The Ghost Ship starts in the gallows, ends in the gallows and in between has swashbuckling lady pirates, forbidden romance and 16th century Amsterdam.

The book follows Louise Reydon-Joubert, a feisty woman who thanks to the generosity of an uncle has recently become independently wealthy. She has decided to finance her heart’s greatest desire: captaining a ship.

That career choice is frowned upon in 16th century Amsterdam, but Louise is undeterred and, after meeting handsome wine merchant’s apprentice Gilles Barenton, sets sail for the Barbary Coast.

The pair and their motley crew travel the seas and discover just how awful humans can be to one another. They also discover quite a bit about themselves, including a dangerous secret Gilles has been keeping from everyone.

Author Kate Mosse, widely known for her archaeological fiction novel Labyrinth, is the author of more than 10 historical fiction books which have sold more than 5 million copies in over 40 languages. She’s written several screenplays as well as several non-fiction books, including a history of women’s contributions to history called Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries.

In 1992, she helped co-found the Orange Prize, now known as the Women’s Prize for Fiction, which is awarded annually to a female author of any nationality.

The author is known for her attention to detail and the concern for historical accuracy is clear. The Ghost Ship doesn’t shy away from the horrors of the Trans-Atlanic slave trade nor the intimacies of cramped life on a ship.

The Ghost Ship is the third book in Mosse’s The Joubert Family Chronicles but it can be read as a standalone. Some plot lines from the previous two books, including a fight over inheritance and a longstanding plot of revenge, do carry over but the reader won’t miss anything by not having that backstory.

The book was a Sunday Times bestseller and for good reason. It’s well-written, entertaining and enjoyable, the rare work that brings 16th century Amsterdam to light in an interesting, rather than cliched, way.

Get your copy of The Ghost Ship at the American Book Center.