Captain Mary, Buccaneer (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Captain Mary, Buccaneer is for those seeking adventure on a rolling ship, the thrill of the chase and sea battles -- Historical Novels Review

Simonds is ... extremely clever at creating an historically credible psychological profile of how and why a woman turns pirate. -- No Quarter Given

There's a lot of swashbuckling, some interesting facts about life at sea, and a lot of lust and deception. It was exciting! -- Dolly Chase, Readaholics.com, January 2001

This is as close to a pirate's life that you will dare to explore. 4 sabers out of 4! -- GWN Book Reviews

[Captain] Mary ... juggles her public life as a captain with her private life as a woman. -- Simegen Reviews

Product Description

It is 1721 and aboard the brigantine Fury, Captain Mary and her pirate crew fight their way across the Caribbean creating a financial empire and founding the free nation of Cache Island. While embroiled in her enterprises, Captain Mary also juggles the demands of her three lovers: Dr. Alphonse Coulances, a French doctor and traitor; the first mate, a former slave and master pilot named Petronius; and Elaina Mayhew, at first a hostage to be ransomed, but later, so much more!

This adventure of greed and romance will carry you to a distant time when violence was the norm, and the difference between the good and the bad was the flag they flew from the masthead. Captain Mary is more than an ordinary pirate; she is both principled and ruthless, a robber baroness and a generous patron. She is as much loved by her allies as she is hated by her enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy her and her empire. But those seeking Marys head best watch out for their own, for in Captain Mary they will find a worthy adversary and deadly foe.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Beagle Bay Books (May 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967959179
• ISBN-13: 978-0967959177
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #216,085 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And they sailed the seas...., March 16, 2002

By	Denise Fleischer (Illinois) - See all my reviews

year: 1721
setting: Caribbean

Simonds leads readers on a realistic journey through the Caribbean with a female buccaneer commanding the brigantine "Fury." Inspired by the lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who were tried for piracy in the early 1700s, Mary's fictional tale presents an uncensored perspective of the lives of pirates.

We are introduced to Mary's dilemma, which navigated her into this dangerous existence. The situation was one of choice. Rather than allow her intended, Darius Manchester, to rape her before their wedding, she'd see him dead. To escape the law, she fled her father's South Carolina rice plantation. Time marched on. Now, rather than the hunting knife she used to kill Darius, a sword is her preferred weapon. Her education is not from a governess and selected text, but from "Silver Tooth," a pirate Captain she married.

The life she lives centers on commanding the pirates dedicated to serving her, for the right price. They sail the Guadeloupe passage in search of ships crossing their path. There is a tax to be paid and Mary will risk her and her men's lives to haul in the rewards.

There are those who penetrate Mary's protected heart and for a time they will love her. A prisoner aboard his Majesty's ship Le Chat d' Soleil, Doctor Alphonse Coulances is accused of being a traitor. This man she is drawn to. There is also her first mate and partner, Petronius. He should be Captain, but because of the times an African would not be respected. Then there's Elaine, a female prisoner who introduces Mary to a different type of love.

Athough Mary is not governed by her natural society's rules and regulations, there are laws among the pirates that must be followed by sailor and Captain. Failure to abide by them can lead to keel hauling and other painful deaths. Mary is also dependent on a Mr. Trimmer to manage her business affairs in a British Colony in St. John's Antigua.

Her life is filled with the rage of battle, the act of taking by force and just beyond the horizon lies someone determined to gain revenge. And in the middle of it all, she deals with a certain responsibility she has neglected.

CAPTAIN MARY, BUCCANEER is as real as they come in terms of historical perspective. Simonds presents detailed description of her characters from their hair to their belt buckles. You feel as if you are aboard her brigantine and watching your every step. You sway with the waves rocking the ship, see the blood and guts staining the time-worn planks. This isn't Hollywood's action hero keeping you entertained for 1 ½ hours. This is as close to a pirate's life that you will dare to explore.

4 sabers out of 4
--Denise Fleischer- GWN Book Reviewer

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You Wouldn't Want to Meet Her in a Dark Alley, January 30, 2006

By	Marion Gropen "publishing consultant" (Gropen Associates, NY, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Captain Mary's story delivers unexpected punch. Most pirate stories pretty it up, or gloss over the essential character of a buccaneer's life. This one doesn't, but also doesn't slide across the line into pointless gore. Instead we see that the priates were no heroes, not even to themselves. They come across as people making choices, many of which turn out to be the wrong ones.

The story is named for Captain Mary, and she's the viewpoint character, although we quickly realize that her lack of objectivity about her own motives and choices makes her an unreliable narrator. This makes the whole story much more interesting. We see exactly what you would have to be in order to make your peace with this way of life, but we also need to think twice about what she tells herself in order to fully understand the action. Mary is casually brutal, and rarely introspective. She's sexually polymorphic, and wholly self-centered. She's impulsive and restless, and all in all, probably exactly the kind of person who'd end up in a situation where piracy is the best of bad bunch of options. She's also the kind of woman who might succeed in a risky trade, and land on her feet when the time came to quit.

This book's primary flaws are those of many first-time authors: sometimes the dialogue sacrifices flow for period flavor, and these pirates are improbably successful at finding prey. You won't find that these flaws impede your enjoyment. You may not want to meet Captain Mary in person, especially in a dark and lonely place, but you'll be very glad you made her acquaintance through these pages.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captain Mary, Buccaneer, January 15, 2001

By A Customer

This novel is exciting from the start. It's a fascinating topic and Ms. Simonds kept the action colorful and surprising. I was drawn in to the life of Captain Mary and had to keep those pages turning to find out how she would negotiate or fight her way out of the problems that arose. This is 100% entertaining!