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Sam Reilly #2
The Mahogany Ship
An ancient shipwreck.
A two hundred year old mystery.
A plague that’s destroying all marine life.
A pyramid half a mile below the sea.
And a puzzle that must be solved before it destroys the human race.
On the 18th of February, 1812, the Emily Rose became shipwrecked on the southern coast of Australia. The survivors are forced to walk nearly a thousand miles through the unexplored land to reach the only settlement, Sydney Cove.
Nearly two hundred miles inland, they come across the remains of a monstrous ship, far bigger than anything the British Navy had ever constructed. Through basic communication achieved with the natives, they learned that the ship had been there for a very long time… Maybe a thousand years? Despite the details of the mysterious ship in the journals from the survivors of the Emily Rose, no evidence that the Mahogany Ship ever existed was found – until now.
Present day: A mining exploration in Australia takes a core sample 500 feet below the surface of a deserted mountain. The sample returns no evidence of gold deposits, but something much more valuable – a single Spanish Gold coin, dated 1518. Could the origins of this coin finally reveal the existence of the fabled Mahogany Ship?
At the same time, Sam Reilly and his team of ocean investigators are exploring the cause of a widespread death of sea life within the Gulf of Mexico. In a race against time to stop the irrevocable destruction of the world’s marine life, the two mysteries may just be entangled, and failure to solve them both will result in the greatest threat to ever face the human race.
A two hundred year old mystery.
A plague that’s destroying all marine life.
A pyramid half a mile below the sea.
And a puzzle that must be solved before it destroys the human race.
On the 18th of February, 1812, the Emily Rose became shipwrecked on the southern coast of Australia. The survivors are forced to walk nearly a thousand miles through the unexplored land to reach the only settlement, Sydney Cove.
Nearly two hundred miles inland, they come across the remains of a monstrous ship, far bigger than anything the British Navy had ever constructed. Through basic communication achieved with the natives, they learned that the ship had been there for a very long time… Maybe a thousand years? Despite the details of the mysterious ship in the journals from the survivors of the Emily Rose, no evidence that the Mahogany Ship ever existed was found – until now.
Present day: A mining exploration in Australia takes a core sample 500 feet below the surface of a deserted mountain. The sample returns no evidence of gold deposits, but something much more valuable – a single Spanish Gold coin, dated 1518. Could the origins of this coin finally reveal the existence of the fabled Mahogany Ship?
At the same time, Sam Reilly and his team of ocean investigators are exploring the cause of a widespread death of sea life within the Gulf of Mexico. In a race against time to stop the irrevocable destruction of the world’s marine life, the two mysteries may just be entangled, and failure to solve them both will result in the greatest threat to ever face the human race.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2015
622 people are currently reading
502 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Cartwright
77 books251 followersChristopher Cartwright writes spellbinding mysteries and suspense novels. Often with a backdrop of ocean adventure. Born in 1983, he has a background as a paramedic, and is an avid sailor and SCUBA diver.
He holds degrees in paramedics, nursing and emergency management.
Chris currently lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.
He holds degrees in paramedics, nursing and emergency management.
Chris currently lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
April 6, 2018
The Mahogany Ship
Sam Reilly, Book 2
By: Christopher Cartwright
Narrated by: David Gilmore
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
I love this kind of book...a treasure or artifact hunt, a mystery, suspense, twists, turns, and a big surprise! This was excellent and didn't let me down. Wow, there was so much going on and so many twists going on...amazing! The search was for the Mahogany Ship but ...you have to read it yourself, I am not spoiling it for you! It is great.
The narrator was great too. Kept the emotions, voices, and story flowing perfectly! Great job.
Sam Reilly, Book 2
By: Christopher Cartwright
Narrated by: David Gilmore
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
I love this kind of book...a treasure or artifact hunt, a mystery, suspense, twists, turns, and a big surprise! This was excellent and didn't let me down. Wow, there was so much going on and so many twists going on...amazing! The search was for the Mahogany Ship but ...you have to read it yourself, I am not spoiling it for you! It is great.
