THE GHOST OF THE MARY CELESTE / Valerie Martin / 304 Pages / Christams Challenge: 5 Golden Rings (marriage proposal) & 6 Geese-a-Laying (pregnancies/babies)

The author of MARY REILLY and THE CONFESSIONS OF EDWARD DAY, relates a haunting historical fiction centering on the puzzle of the Mary Celeste, an American sailing vessel found abandoned and adrift in in Atlantic Ocean in 1872.

Martin's novel combines historical facts surrounding that mystery with the Spiritualist movement of the late 19th century. Featured players include a young Arthur Conan Doyle and a journalist named Phoebe Grant who is investigating a medium named Violet Petra.

THE GHOST OF THE MARY CELESTE is an intricately plotted, descriptive, ghost story based on real events and individuals. (Advance Reading Copy: publication:  1/28/2014)