Ghost Ship

Sigma Force #12.5

by James Rollins

The discovery of a burned body sprawled on a remote Australian beach shatters the vacation plans of Commander Gray Pierce. To thwart an ingenious enemy, he and Seichan are pulled into a centuries-old mystery surrounding a lost convict ship, the Trident. The vessel—with a history of mutiny and stolen treasure—vanished into the mists of time, but nothing stays lost forever. A freak storm reveals clues scattered across the Great Barrier Reef, but following those clues will lead to bloodshed and savagery, for where this ghost ship is hidden is as shocking as the mystery behind its disappearance. It will take all of Gray’s ingenuity and Seichan’s deadly skills not only to survive—but to stop an enemy from destroying everything in his path.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Short Stories, Action, Mystery Thriller, Mystery

48 pages, ebook

First published October 24, 2017

About the author

James Rollins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers. His writing has been translated into more than forty languages and has sold more than 20 million books. The New York Times says, “Rollins is what you might wind up with if you tossed Michael Crichton and Dan Brown into a particle accelerator together.” NPR calls his work, “Adventurous and enormously engrossing.” Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets matched with stunning suspense. As a veterinarian, he had a practice in Sacramento for over a decade and still volunteers at local shelters. Nowadays, Rollins shares his home up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with two furry companions, Echo and Charlie. He also enjoys scuba diving, spelunking, kayaking, and hiking. Of course, he loves to travel and experience new places around the world, which often inspire his next globe-trotting adventure.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun way to meet characters and decide if you like them in a short story before diving into the whole series. Seichan is present, so I'm thrilled. Got me excited for the next release.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gray and Seichan are travelling in Australia when they get involved in some betrayal off the coast of Australia. Rollins manages to pack in a lot of action in a very short story, only about 25 pages long.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Gray Pierce and Seichan. Read in Unrestricted Access: New and Classic Short Fiction

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very, very short Sigma story. But, if you are a fan of the series is it definitely worth reading! Personally, this just made me more eager for a new full-fledged novel!

[John Paxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in between Sigma tale which carried the usual action.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Rollins can pack so much excitement and adventure in such a short story is what makes him and sigma force a good series

[هادی امینی · Rating 1 out of 5]

خوب، دساتان کوتاه بود دیگه.... اصلاً هم خوشم نیومد.

[John Beta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read most of Sigma Force books a few years ago and always enjoyed the science and save-the-world special ops thrills. Well, because this was a short story, it failed to grab me by the ......... I will however check out the full sequel to this one soon.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful Sigma Force short featuring Gray Pierce and Seichan enjoying some downtime in Australia.

[Vivone Os · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sasvim kratka pričica koja prati Graya i Seichan na jednom dijelu njihova “godišnjeg odmora”. Ništa posebno, samo na neki način povezuje njihova razmišljanja i odluke iz prošle knjige sa idućom.

Globalni ciljevi: nastavak serijala

[Antonella Imperiali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molto breve, appena un assaggio di avventura, ma gli ingredienti tipici di Rollins ci stanno tutti.

L’ambientazione è ben definita. Cape Tribulation (battezzata così da James Cook), è nel Queensland, vicino a Port Douglas, nell’estremo nord tropicale dell’Australia. Foresta pluviale che incontra l’oceano (in cui vivono animali - meduse, polipi, coccodrilli marini - dalle dimensioni enormi che mi hanno ricordato Ventimila leghe sotto i mari), barriera corallina con problemi di sbiancamento, grotte e laghetti sotterranei infestati da simpatici vermicelli luminescenti... un Eden un po’ pericoloso, ma affascinante.

Carino, ma veramente troppo corto per poter dare un giudizio più alto, quindi mi accontento delle tre stelle accademiche.


📖 Parola del mese (mar/21): nave
🌏 LdM: Australia 🇦🇺

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Sigma Force short story that catches up with Seichan and Gray before the events of The Demon Crown, it's a fun but all-too-brief expedition off the coast of Australia. The down side is that there's very little space and a lot of backstory to provide, so it left me wishing there'd been more substance. Still, it was a pleasant way to pass the time while I waited for my son to finish ice skating.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Ghost Ship was an enjoyable read featuring Gray and Seichan getting pulled into an unexpected mystery surrounding a centuries-old ship during their vacation.