The narrator was great too. Kept the emotions, voices, and story flowing perfectly! Great job.
December 18, 2022
While exploring mysterious sea life deaths in the gulf of Mexico, Sam Reilly stumbles upon what’s presumed to be an underwater Mayan pyramid. The pyramid is leaking cyanide for some reason and he needs to fix it for a very wealthy guy.
The wealthy guy also gives Sam a gold coin, claiming it to be from the Mahogany Ship, an Australian legend that might prove Australia was possibly first discovered by the Spanish.
Much like the first book in the series there’s a historic discovery which has people with power salivating, as it contains something which can bring forth a new world order. Only this time we go further back in time as there’s speculation the pyramid was built by an ancient race known as the master builders, who may or may not have been aliens. While there’s definitely some cool speculative history mixed in the plot, this is much more of an action thriller mixed with a lot of diving exploration rather than the archaeological, treasure hunting adventure you might expect at first glance.
I have to be honest, the concept of this book looked better than the first but this one just didn’t manage to hook me at all. It has much the same problems the first one has, with a bit too much info dumping in between action scenes. But what stands out most is that the plot is much more muddled and convoluted than in the previous installment. There’s just too many things the writer tried to incorporate. From a megalomaniac rich guy, the discovery of the legendary Mahogany Ship and an underwater Mayan pyramid to the lost city of Atlantis, a magical all-powerful scepter and a possible alien race. The story just feels like it’s all over the place.
Overall, not a bad concept but it tried to do too much.
The wealthy guy also gives Sam a gold coin, claiming it to be from the Mahogany Ship, an Australian legend that might prove Australia was possibly first discovered by the Spanish.
Much like the first book in the series there’s a historic discovery which has people with power salivating, as it contains something which can bring forth a new world order. Only this time we go further back in time as there’s speculation the pyramid was built by an ancient race known as the master builders, who may or may not have been aliens. While there’s definitely some cool speculative history mixed in the plot, this is much more of an action thriller mixed with a lot of diving exploration rather than the archaeological, treasure hunting adventure you might expect at first glance.
I have to be honest, the concept of this book looked better than the first but this one just didn’t manage to hook me at all. It has much the same problems the first one has, with a bit too much info dumping in between action scenes. But what stands out most is that the plot is much more muddled and convoluted than in the previous installment. There’s just too many things the writer tried to incorporate. From a megalomaniac rich guy, the discovery of the legendary Mahogany Ship and an underwater Mayan pyramid to the lost city of Atlantis, a magical all-powerful scepter and a possible alien race. The story just feels like it’s all over the place.
Overall, not a bad concept but it tried to do too much.
October 22, 2018
This is the second book in a series. It is not strictly necessary to read the first book as the stories are standalone. The first book just offers more insight into the characters.
My main problem with this book is that you got the impression that they basically published the first draft without reading through it again. Because of this, there are followup errors to the first book and in my opinion, there is a break somewhere towards the end where the storyline changes completely and it doesn't make sense. And since I'm absolutely my enjoyment of this book was greatly diminished even though I still like the characters and the genre.
The book is about an Australian Legend: the Mahogany Ship. The intro is about the last voyage of the Emily Rose whose crew come upon the MS before shipwrecking themselves. In the present day, Sam investigates a natural catastrophe involving arsenic in the water and finds an underwater pyramid probably Mayan which he suspects was build by the Master Builders. More on that later.
Later the owner of the mine, whose name I have forgotten, approaches Sam and shows him an old Spanish gold coin that he believes came from the MS. More on that later as well.
Right of the bat, the author has two followup errors to the first book. Tom’s eyes were described as light green and hazel in the last airship. Here they are suddenly grey and later changed back to hazel. I know that this is a minor issue and that hazel is a somewhat interchangeable color but that was distracting for me all the same. After the owner approaches Sam about the MS, Tom cautions against going by himself as the other treasure hunters after the Magdalena in the previous constantly threatened his life. Also incorrect, as the others looking for the Magdalena weren’t after treasure but a biological weapon conceived during Second World War that would have changed the outcome of said war.
