to past misdeeds, or just a man with a knife and a need for bread. On the sea, Spider could see most hazards from a distance, and could meet them with sword and gun in hand if he could not outrun them.”

Setting off from the coast of New England in October 1722, Steven Goble’s newly published historical mystery, The Bloody Black Flag, takes the reader on an adventurous ride filled with superstition and suspense, danger and death.

Goble’s debut, the first in a hopefully long series, opens in media res, with Spider John Rush and his friend Ezra forced back to pirating aboard the Plymouth Dream. But when Ezra is murdered in the black of night, Spider takes a silent vow of revenge and is driven to uncover his killer. On the ship, Spider is faced with investigating a cast of eccentric and dangerous suspects, including the diabolical Captain Barlow, while at the same time fighting for his life on the sea.

Not just “another pirate on the account,” Spider is a complicated but likable hero. Although he prefers peace over piracy and prays before going into battle, Spider’s dark side resurfaces when it is necessary in order to survive. With Ezra gone and no one he can trust until the killer is exposed, Spider is ready to do what he must.

Read the full review here: http://thebrazenbull.com/books/book-r...

[Paulina L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t consider this a mystery so much as a pirate adventure novel. It didn’t really get into the clues and mystery of ‘who dun it’ until closer to the end. Most of the novel was placing you in the shoes of a pirate to better understand a pirate’s life and what that entails. The reader is along for the voyage and gets in the action of a pirate’s usual duties and occasional scuffs with other ships. I don’t think the main character, Spider, was that memorable of a character. Dare I say Hob would have been better suited as the lead. His innocence as a young man would have made it easier to have inner dialogue where he could get away with questioning every interaction and apparent clue in finding Ezra’s killer. It also would have made it more believable that revenge was the top thing on a young pirate’s mind instead of riches. This didn’t come across well with Spider, who was so desensitized to death and killed people without much reason. Hard to believe the death of one friend would have been that impactful. As well, some of the questions that may seem obvious but are necessary in solving a mystery/murder would appear less forced coming from someone younger and more naive such as Hob. I thought the beginning of the novel was slow but it picked up halfway through and kept my interest enough to read to the end. I haven’t read enough pirate novels to know if the lack of enthusiasm I had for the book was due to this plot in particular or possibly because pirate novels don’t suit my taste. In all it was a decent book, nothing spectacular but nothing that really turned me off from it.

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author at the Ohioana Book Fest and Rathacon and when I heard him talk up a mystery set on a pirate ship I had two thoughts. Really? Okay I must have this.
Glad I listened to that urge. This was a really different, really fun book. Spider John doesn’t really want to be a pirate. He was pressed into at one point and to escape the law he and his best friend, Ezra jump on another pirate ship where he hopes to earn enough to finally return home to his wife and son.

Trouble starts up before they even set sail for the Caribbean. Ezra’s maternal line contains witches, and this is early enough in America’s timeline that that sort of thing matters. Worse, someone on the ship recognizes Ezra and is religious enough to have this really upset him and start a fight. Soon after Ezra is dead, in theory having fallen down drunk and striking his head.

Spider John knows Ezra didn’t drink and will stop at nothing to solve his friend’s murder. However, on a pirate ship staffed with murderous scurvy dogs, how do you find one killer from the mob of them? To make matters worse, the captain has a special item that will net them all a fortune once they get to the Caribbean, but it goes missing. Not only that the navy is also after them.

The characters are very well drawn especially Spider John, Hob (a young man that John doesn’t want to see turn pirate), Odin (who claims to have sailed with Blackbeard) and the drunken doctor. I thought the mystery was well drawn with a lot of potential suspects. It felt like I was on an old ship creaking across the waves. It felt real. I hope to see more of Spider John.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writer Steve Goble’s 2017 Mystery Novel, The Bloody Black Flag is the first novel in a planned pirate mystery series, featuring pirate carpenter Spider John Rush. In 1722, Rush and his friend, Ezra Coombs join the crew of the pirate ship, the Plymouth’s Dream, off the coast near Boston in New England. The Plymouth’s Dream is journeying down to Jamaica on a mysterious mission. Coombs is murdered early on during voyage and Rush vows vengeance for his friend’s death since no one else seems to care on board the Plymouth’s Dream that Coombs died, partly because it is rumored that Coombs is “Satan’s spawn” because his grandmother and mother were hanged as witches in Salem. On Goble’s website in a review of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Goble writes that he prefers “detectives who kicked in doors and dodged bullets, or who carefully reconstructed the chains of logic that led to their inescapable conclusions.” Spider John Rush in The Bloody Black Flag both “kicked in doors and dodged bullets” and “who carefully reconstructed the chains of logic that led to their inescapable conclusions.” Rush is many a traditional detective, Rush looks for clues, talks to different suspects, and uses his good memory to find the murder. The Spider John Rush’s mysteries series is off to a good start. I found Steve Goble’s blog post called A Ride on the Orient Express from Goble’s blog, Swords Against Boredom, from October of 2017 useful in writing this “review”.

