Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Blue Moon Investigations #9

Whispers in the Rigging

Rate this book
What lurks in the shadows at the Royal Navy Historic Dockyard? Is it something evil and malignant? Will it suck at your soul? No, because it will be some idiot in a costume, same as always.

Tempest Michaels is going undercover with best friend Big Ben to find out why his Dad was found unconscious and stuffed into a wheelie bin. There is no client this time, just a definite need to find someone worthy of a jolly good punch in the pants.

With strange noises coming through the floor of the rigging room and reports of ghosts seen at night wearing the uniform of 18th Century Royal Navy Officers, the chaps set out to unravel the mystery, but is there more going on than a simple fake haunting? Also, what do the old Navy boys mean by their offer of help? And why are so many of the employees Ukrainian?

It’s going to take more than a determined approach and Big Ben’s top chat-up lines to get through this one. Plus, it’s Jagjit’s wedding next weekend which means a Batchelor party in four days’ time.

Will he survive the anti-Army banter of the old Navy boys? Will Big Ben copulate with every single woman on the night-shift cleaning crew?

Join them as we find out just what is causing the Whispers in the Rigging.

Warning: This book contains some mild cussing and sexual references. Nothing that would be R rated but I would not let my nine-year-old niece read it.

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2019

300 people are currently reading
168 people want to read

About the author

Steve Higgs

540 books791 followers
Let's start this off with an invitation to get some FREE books. No, you didn't read that wrong, we are talking about multiple free books. I love giving away free books because once people delve into the fast-paced mystery thrills I write, they go on to buy lots more.

All I need from you is an email address to send them to. Here's the link you need - https://mailchi.mp/fd47a6eb4ae5/patri...

When I wrote my first novel, Paranormal Nonsense, I was a Captain in the British Army. I would love to pretend that I had one of those careers that has to be redacted and in general denied by the government and that I have had to change my name and continually move about because I am still on the watch list in several countries. In truth though, I started out as a mechanic. Not like Jason Statham, sneaking about as a contract killer, more like one of those greasy gits that charge you a fortune and keep your car for a week when all you went in for was a squeaky door hinge.

At school, I was mostly disinterested in every subject except creative writing, for which, at age ten, I won my first award. However, calling it my first award suggests that there have been more, which there have not. Accolades may come but, in the meantime, I am having a ball writing mystery stories and crime thrillers and will claim to have more than a hundred books forming an unruly queue in my head as they clamor to get out.

Now retired from the military, I live in the south-east corner of England with a pair of lazy sausage dogs. Surrounded by rolling hills, brooding castles, and vineyards, I doubt I will ever leave, the beer is just too good.

Links:
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steve-Higgs/...
Website: https://stevehiggsbooks.wordpress.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stevehiggsau...

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
527 (60%)
4 stars
262 (29%)
3 stars
79 (8%)
2 stars
8 (<1%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Anastasia.
2,255 reviews102 followers
June 10, 2025
Whispers in the Rigging by Steve Higgs is the 9th book in the Blue Moon Investigations series. Paranormal investigator Tempest Michaels investigates the attack on his father at the Royal Navy Historic Dockyard where ghosts wearing old army uniforms have been reported. A wonderful cozy mystery where Tempest is helped by other old navy officers. Tempest also manages to assist in his sisters labour as well as being best man at his friend Jagit's wedding and organizing the Bachelor party. Plenty of action where we even see Chief Inspector Quinn playing more of a role. Another excellent paranormal investigation.
Profile Image for Tex.
1,570 reviews24 followers
June 17, 2022
Plenty of snuggly doggos. Army versus Navy with Ukrainians as surprise villains (considering the state of that nation as I read this book). First in the series still the best.
Profile Image for Pippa.
264 reviews
May 25, 2024
Tempest’s dad is found in a dumpster in the dockyard he works in as a guide, having been hit. Tempest wants to find out who did it as dad unconscious in hospital so sets out on a mission with Big Ben.
The old navy guys his dad works with try and help and chat about ghosts being seen and noises in the rigging room.

Tempest figures out after visiting the docks that pipes ar coming from below and he can hear voices from below. A lot of the staff have left due to ghosts and all staff seem to be taken over by Ukrainians.
Tempest speaks to th commander in charge who lets on he had to borrow money and now the Ukrainians are taking over but Tempest figures out that the commander is head honcho after Jane/james works out his family history is Ukrainian.

Tempest speaks to Quinn and gets a new detective that is Ukrainian to help him but he is a bit gung ho and gets captured along with som of the old fellas.

With help of the old fellas left who turn out, like his dad to be ex seals after showing their tattoos, they manage to infiltrate and capture the Ukrainians who are making counterfeit cigarettes. They all get a beating at the same time but manage to capture the commander too.

