| Category: | Historical Fiction |
|---|---|
| Author: | Robert Gill, Jr. |
| Publisher: | Teaching Press Publishing |
| Publication Date: | June 28, 2026 |
| Number of Pages: | 110 |
| ISBN-13: | 979-8996726400 |
| ASIN: | 979-8996726400 |
Robert Gill, Jr.’s The Phantom Skipjack: A Carroway
Island Story is a spellbinding maritime mystery that opens at Haddie's
Fish Shak on Carroway Island, a Chesapeake Bay community with “more stories
than people.” When a visiting stranger puzzles over an 1857 photograph of men
standing on the frozen bay, old waterman Crazy Jack Mercer launches into the
tale of the Great Freeze, a winter so brutal it trapped the ferry, cut off
supplies, and turned the bay into a white, silent road. During the freeze,
waterman Amos Vale swears he spotted a skipjack sailing where no ship could
possibly sail, and nineteen-year-old Benjamin Pike sets off alone across the
ice to find her. He discovers the Martha Jane, a vessel retrofitted
with iron runners, her journal abandoned mid-sentence, before fog swallows her
whole. Then a century-old newspaper delivers the kicker: the Martha
Jane was lost with all hands long before Benjamin ever boarded her.
Gill's genre-blending does the magic: part historical
fiction, part nautical ghost story, part love letter to Chesapeake folklore. You’ll
be captivated instantly with Jack spinning his yarn over coffee, interrupted by
Haddie's dry asides, which give the narrative a fireside warmth. The characters
are sketched lightly but vividly: Benjamin’s restless curiosity, Amos's
stubborn conviction, Samuel's enjoyable skepticism. And then you have the
intricate worldbuilding that sucks you in. Carroway Island feels wonderfully real,
from its pie cases to ferry politics. The Phantom Skipjack has the
pacing of a suspenseful novel, focusing on the slow simmer that mirrors the groaning
ice, decks without footprints, and a ship that vanishes into the mist. The
spare, wry prose carries the lovely themes of community, belief, and how
stories outgrow facts: “…the first sighting belongs to the eyes; the second
belongs to the mouth.” This cozy, haunting winter read will have you rooting
for its unforgettable characters.
Hand-picked reviews our authors and readers are loving right now
Essays, author interviews and publishing advice for curious readers and writers.
For avid readers, being aware of these trends can enhance your reading experience, broaden your horizons, and, let’s be honest, help you sound like a literary genius at your next book club meeting.
Read the article →
This guide ranks the ten most effective marketing tools available to authors in 2027—from review services and award programs to advertising platforms and owned-audience engines—and shows you how to stack them into a single, self-reinforcing system.
Read the article →
With over two million books published every year, how do readers decide what to buy—and how do authors break through the noise? The secret lies in trust. Discover how Editorial Book Reviews, ethically leveraged paid book reviews, and prestigious Author Award C...
Read the article →
In an increasingly competitive market, editorial book reviews give independent authors the credibility, marketing assets, and retail appeal needed to succeed.
Read the article →
Discover why your brain sabotages success and how to rewire your identity in this ActualizationOS interview on stillness, self-sabotage, and lasting change.
Read the article →
Many first-time memoirists believe that because the events are true, the structure will take care of itself. This is a fatal error. Life is chaotic; narrative is order.
Read the article →
 Mommys_Boy_6x9.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