[Ian Houston · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detective story set on board a pirate ship in the mid-18th century. Wanted for various unspecified crimes, 'Spider' John Rush and his friend, Ezra, are forced to take ship aboard a pirate vessel seeking extra hands. Soon after boarding, Ezra dies violently amid accusations of witch-craft and ill-luck by a crew member who knew him previously. Unconvinced the death was accidental, Spider John, now the ship's carpenter, determines to discover the culprit from amidst a crew of professional murderers and cut-throats and make him pay. He conducts his investigation against a background of serving under a deranged captain, the ship being pursued by a Royal Navy frigate and the personal animosity of some of the crew who believe him tainted by the same curse that affected his dead friend. A good read, well crafted, and which resists the temptation to fall into the rabbit hole of technical sailing jargon, adding just enough period detail to keep the narrative of its time and place. A who-dun-it which, if you're paying attention you too can solve, as all the clues are there.

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1722, the same year that 16-year-old Ben Franklin contributes to the 'Dogood Papers' on moral topics and J.S. Bach publishes The well-tempered Clavier, John "Spider" Rush reluctantly joined a crew of cut-throat pirates.


John and his best friend Ezra planned that after this voyage they would live a life of peace. On the pirate ship, Plymouth Dream, someone recognizes Ezra as the "witches son" and fears for his life. One night John woke up and saw that his friend Ezra wasn't in his hammock, so he went up to search for his friend and found him dead! He knew Ezra was murdered and he vowed to find the man who did this and render to him what he deserves a hundred times more. With an amateur detective at work, Spider would have to become an 18th century Sherlock Holmes and start deducting. Try doing that on a ship full of murderers. A story of pirating that wouldn't be the life for me! For those mystery buffs, pick this one up---you won't be sorry mate.

~Dani

Spider stood by Ezra's shoulder. "this is not good..."
"No," Ezra said. "Not at all good."

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This, my friends, is the most pirate-y book I've ever read, amen.
The mystery embedded deep in its pages was much, much more subtle....to the point I almost forgot clean about the fact that there was a murder to be avenged and all the peering into corners and coat pockets that mission entails.
Totally entertaining, bloody and yucky as all get-out, interesting characters...all that. And while I understand they're pirates of the worst and most wicked sort, I was a little annoyed with the f-bomb that the cap'n was fond of throwing about.

Thanks Goodreads for the completely unique book that I'll loan to me bloodthirsty mates!

[W E Wertenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A seafaring tale with a mysterious twist, Treasure Island meets Murder on the Orient Express. A great idea for a novel. Some of the positives; the dialogue rang true throughout, a nice way of immersing the reader in the time-period and not an easy thing to pull off, the action was well handled and the main character Spider John well realized. The biggest problem with the book was the mystery. Knowing the culprit was aboard the ship, the focus should have been on the intricacies of the investigation. We get a bit of this, but not enough to feel fully engaged with this aspect of the story. Still, I liked it enough to want to read the sequel.

[William Kepford · Rating 4 out of 5]

How surprised I was that this compact 225 page book kept my interest. I was really killing time waiting for the library to free up a Robert B. Parker book. I am glad I was diverted. The plot was interesting and not so complex. Lot of names of course since the hero is looking for a villain among a ships crew. The ending turned out well for the good guy. Imaginative in a good way.

Looking for a mystery whodunit? This would be a good one. Looking for a nautical/British navy wooden ship boat book? This may do it, but it would be better to approach it as a Poirot as compared to a Bolitho or Kydd book.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1722 on board a pirate ship from Boston to Jamaica where Spider John Rush tries to find the on-board killer of his friend, Ezra, soon connected to a mysterious item stolen from the mad captain. The mystery element is very light; Spider’s obsession with revenge and the inherent dangers seems out of character while the revelation of the culprit and resolution is far too abrupt but there is some entertaining detail of life on board, fighting and sailing. A drunken surgeon is the most interesting of a range of characters

[bookslayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this book five stars. It does what it promises, aka an actual murder mystery on a pirate ship, really well. I loved how down-to-earth but honest Spider was and how the shenanigans on the ship were perfectly mundane and satisfyingly brutal at the same time, no gratuitous violence or fantastic elements. There were, however, some annoying stylistic choices (unnecessary repetitions, how I dread thou) and the ending felt super abrupt. But I'll keep reading further for sure.

[Daniele · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

More a pirate adventure than a murder mystery whodunit, Goble provides a gritty snapshot of a pirate's life. These pirates are not the pirates of family films and romance novels but men willing to do anything to survive. The secondary plot dealing with the Captain's misplaced treasure is more interesting than solving the murder. Spider John is a likable protagonist.

[Connie Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A murder mystery onboard a pirate ship - what's not to like. Goble's first book is an enjoyable read, perfect for swashbuckler and mystery fans. The pace is a bit slow at times but the story line keeps the reader interested and the ending sets the stage for future adventures, to which I am looking forward.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting intrigued me: a mystery on a pirate ship, just as the Golden Age was dying. The first part of the book was a little slow, but once the murder happened, things picked up. Spider John is a good character, although I can’t help but ask if he were named for the Jimmy Buffett song (“The Ballad of Spider John”, one of my favorites). I may read the next in the series.