During their six-month sabbatical from Sigma, Gray Pierce and Seichan have traveled the globe enjoying themselves. When an old friend pulls the pair into a mystery surrounding a long-lost convict ship carrying gold, the two realize their vacation is over. After the group discovers one of their contacts dead on a remote Australian beach, they quickly realize they're up against a deadly enemy.

Ghost Ship is one of the novellas in this series I was most looking forward to as it follows my favorite character Seichan. Plus the plotline of a long-lost ship with treasure just sounded like a lot of fun. We get to see a lot more of Gray and Seichan's relationship in this novella which I loved. These two have come so far since their first meeting and I've loved watching their relationship develop. Gray and Seichan work well together and I like how they trust each other to get the job done. The plot in Ghost Ship is action-packed and suspenseful with a few near-death scenes for our characters. The mystery of what happened to the team Gray and Seichan were supposed to meet was interesting. The motive behind everything was a little lackluster but with a novella this short, everything can't always be super fleshed out.

Overall Ghost Ship was a fun addition to the Sigma Force series and I would definitely recommend it for fans of the series.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story, but good.

[Sudeep · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little story that acts as a teaser and set up for the next book in the sigma force series. Gray and Seichan are in vacation in Australia, but as these things go it soom turns into a little underwater adventure with shipwrecks and treasures.

I love commander Gray Pierce. He is a favorite of mine by himself, but when he works with Seichan it is one of the most awesome team ups and their chemistry is fantastic.

There are also some crazy crossovers here, only the longest James Rollins fans get these. Characters from another book of James Rollins have already appeared before, but this story features another favorite character of mine from that book working with Gray and Seichan, and that worked out really well. All in all, I am looking forward to read the newest Sigma Force adventure, The Demon Crown.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Sigma folks and this was no different. great read. only one problem....wish it has been much longer

[Susanna Neri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forse troppo breve per farmi un'idea di questa serie, dalla quantità di morti e di esplosione sembra davvero un'"americanata", però la descrizione della barriera corallina e della fauna che la circonda è molto accurata

[A. Rahman Bishal · Rating 3 out of 5]

An underwater journey. Good. Better than rest of sigma shorts till now.

3.5

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are too cheap, like me, to buy your books and instead get them from the library, and you have requested James Rollins’ most recent novel, The Demon Crown, but have been placed on a waiting list. You are number 199 out of 200 on the queue, but you refuse to pay the $17 plus shipping on Amazon, then Ghost Ship might make the wait a little more enduring. When you do get a chance to read The Demon Crown you will find that it begins with Gray Pierce and Seichan spending time together on an extended vacation. Ghost Ship just goes into that with a bit more detail and it only cost a whopping 99¢.

Ghost Ship is short and sweet and makes for a good story to read before going to bed. But beware, it might push you to squander money and purchase The Demon Crown. But then again it is almost Christmas and maybe Santa will leave a copy under the tree.

If you are interested in learning more about the Sigma Force Series check it out on my blog A-Thrill-A-Week

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set halfway into the sabbatical taken by Grey and Seichan at the end of The Seventh Plague, the two find themselves in Australia. They stumble upon a familiar character that leads them on a trip through some rainforest and into the reefs where they, again, stumble upon an interesting tableau: a dead body.

It is quick work to identify the man, swim out into the reefs, find a research team that has been attacked for knowledge about treasure ships. What ensues is an action fest whereby Grey and Seichan take center stage to mete out justice upon the assailants. Locales include some underwater warfare, underwater tunnels and caves, treasure bounty, and hand to hand combat. This mini adventure helps fill in the gaps and whet the appetite for the upcoming novel, The Demon Crown.

