The Mystery of the "Mary Celeste"

By: J. G. Lockhart

Narrated by: Cathy Dobson

Length: 49 mins

Publisher's summary

The "Mary Celeste" (or Marie Celeste as it is wrongly referred to several writers) was a British merchant brigantine. The ship is best known for having been discovered on 5 December 1872 in the Atlantic Ocean, unmanned and apparently abandoned, although the weather was fine, the ship intact and her crew experienced and capable seamen.

The "Mary Celeste" was in sound and seaworthy condition and was under full sail heading for the Strait of Gibraltar. She had been at sea for a month and had more than six months' worth of food and water on board. Her cargo was untouched and the crew's possessions including valuables were still in place. None of those on board were ever seen or heard from again and their disappearance remains one of the greatest maritime mysteries of all time.J. G. Lockhart examines minutely the details of the mystery of the "Mary Celeste", evaluates the various explanations and theories which could solve the mystery... and then proposes a new solution of his own.

Public Domain (P)2014 Red Door Audiobooks

An intriguing real life mystery

This was a very interesting short story. "Story" may not be the best word, as it really is a description of a the facts surrounding the discovery of a derelict ship found with no trace of her crew. The later half of the book puts forth some theories but, in the end, there is no satisfactory explanation to as to how and why the crew disappeared.

If you're looking for a story with a tidied up ending, this isn't for you. If, however, you enjoy hearing about non-fiction events that are truly unique, then this should interest you. Even more so if you enjoy trying to figure out possibilities yourself.

The narrator is not as bad as another review has made it her out to be. Cathy Dobson has a unique cadence and inflections, but it wasn't something that I couldn't adapt to. In the end, the narration neither added to nor detracted from the book.

In summary, give this quick read a try if you like real life mystery and enjoy a truly unsolved event.

More than one mystery here...

What would have made The Mystery of the "Mary Celeste" better?

Without a doubt, the narrator ruined this audiobook. Her halting manner and odd inflection in speech pulls you out of the story to the point where you really don't know what it is all about.

Would you ever listen to anything by J. G. Lockhart again?

Possibly, but not with the same narrator.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Cathy Dobson?

I think anyone would have been better than this particular narrator.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Impossible to tell, accept possibly for the length. Had the audiobook been any longer, I would have definitely not bothered sitting through to the end.

Any additional comments?

There is more than one mystery here. The one you want to hear about, the Mary Celeste, and the more obvious one: "Why this narrator?" Often, I will purchase the book after listening to the audio version, especially if the narrator is compelling. In this case, I have no desire to read the printed version because of the narration. One would hope that the writer has some input in choosing the reader, especially after going through the hard work of writing the book in the first place. I cannot imagine any writer agreeing to this narrator.