Now on to the storylines. In ancient history, there were many cultures such as the Mayans or the Egyptians whose accomplishments are hard to explain even with modern science. The concept of these Master Builders is, therefore, an interesting indeed. However, in this book, it was presented as if any minute now a giant pyramid-shaped ship would descend from the heavens and erect a circular stargate to other space systems. This is partially due to the fact that the story was introduced here but will be continued in later books.
The MS story is actually the one with which I had the most issues. The antagonist hires Sam to find the MS. He believes that this ship was part of Magellan’s expedition. I looked it up afterward and the ship being of Spanish origin is actually one of the theories. The antagonist wants to find the ship to prove that the Spanish were the ones who discovered Australia. Somewhere in the middle Tom who stayed behind at the pyramid realizes were he’s seen the antagonist before. And he needs to warn Sam about something. At this point, we're still in the Magellan portion of the MS.
And then the author established a connex to the Master Builders at which point all that is completely dropped including Toms unspoken warning. Even the Emily Rose becomes completely irrelevant as Sam gets new information from some hacker he knows, travels to China and then speaks to another witness that points him in a completely new direction.
I want to extrapolate on this point. My issue isn’t that at the end of the book the author returned to the age-old Bond villain who wants to rule the world by finding and using an ancient weapon of mass destruction and/or a vast cache of knowledge. My issue is the lack of a red thread, this break in logic. Where did Magellan go? This was incredibly badly done and sucked the enjoyment out of the story for me. Since they are included in Kindle Unlimited Ill still read the next one hoping that the author doesn’t have such glaring logical errors in them as well.
My main problem with this book is that you got the impression that they basically published the first draft without reading through it again. Because of this, there are followup errors to the first book and in my opinion, there is a break somewhere towards the end where the storyline changes completely and it doesn't make sense. And since I'm absolutely my enjoyment of this book was greatly diminished even though I still like the characters and the genre.
The book is about an Australian Legend: the Mahogany Ship. The intro is about the last voyage of the Emily Rose whose crew come upon the MS before shipwrecking themselves. In the present day, Sam investigates a natural catastrophe involving arsenic in the water and finds an underwater pyramid probably Mayan which he suspects was build by the Master Builders. More on that later.
Later the owner of the mine, whose name I have forgotten, approaches Sam and shows him an old Spanish gold coin that he believes came from the MS. More on that later as well.
Right of the bat, the author has two followup errors to the first book. Tom’s eyes were described as light green and hazel in the last airship. Here they are suddenly grey and later changed back to hazel. I know that this is a minor issue and that hazel is a somewhat interchangeable color but that was distracting for me all the same. After the owner approaches Sam about the MS, Tom cautions against going by himself as the other treasure hunters after the Magdalena in the previous constantly threatened his life. Also incorrect, as the others looking for the Magdalena weren’t after treasure but a biological weapon conceived during Second World War that would have changed the outcome of said war.
Now on to the storylines. In ancient history, there were many cultures such as the Mayans or the Egyptians whose accomplishments are hard to explain even with modern science. The concept of these Master Builders is, therefore, an interesting indeed. However, in this book, it was presented as if any minute now a giant pyramid-shaped ship would descend from the heavens and erect a circular stargate to other space systems. This is partially due to the fact that the story was introduced here but will be continued in later books.
The MS story is actually the one with which I had the most issues. The antagonist hires Sam to find the MS. He believes that this ship was part of Magellan’s expedition. I looked it up afterward and the ship being of Spanish origin is actually one of the theories. The antagonist wants to find the ship to prove that the Spanish were the ones who discovered Australia. Somewhere in the middle Tom who stayed behind at the pyramid realizes were he’s seen the antagonist before. And he needs to warn Sam about something. At this point, we're still in the Magellan portion of the MS.