[Su Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last three Sigma Force novels have been preceded by an introductory short story a couple of months before the release of their respective Rollins masterpiece, well on its way to becoming a “fan favored” tradition. This newest short story, Ghost Ship, starts out innocent enough. A calm, leisurely horse ride for Gray and Seichan along the Australian beach turns into a frantic search for the truth when the body of an Australian biologist is found dead in the Coral Sea surf. Grab your SCUBA gear and join this trio as they search for missing oceanographers who disappeared while investigating the discovery of a lost convict ship, the Trident. Joining the Sigma duo is caving expert, Benjamin Brust. Readers were introduced to Ben in Jim’s first individual adventure novel, Subterranean (1999). How exciting is that! Cross-over of characters from series to series! Enjoy this stellar lead-in to The Demon Crown, available for purchase December 5, 2017. Available for pre-order now.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always I look forward to anything from James Rollins - even a short story. Using just 2 characters from his Sigma Force team he creates an edge of your seat story. Gray and Seichan are on vacation when they find trouble (or maybe it's the other way around). Either way, who can resist a thriller with scary & dangerous animals.
Don't stop reading before you check out the What's True, What's Not chapter. Mr Rollins always explains where he got some of the crazy things you read about and sometimes they really are true.
My one complaint about this book - TOO SHORT but since it was advertised as a short story I guess I can't complain too much.

[Corky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me be fair ... I am not quite sure what I make of this whole "Short story between the novels" thing ... like this. Sure, it's meant to bridge the gap between the events of book 12 and 13 and give you just a taste of something, but they always seem to leave me wanting more.

Part of the reason I like the Rollins books is because of the way he blends science, history, and all that stuff ... which kind of makes you rethink things. For me, the action is secondary. (Don't get me wrong, that can be nice, too.)

This story seemed more action and less stuff to make ya think ... which is why, this time, I felt the story lacking.

At least it was a short read.

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story

I have read several Sigma Force story before and was looking forward to another good one. Well I wasn't disappointed in This one. Buried treasure, damsel in distress, evil villains, and one big saltwater crocodile what more could you ask for. Like all short stories that are good this one delivers the right amount of story just enough to satisfy, but leave you wanting more. So if you read this story be ready to want more.

[itchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

punctuation:
p7: "...One of the most venomous creatures on the planet They're as big as basketballs with three-meter-long tentacles full of stinging cells.

tech:
p21: The steel spear shot through the air and struck the gunman looming over kelly in the eye. The bolt pierced his skull and threw his body backward.

Death by stonefish, ouch. Actually, also by box jelly and bull shark. There's a mauling by saltwater croc, too. And that's just the contribution of the local fauna.

[Ronie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am amazed and wonderfully surprised at how much Rollins packed into this novella. I've loved each scene with Seichan in previous books, so finding her and Gray front & center in this story was a wonderful surprise! Makes me more anxious for Demon Crown, too, which has a teaser at end of this novella.

[Brenda Westervelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet

I love James Rollins books. This was just a short one, but just as good. On to the next one. Not many left that I haven’t read. I guess I’ll have to reread them till a new one comes out.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was too short to offer any real satisfaction or emotional pay-off. It was cool seeing a Sigma story set in my own country though.

The story sees Grey and Seichan trying to relax in Far North Queensland while on sabbatical from Sigma. After finding a scientist dead on the beach, they’re thrust into a deadly treasure hunt on the Great Barrier Reef. The clock is ticking to find a long buried ship full of treasure, and rescue a kidnapped marine biologist without getting killed in the process.

This was fine to pass the time and see what Seichan and Gray got up to before Hawaii, but it’s not a must-read for fans of the series.

[Shari Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading anything by James Rollins. This short story offers a great way to test a reader’s and author’s compatibility.

“Ghost Ship” is an action-packed short story that occurs over the course of a day. It’s filled with saltwater crocodiles, stonefish, boxfish, enemies, and fights. Set on the beach of Australia and in the ocean itself, it’s a great place for talks about treasure and missing ships. This short story provides a brief introduction to some interesting characters, Gray and Seichen, and it ends with a set-up for another adventure. I can’t wait to see that adventure finds Gray and Seichen next . . .

[BookishDramas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the Sigma team is on holiday...
Gray and Seichan....

A serene ride along an Australian beach for Gray and Seichan and their guide caving expert, Benjamin Brust, earlier seen in Subterranean, turns into a frantic search when they discover a body on the beach.
Killed by the deadliest starfish on the planet.
In Sigma there are no coincidences and here too there are no accidental deaths.
We have thrills and action and a leadup to The Demon Crown
This acts as an appetizer