1604 Gabriel Taverner is summoned by Ezekiel Colt, captain of his old ship, the Falco currently docked in Plymouth, having just returned from the Caribbean. Colt has a tale to tell his old ship's surgean, a tale of a crew including him, frightened, seeing and hearing things in the bowles of the ship. They all believe that the ship is haunted. Taverner is determined to find a logical explanation to the events but then he and the captain discover a body. It will not be the last.
An enjoyable and well-written historical mystery, another interesting story with its likeable characters in this series. A book which can easily be read as a standalone story but having enjoyed the first two I would recommend reading them in order.
A NetGalley Book ( )

Interesting mystery involving stowaways, indigo and voodoo. A quick read with appealing characters. I liked that the women characters were strong and intelligent. ( )

Alys Clare's The Indigo Ghosts is a read that's an unusual combination of both fun and haunting. It deftly straddles the line between historical mystery and gothic (though not actually ocurring in the Gothic historical period—it's set during the reign of King James I). Dr. Gabriel Taverner is called in to investigate hauntings aboard a ship he used to serve on. Sailors have been seeing blue ghosts, and as Taverner and his former captain explore the holds they find a claustrophobic space in which stowaways have hidden and have left behind a desiccated, long-dead body nailed to one of the ship's ribs. That's where the mystery begins.

What I most enjoyed about this book was the way it both considers and questions the possibility of paranormal explanations for some of the events Taverner is investigating. This balance gives readers interesting insights into the inner lives of characters, the differences between what they want to believe and what they do (or may?) believe. The characters are well fleshed-out with strong relationships among them. They all have their own mix of quirks—none is a stock character. I also appreciate that the female characters in this book are presented as strong and independent.

If you enjoy historical mysteries, this is one you'll want to pick up right away.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from Severn House via NetGalley. The opinions are my own. ( )

Indigo Ghosts! 1604 Historical mystery!

An astonishing tale that relates to a dead body found in an unexpected place aboard a ship Gabriel Tavener had once sailed on' currently moored a Plymouth.
Taverner receives a request from an old friend, Captain Zeke in charge of the Falco, a ship he'd been the doctor on. The crew is on edge. A small body has been discovered in a minuscule space in the lowest deck. When Tavener enters the wretched space he bangs his head, feels overwhelmed by evil, and has a strange vision.
This is just the beginning for this man of science.
We learn more about Jonathan Carew, the local vicar. Taverner realises during this time that Jonathan "is proving to be a good village priest."
But more than that, these are "deep matters of great antiquity" requiring "a lifetime’s study." And in this investigation Gabriel saw in Jonathan, "a hunger for knowledge, for knowing, a fierce desire to pore over abstruse writings and ancient texts, devouring them, taking them inside his own soul, using the sparkling intelligence and the keen insight that his Maker had bestowed upon him."
With these insights my appreciation of both Gabriel and Jonathan quadrupled.
All the other central characters make an appearance:
Celia, Gabriel's sister
Judith Penwarden, the midwife and healer
Black Carlotta, the local wise woman (and more)
What they are dealing with comes straight from the island of Hispaniola, near Dominica in the West Indies, a secret that involves superstitions, benign and not so well disposed spirits, evil, and men who'd survived unspeakable lives.
Then there's the 'triangular' trade!
This is a most satisfying if not downright compelling Jacobean mystery! After reading, I really appreciated the title' particularly as it added to my knowledge.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley ( )