And then the author established a connex to the Master Builders at which point all that is completely dropped including Toms unspoken warning. Even the Emily Rose becomes completely irrelevant as Sam gets new information from some hacker he knows, travels to China and then speaks to another witness that points him in a completely new direction.
I want to extrapolate on this point. My issue isn’t that at the end of the book the author returned to the age-old Bond villain who wants to rule the world by finding and using an ancient weapon of mass destruction and/or a vast cache of knowledge. My issue is the lack of a red thread, this break in logic. Where did Magellan go? This was incredibly badly done and sucked the enjoyment out of the story for me. Since they are included in Kindle Unlimited Ill still read the next one hoping that the author doesn’t have such glaring logical errors in them as well.
May 26, 2016
So… I read Christopher Cartwright’s first book The Last Airship and quickly jumped in to book 2 The Mahogany Ship. I had not heard of the Mahogany Ship legend. Many of the back stories in these type of novels are thought up by the author… but sometimes they use a real event or legend and fictionalize it to their benefit, I like it. As with TLA the formula is… event in the past… effects current story line. In typical Bond fashion we have a world ending “issue” requiring our intrepid Hero and merry band of misfits (be they strong, smart, noble) to step in and save the world for a mega-rich monomaniac. But hey… that’s what you signed in for when you picked up this type of book. Cartwright does not disappoint! He introduces some new characters that I whole heartily approve up… when I read these novels I typically “caste” the characters in my head… the new character of Billy screams Olivia Munn. Again as with the first book there was a bit of… really you worked this out THAT quickly… but it’s a fun read and is a great set up for the next book. I think these books would make kick ass action movies!
September 25, 2024
I like these books because they are based on real stories or myths and legends. Sam Reilly and his friend Tom Bower are once again in the middle of a chase for the past but this time Sam's Dad James Reilly is also with them as is Allianna and a few new members of the cast... They are on the hunt for the fabled Mahogany Ship. Someone wants the Mahogany Ship found but they don't have the maps to actually find it so Sam, Tom, and Sam's Father James are pulled into the search and once again Sam and Tom are nearly killed more than once....come join in the fun if you have even half an interest in Archeology or old myths, legends and stories.... Looking forward to reading more of this series....
March 2, 2024
Absolutely fun, fast, action packed. Booyah!
January 8, 2018
Well, as promised, I gave this series a second chance by reading this second installment and again I was deeply disappointed. I thought the writing would’ve gotten better with the second book (especially if feedback from reviews of the first were taken into account), but it got worse! Not only did the wordy, over-explaining style carry over into this book, but often times the character dialogue wasn’t believable because quite frankly no one speaks the way much of this book is written. A book this short usually only takes me 3 days maximum to read (and that’s if I’m extremely busy with other commitments), but this one took me double the time because I just couldn’t get into it. Less than halfway through the book, I was begging for it to just be over already.
In short, the overall modern-day treasure hunter concept is interesting, but the series is poorly written. Honestly, I’ve read tons of fanfics over the years that are WAY better than this. Needless to say, I won’t be continuing with this series.
In short, the overall modern-day treasure hunter concept is interesting, but the series is poorly written. Honestly, I’ve read tons of fanfics over the years that are WAY better than this. Needless to say, I won’t be continuing with this series.
June 23, 2017
This book was better than the first. I enjoyed reading it. It was more realistic, the main characters seem more mature and professional,trying to reveal the mystery and secrets behind the master builders, which I hope they can unveil in book 3.
May 22, 2018
( Format : Audiobook )
"I think I can see the light ..."
The Gulf of Mexico was rapidly becoming a Dead Zone, the marine life dead or dying, and it threatened to spread through all the oceans. The source of contamination was the leakage of hydrogen cyanide, sometimes used in gold mining, apparently coming from an underwater tunnel. Multi millionaire and explorer, Sam Reilly and his friend and co-worker, Tom, dive to find the source of the leak and stop it and, in so doing, accidentally discover what appears to be a magnificent unknown Mayan temple and tomb. How had it come to be there, huge and with such incredibly detailed work, so far beneath the water? But before he has a chance to explore further, Sam is asked by another billionaire to join an expedition looking for the fabled Mahogony ship, an artifact Sam and his father had sought without success when he was a youth. Leaving the exploration of the temple to Tom, Sam sets out for Australia.