Jagjits stag day which tempest has organised and the mystery man called Ian turns out to be dci Quinn but they all have fun. Come the wedding tempest is best man and has split up with the barmaid and Big Ben invited Amanda as his no shag guest and tells tempest she is single again so tempest takes the courage to tell her that he doesn’t like her being an employee as he can’t date employees and she kisses him and chat and chat and agree to give it a go together but take it slow.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Helgaleena Healingline.
Author 2 books30 followers
January 19, 2019
Jagjit's wedding is coming up but it coincides with a family crisis for Tempest. His dad is knocked out and stuffed in a wheelie bin at his volunteer guide job at Royal Navy Historic Dockyard.

While his dad recovers in hospital, he tries to interest Chief Inspector Quinn in the fact that all the British staff are being let go and replaced by Ukrainians. There must surely be criminal hijinks behind it, especially as they are being frightened away by 'ghosts' in period 18th century naval uniform. Quinn overcomes his personal animosity toward Blue Moon Investigations enough to assign a nearly useless novice detective as go-between with the police.

Tempest has no time for his current girlfriend, writing his best man speech, or his sister being about to give birth. The investigation has gotten personal and he, Bull and Dozer his mini-dachshunds, his Army mate Big Ben, and the special operations Navy volunteers (retired) rally round and get to the bottom of it all.

And it's got an extremely happy ending!
Profile Image for Ivlia Blackburn.
67 reviews1 follower
March 4, 2022
Truly probably one of the best so far. After his father was attacked amid claims of ghost sightings and mysterious whispers heard at night Tempest Michaels and Big Ben go under cover to find out what is happening and ensure the person who thumped Mr. Michaels senior is punished. In the process Tempest arranges a successful stag do for his schooldays friend Jagdit, is the (very reluctant) birthing partner for his twin sister (she has a daughter, Tempest is left with serious bruising), meets DI Quinn in a social setting which results in them finally sort of accepting each other's activities, oh and successfully solves the mystery of the ghosts and whispers in the rigging.
I won't give the game away save to say that Mr. Higgs seems to have a positive talent for writing books whose storylines are incredibly apt for the times in which I read them (read the book [Feb/Mar 2022] to find out what I mean) and I really can't wait to read the next in the series.
Profile Image for Nicholas.
262 reviews3 followers
November 12, 2023
When a family member is hurt, you do what you can to help. When it is Tempest Michaels that has a hurt family member, things are a bit more complex.

Being a Paranormal investigator means he will and does get himself involved in the case that his dad had been looking into, thus Whispers in the Rigging. A nice play from the last book to this one.

The series is still giving me Dresden Files vibes without the magic and more the detective angle. I find that good, because the early Dresden books when he did more detective work was the better half of the series. This takes that and multiplies it.

As normal, the story is well thought out and plays out like a good crime movie would. The writing is well done, so you don’t get hit with jarring mistakes that break you out of the story.

Overall, a well-done book. It is highly enjoyable and well worth your time.
27 reviews
February 7, 2019
Steve Higgs does it again. Or should I say Tempest Michaels does it again.

Steve Higgs does it again. Or should I say Tempest Michaels does it again. And this time it's personal. When Tempest 's father is attacked and left in a coma, Tempest goes undercover at the Naval Museum. Ghosts Ukrainians, old Navy guys and so many secrets. Plus, Jagjit is getting married and Tempest has lots of best man duties to perform. Funny, mysterious and thrilling, you won't get anything else done. You won't be able to put this book down. Another winner in the Blue Moon Investigations series. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Jan.
6,531 reviews102 followers
April 25, 2019
Tempest Michaels does it again! This time he and his friend Big Ben are out to prove that it was no ghost that has been causing trouble at Royal Navy Historic Dockyard and struck his dad on the head and into a coma. Serious stuff, a good mystery plot, not enough about his mini weenies, and enough fun to have you laughing out loud at a cemetery. With a hot cup of caffeine. Always too much fun!
I managed to get the Whispersync on sale, and Charles Robert Fox really knows how to deadpan the reader into spilling the caffeine!
Profile Image for Renee Arthur.
433 reviews4 followers
March 18, 2019
There have been strange noises in the Rigging room of the old naval dockyard. Some workers even claim to have seen ghosts. Where Tempest's dad gets knocked on the head and ends up in a coma, you better believe he's going to investigate. At the same time, Jagjit's wedding is coming up and there's lots to do. Leave it to Tempest and Big Ben to find hard core action, sarcasm and out loud laughing. I enjoyed this book from start to finish.
Profile Image for Terry Polston.
810 reviews3 followers
December 29, 2022
Tempest sure does get beat up a lot. Big Ben meets his fighting match. Jagjit gets married. Tempest meets ex- navy special forces that work with his father at the dockyard, which is a historical attraction. An interesting group of men. With the current sympathy towards Ukraine, it was sad to see Ukrainians being the bad guys, although they were independent criminals. Of course the question is: will Tempest finally tell Amanda how he feels?
283 reviews
February 12, 2023
Looking for a series on Audible I found this one. I went through books 1 through 9 one right after the other. The stories are interesting and so far have not had repetitive plot lines, which is quite refreshing. The characters are interesting, some of the verbiage that is spewed from the protagonist’s mother is so real that it makes me roll my eyes, and sometimes absolutely laugh out loud. This kind of character development makes continuing on in a series worth the time.
19 reviews
April 26, 2019
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Tempest Michaels books. I’ve decided that humor is as necessary to my day as food and water and Tempest has taken me along on another rollicking good case. I am totally satisfied to let him do all the hard work, exercise the dogs, and take the punches while I stand back and read.
Mr. Higgs, you have created a devoted reader so please keep up the good work!
Profile Image for Ami.
2,391 reviews14 followers
November 15, 2019
I throughly enjoyed reading WitR, book 9, as with all of the books in the Blue Moon series. I am particularly happy about an event I've been hoping to see for quite some time within the lives of my two favorite paranormal investigators! Finally! I highly recommend the entire series and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I'm off to read book 10, hurray.

Read via Kindle Unlimited
12 reviews
February 26, 2019
Steve Higgs is my new favorite author.

I've read 6 of his laugh-out-loud books. He makes you feel that you know him and all the characters. I can't wait for the next installment of series.
510 reviews2 followers
February 9, 2021
This one had me holding my breath for the conclusion! So glad Tempest survived this adventure. The description of Tempest’s sister’s baby being delivered had me laughing hysterically. And his Mother’s laissez faire attitude was omg! Another great story by a prolific author!
Profile Image for Angel Ballard.
771 reviews5 followers
October 24, 2021
You don't mess with family.
Tempest goes into full on shark-mode when his father is injured at work and it is obviously no accident. A wild ride from the very beginning! Tempest, his sausage dogs and the rest of the gang are on the case! And is there a new member of the family coming? :O
Profile Image for Joan.
966 reviews
June 1, 2022
Not my favourite of the series, but still pretty good fun.

Tempest goes under cover as a cleaner at the Royal Dockyards to find out who hurt his father.

Tempest's twin sister has a baby and his friend Jagjit Singh and Alice get married.
69 reviews
May 28, 2023
New Friends

When I started this series I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, the more I read the more comfortable with the Characters I became. I now look forward to more adventures with who I consider to be new Friends.
Profile Image for Lisa Welch.
601 reviews6 followers
July 16, 2023
Absolutely the best one yet

No spoilers as I want people to experience the story for them selves. Love it from the start to finish. The old boys are brilliant ! Adele as a lovely finish
Profile Image for Bill Jones.
424 reviews
August 1, 2025
This time we are in Chatham Dockyard, where mischief is afoot. With a wedding to arrange, and his dad and sister in hospital (for different reasons) Tempest has a lot on his plate. Still a lot of diversions into the sex lives of the MCs, which is why only three stars. Otherwise a good read!
Profile Image for Lesley Hewitt.
832 reviews7 followers
February 8, 2019
Great book

These books just keep getting better. The characters do make me chuckle. If you want a really fun read I suggest these books.
10 reviews1 follower
February 20, 2019
Great fun!

Steve's books are always laugh out loud funny and a joy to read. This one was no exception. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for S D Lawrie.
483 reviews3 followers
March 29, 2020
An enjoyable romp through the countryside, ships and water. Oh, the Navy or something gets involved and there are some ghosts. Good news, the dogs are OK.
63 reviews
June 22, 2021
Great read

Another great story the suspense mix shot a little of humour and a lot of sexual tension ,makes this book a great read ,
2 reviews1 follower
March 14, 2022
Love the whole series.

Loved it. Very fast read , could not put it down. Read the whole story in one sitting. Have enjoyed them all.
895 reviews7 followers
May 29, 2022
not my favorite

I had a hard time getting into this book. I love the series and enjoy the characters so I imagine I just needed a break
17 reviews
July 4, 2022
Excellent as always

Suspenseful, clean, humorous reading. I 'll be reading all of Steve Biggs books. It's hard to put his stories down!
Profile Image for William Eubanks.
5 reviews2 followers
May 2, 2023
A gray swat tea

I’m reading the whole series of Blue Moon Investigations, but this one was really to my liking. Some twists and turns. Surprise rescue. And a kiss.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.