The book follows the ongoing stories of both explorations. Filled with visual descriptions of the sites and growing supposition of possible histories, the story is packed with excitements and near death scenarios. This reader would have preferred more concentration on the first found Mexican discovery, which seemed to hold far more mystery, but it is the search for the legendary ship which leads to the final, rather disappointing denouement. Easy to read, and very well narrated by David Gilmore, whose pleasant voice has nice pace and good intonation in addition to great individual character voicings, this was an enjoyable, if somewhat unbelievable book in it's latter stages.
My thanks to the rights holder of The Mahogony Ship for freely gifting me a complimentary copy, at my request, via Audiobook Boom. The exciting story combined with a fine performance by the narrator made this pseudo archaeological tale well worth reading by anyone who enjoys this genre.
"I think I can see the light ..."
The Gulf of Mexico was rapidly becoming a Dead Zone, the marine life dead or dying, and it threatened to spread through all the oceans. The source of contamination was the leakage of hydrogen cyanide, sometimes used in gold mining, apparently coming from an underwater tunnel. Multi millionaire and explorer, Sam Reilly and his friend and co-worker, Tom, dive to find the source of the leak and stop it and, in so doing, accidentally discover what appears to be a magnificent unknown Mayan temple and tomb. How had it come to be there, huge and with such incredibly detailed work, so far beneath the water? But before he has a chance to explore further, Sam is asked by another billionaire to join an expedition looking for the fabled Mahogony ship, an artifact Sam and his father had sought without success when he was a youth. Leaving the exploration of the temple to Tom, Sam sets out for Australia.
The book follows the ongoing stories of both explorations. Filled with visual descriptions of the sites and growing supposition of possible histories, the story is packed with excitements and near death scenarios. This reader would have preferred more concentration on the first found Mexican discovery, which seemed to hold far more mystery, but it is the search for the legendary ship which leads to the final, rather disappointing denouement. Easy to read, and very well narrated by David Gilmore, whose pleasant voice has nice pace and good intonation in addition to great individual character voicings, this was an enjoyable, if somewhat unbelievable book in it's latter stages.
My thanks to the rights holder of The Mahogony Ship for freely gifting me a complimentary copy, at my request, via Audiobook Boom. The exciting story combined with a fine performance by the narrator made this pseudo archaeological tale well worth reading by anyone who enjoys this genre.
December 15, 2024
This is the second installment of an adventure/thriller series that features oceanographer and archeologist Sam Reilly. This adventure is focused upon 2 archeology sites, the Mahogany Ship and an undersea Mayan pyramid. First, Sam and his company discover the underwater pyramid as they seek the source of hydrogen cyanide in the Gulf of Mexico that is killing life in the ocean. This discovery ties into new clues regarding the Mahogany Ship. That ship is a real “missing” item from the 16th century. It was a huge (by 16th century standards) sailing vessel made from mahogany wood. That type of wood would have been unusual for a sailing vessel. That ship was part of a group of ships, led by Ferinand Magellan in his expedition to circumnavigate the globe in the 16th Century. Due to disease and hardships on the expedition, the number of sailors Magellan had was rapidly declining. So, the Mahogany Ship was left behind somewhere between Chian, the Philippines and Australia. Some believe the ship was beached in Australia, but it has never been found. Due to the cargo that ship was carrying, more is at stake here regarding that Spanish ship than just a pile of mahogany wood. More than one group wants to find it and they are willing to use violence to achieve their goal. So, there is violence, the inherent dangers of undersea searches and double crossers in this adventure. Plenty of action for Sam Reilly and readers who enjoy mystery and adventure novels.
November 8, 2020
Sam Reilly is certainly an Indianna Jones type of character, minus the whip.. His curiosity leads him into treacherous situations where his survival is doubtful, but like the Phoenix he keeps rising. An adventure packed story starting in the Gulf of Mexico where the sea life is killed off by cyanide poisoning to the middle of Victorian countryside where a mythical ship is supposed to have found it's resting place. The imagery of carrying a ship that holds the same population of our current ocean liners, over land is hard to fathom. A thrilling ride from start to finish. Well written with lots of creative imagination at play, the author, Christopher Cartwright leads us on a merry chase, never knowing how his vibrant characters will conquer the challenges that face them. The mystery of the Wonders of the World and their origins is cleverly included in ways that entice the reader to ponder the nature of their amazing development. Greed and the quest for power drive Michael to create the setting to lure Sam in his boyhood quest for the Mahogany Ship. I loved it. Another great story from Christopher Cartwright.
December 17, 2024
Southern Ocean, on the way to Sydney, Australia, 1812. Jack Robertson, John Langham (after rescuing his precious Bible) and 28 other sailors are all that survive a shipwreck after a violent storm, but they have no idea where they are. Gathering their meager supplies, they head out into the interior and make an ancient discovery.
Sam and Tom are split up into two mysteries.
After Sam Reilly discovers a sunken Mayan temple under an unusually large “Dead Zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico, he leaves his friend Tom Bower in charge of exploring it while he heads to Australia. Michel Rodriguez, owner of Rodriguez Mining has uncovered a coin that might lead to the location of the Mahogany Mystery ship and wants Sam to help him.
Sorry, couldn’t finish this book (42%). I’ve read a lot of archeological thrillers. This started out great with a good premise and some interesting scenes, but I started getting bored and confused.
Then the plot started lose any resemblance of the preestablished archeological and historical plot threads and started to dabble in science fiction changing things to fit what the author needed.
Fave scenes: plugging the tunnel, Tom meeting Bill.
Sam and Tom are split up into two mysteries.
After Sam Reilly discovers a sunken Mayan temple under an unusually large “Dead Zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico, he leaves his friend Tom Bower in charge of exploring it while he heads to Australia. Michel Rodriguez, owner of Rodriguez Mining has uncovered a coin that might lead to the location of the Mahogany Mystery ship and wants Sam to help him.
Sorry, couldn’t finish this book (42%). I’ve read a lot of archeological thrillers. This started out great with a good premise and some interesting scenes, but I started getting bored and confused.
Then the plot started lose any resemblance of the preestablished archeological and historical plot threads and started to dabble in science fiction changing things to fit what the author needed.
Fave scenes: plugging the tunnel, Tom meeting Bill.
September 12, 2019
Having read the first in this series, I decided to continue to the next one. Sadly, despite not being too enamoured with The First Airship, I found myself even more disappointed with The Mahogany Ship. The story is extremely far-fetched, although that I can excuse if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s badly written. Apart from the spelling mistakes, which are not too much of an issue, there were quite a few passages that didn’t make any sense at all as the author had clearly changed his mind in the middle of a sentence but not removed the unnecessary words, making it very hard to read. As with the first one, there was plenty of thrills and excitement but, after a while it all becomes a bit too unbelievable. Whilst I appreciate it’s a fantasy, I reached a point where I just couldn’t enjoy it. The idea behind the story was a good one and that’s the only thing that kept me going, along with the closing chapter, but I’m not sure that I can be bothered to read any more in the series.
December 30, 2021
I like the character of Sam Reilly, who is a good guy who helps people and likes to solve ancient and current mysteries and problems. I've read several of his adventures and most of them are good. This one was good, although there was one character (a female) who had a foul mouth and I don't like to read or hear profanity, so that was a negative. Otherwise, it was good. They found an ancient pyramid below the sea near Mexico and they went on a search for an ancient shipwreck. Sam's friend Tom is always enjoyable to watch in action and their friendship is special. One of the interesting things about Sam is that he and his dad are super-wealthy, which means they can pretty much do whatever they want to do without a second thought about money. It's interesting to watch can be done when a person doesn't have to worry about the cost of anything. You can get a lot done that way!
August 19, 2020
This tale is full of multiple legends, myths, an oceanic catastrophe in the making, a Mayan pyramid where you wouldn’t expect one, and all linked to Sam Reilly’s favorite subject; the Master Builders. The story has Sam chasing clues from the Gulf of Mexico to Australia to China and back to the underground caverns of Australia. Cartwright mixes historical fiction with fantasy embellishment and I find his writing enjoyable and interesting. This story does have some abrupt about-faces regarding the current direction of the hunt but I take it in stride and enjoy the action. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
December 18, 2024
Review of this book.
Absolutely an amazing book. Fast paced and full of twists and turns. The book jumps from one story to another, but gives the reader enough background to make each transition seamless. The reader is able to follow the different plots without getting lost along the way. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre. I MT reading faster and faster to find out what happens next. Excellent job of writing on the author's part. I cannot wait to read the next book. Sam is highly intelligent, as is his father. The women are also highly intelligent. This makes the book a delight to read.
Absolutely an amazing book. Fast paced and full of twists and turns. The book jumps from one story to another, but gives the reader enough background to make each transition seamless. The reader is able to follow the different plots without getting lost along the way. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre. I MT reading faster and faster to find out what happens next. Excellent job of writing on the author's part. I cannot wait to read the next book. Sam is highly intelligent, as is his father. The women are also highly intelligent. This makes the book a delight to read.
May 13, 2018
This book is a standalone listen and part of a series. I really enjoyed this book with all of its twists. I loved the historical element in the story as well. David Gilmore did a great job with performing the various characters in this book. The imagery was great too! I requested this review copy audiobook and have voluntarily written this review. I will definitely listen to more books by this author and narrator. Without giving away spoilers, I loved the ending in this book. Kudos to Christopher Cartwright for such a great story and creating Sam Reilly.
August 31, 2019
The Mahogany Ship (Sam Reilly #2) by Christopher Cartwright is almost historical fiction as well as action-adventue and a thriller. The Mahogany Ship is a 200 year old legend. Yet, Sam Reilly and his father hunted for it when Sam was only 6 years old. But Sam is off again in search of the ship and a mysterious weapon it reputedly held. While most of his adventures are along with his pal Tom, this time he's joined by his father and girlfriend. Exciting adventures and miraculous escapes follow.
December 12, 2019
Amazing! This book plays upon some of the plots opened during the first of the series while introducing some extremely thought-provoking new plots. I found myself so many times during the progression of this book questioning what I learned in school and just how many things mentioned in this book are based on truths that are not common knowledge. Non-stop action drives this amazing book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Audio quality was great.
I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Audio quality was great.
I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2021
Excellent adventure featuring historical and mythological componets...
From the 1500s and Spanish explorations with a brief brush into the missing civilization of Atlantis, some of the richest and most powerful individuals in the world pursue a weapon of ancient times with more power than even the most modern of weaponry known today. At the crux of all this is a master race of builders who hold the repository of the world's knowledge accessible with this weapon and the proper knowledge of its usage... and the race is on with both the righteous and the corrupt in pursuit!
From the 1500s and Spanish explorations with a brief brush into the missing civilization of Atlantis, some of the richest and most powerful individuals in the world pursue a weapon of ancient times with more power than even the most modern of weaponry known today. At the crux of all this is a master race of builders who hold the repository of the world's knowledge accessible with this weapon and the proper knowledge of its usage... and the race is on with both the righteous and the corrupt in pursuit!
October 31, 2021
Cartwright continues to follow Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pit formula, linking an ancient mystery to a current problem. In this one he also throws in the Ancient Builders theory as well, and it is apparent that in future books we will continue to look for clues regarding these ancient builders. The plot is fast paced and a lot of fun, although I had to keep myself from examining things too closely lest my suspension of disbelief be broken. All in all, this was a fun novel.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
February 15, 2022
There were 2 different mysteries here and you got the impression in the end that the villain staged it all. The underwater pyramid was pretty neat and their exploration of it, then they mostly abandon that line and Sam goes in search of the Mahogany ship taking much more time than he had originally planned. There was, of course, an ulterior motive revealed only in the end. There were no answers in the underwater pyramid, only more questions and the groundwork was laid for 4 additional adventures to seek out relics with a deadline.
July 17, 2024
An enjoyable action adventure story with several twists and plot lines happening. Sam is your true action hero always managing to escape near death adventures while trying to solve ancient history mysteries. Typical story line involving a rich, handsome, smart, athletic man with unlimited high tech gadgets along with his equally intelligent friends and business associates saving the world in an entertaining book. We enjoy this series and listened to the audible books on our long road trips while we explore historical places and beautiful lands.
August 22, 2017
I mainly read this book as I was so impressed by book #1 of the series "The Last Airship". Unfortunately, this wasn't as good.
The title refers to an Australian Legend of the great Mahogany ship wreck (which I was quite unaware of). The hero, Sam Reilly, is not only uncovering ancient underwater Mayan pyramids in the Gulf of Mexico, but also bush-whacking and cave diving in Victoria searching for the mythical ship...
The title refers to an Australian Legend of the great Mahogany ship wreck (which I was quite unaware of). The hero, Sam Reilly, is not only uncovering ancient underwater Mayan pyramids in the Gulf of Mexico, but also bush-whacking and cave diving in Victoria searching for the mythical ship...
December 29, 2018
While entertaining in an escapist sense, the author has a tendency to indulge in escape from impending death with no<\i> explanation for several key characters. The book has the feel of a Dirk Pitt adventure flavored with dangerous technology from an extinct race of Master Builders responsible for the pyramids, Atlantis, etc. and the competition among powerful forces trying to find and possess their hidden secrets. Fun as a comic book writ large.
October 2, 2025
Another interesting instalment in this series. Again, Tom and Sam are drawn into danger with two missions which become linked. Sam is in danger from a mine owner’s machinations which draws his father into the adventure. Initially, they arrive on site to help avoid an ecological disaster but they find an ancient pyramid under the sea which helps Sam fine the famed Mahogany Ship. Lots and action with some danger! Another clever plot by this author.
October 12, 2017
Great adventure
The most intriguing story I've read in a long time. It has lots of action and edge of seat thrills. I don't usually give 5stars to book I read unless they are well written and the story continues to hold my interest. This one did. I think if you love a. Old fashion adventures this is it.
The most intriguing story I've read in a long time. It has lots of action and edge of seat thrills. I don't usually give 5stars to book I read unless they are well written and the story continues to hold my interest. This one did. I think if you love a. Old fashion adventures this is it.
April 8, 2019
The Last Mahogany Ship, my fifth read from author Christopher Cartwright. Well-written and captivating with well-developed main characters reminding one of Dan Brown’s writing as well as the character of Indiana Jones. I’ll be reading more by this author as I own several more books in the series! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
June 4, 2020
Another great Sam Reilly treasure hunting adventure which had me literally on the edge of my seat. The audio version of this book was amazing with one most annoying feature, the narrators version of the Australian accent was absolutely rubbish. Lucky for me the storyline was so well written, I kept listening to the end.
Great story.....so addicted onto the next adventure of Sam Reilly now
Great story.....so addicted onto the next adventure of Sam Reilly now
December 1, 2020
I loved this second book of the series. Indiana Jones eat your heart out. Very compelling story, action packed all the way.
Nicely follows from book one but can also be read as a stand-alone.
If all the Sam Reilly books are as good as these 2, I’ll be a happy bunny.
No spoilers from me just a confirmation that it’s a brilliant action adventure thriller series well worth reading.
Nicely follows from book one but can also be read as a stand-alone.
If all the Sam Reilly books are as good as these 2, I’ll be a happy bunny.
No spoilers from me just a confirmation that it’s a brilliant action adventure thriller series well worth reading.
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