In 1896, a gruesome triple murder took place on a ship known as The Herbert Fuller. Two sailors and one Harvard dropout were the main witnesses in court, and the main suspects. So what happened?

That's the story Gerard Koeppel wants to tell here. The book is a narrative of the events leading up to the murder, the different accounts of it, the ongoing legal actions related to guilt, and the final fate of the ship.

What's good: The topic is definitely interesting. This is essentially a closed-door mystery intermixed with American racism and classism.

What's iffier: The book has several issues that bog down the reading and slow down the building tension around the "who done it" question here.

--It took quite a while for the basic facts of the case to be presented in the book. We got a lot of backstory instead.
--There's a lot of unnecessary backstory for the ship and for every single person in the text. For a book that is primarily about 3 people, that extra information just isn't necessary.
--The author presents his conclusion throughout the book but doesn't really come out swinging for his argument. I'd have liked to see more independent research: Could he have found the plans for the Herbert Fuller and detected to what extent sound would travel, for example? Could he have used the positioning of the ship vs. the moon to determine how likely it was that there was sufficient lighting to see into the captain's room, for example? What would forensic scientists say today about the murder scene? What would sailors today say about this kind of violence on a ship, even though sailing life is quite different?
--I'd have liked the author to take off the gloves from the start and be more aggressive with his argument than occasionally comment on the fact there was no follow-up question at the inquest of such-and-such a point. He has an argument here for a specific person's guilt.

Overall, this was an intriguing book and definitely an interesting case.

Not a Gentleman's Work by Gerard Koeppel is a non-fiction, true crime book about the mysterious murders of Captain Charles Nash, his wife, Laura, and the second mate, Blomberg. Only three of the other men on the boat could have done it, but no one was sure who. Thomas Bram, the first mate, was convicted twice, but eventually released on parole and pardoned. Because of this, the case is now unsolved.

I don't know who did it, but it seems that many things were inaccurate and overlooked just because a rich, white man was there. Koeppel doesn't outright say who did it, but he gives good evidence about how and why Lester Monks, the passenger on the ship, and one of the men who could have committed the murder, was overlooked. He was from a wealthy, white, Bostonian family. Bram, who white passing and said he was white, had an African background, which everyone knew, so seems to be easily blamed for murders. Monks was able to speak for everyone else because he was white and spoke English. The other crewmen didn't speak English very well and the steward was black, so his testimony wasn't as highly valued.

I really enjoyed this book. I love true crime and I had never heard of these murders before. I am very interested in this case now, but besides this book there is hardly any information out there. Google brings up very few results and many of the bibliography references are in Boston. As it is a true crime book, there are graphic details of the three murders and even mentions of vomit. I would recommend this book if you like true crime and also like lesser known unsolved mysteries.

The best true crime story I've never heard of, Not a Gentleman's Work is an essential addition to any crime junkie's collection. Do yourself a favor and read this compelling account of a murder as sea and the challenge of bringing the culprit to justice.

An Enduring Maritime Mystery

Thank you to Hachette Books and NetGallley for the e-galley copy of Not a Gentleman's Work by Gerard Koeppel. Not a Gentleman's Work: The Untold Story of a Gruesome Murder at Sea and the Long Road to Truth is a non-fiction account of an infamous triple murder at sea in the last years of the 19th century and its lasting effects on those involved, either on the ship or in the years after.

The Herbert Fuller, a type of sailing ship known as a barkentine, left Boston on July 8, 1896 with cargo bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Twelve souls were on board; the captain and his wife, first and second mates, a steward, six additional crewmen, and one paid passenger. In the early hours of July 14, 1896, the captain, his wife, and the second mate are bludgeoned to death in their partitioned rooms by an assailant wielding a ship's axe. The ship returned to land and the justice system began its process. Investigation led to the first mate. a naturalized American citizen of mixed blood who was said to pass for white, being charged and convicted. Two men on board, a crewman with mental issues and the passenger, a young Bostonian from a wealthy family, figured heavily in the investigation and conviction of the first mate.

The book seeks to answer who the true killer was, his motives, and the effect of the murders and their aftermath on the killer, the crew, and those involved in the investigation. I prefer non-fiction over fiction so I looked forward to reading this e-galley. The cover was well done and enticing, but the subtitle, "The Untold Story of a Gruesome Murder at Sea and the Long Road to the Truth," did not hold up for me. The writer did elaborate on the murders, providing details and descriptions that gave the reader a strong picture of the brutality; i.e. gruesomeness, of the murders. But sad to say, the reader is no closer to the truth at the end of the book as she was before reading the book.

The book does illustrate the almost phenomenal advancement in forensics, not only technological, but also psychology and organization. I also enjoyed the style of writing as it put me in mind of the style of several late 19th century authors, such as Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, etc. The progress of the book through investigation, judicial proceedings, and aftermath seemed choppy as the narrative moved from one possible protagonist to another.

I enjoy the non-fiction works of Erik Lawson, Nathaniel Philbrick, Hampton Sides, etc. and was hoping to add this author to that illustrious group. Perhaps with his next book.

My thanks to Hatchette books, Mr. Koeppel and Netgalley.
I will confess that I'm completely befuddled after reading this book.
I did realize almost immediately that there weren't going to be any easy answers. Still, I hoped that someone with one single ounce of sense would step in. Nope. Sadly, these murders and the investigation was beyond the pale. I'm still.shocked. No, it's more than shocked. I am actually mad as hell! All I can think is "stupid fucking people." " God damned rich bastards. "
I love 3 Masted ships. They truly are a thing of beauty! That is what sucked me into this book. Ships, murder and revenge!
They weren't far enough into this voyage to have a mutiny.
I think I could solve these murders. It shouldn't have been difficult. What made it a maze of stories, "I believe" is the fact that everyone was constantly changing their stories. W.T.F? I'd have been a bloodhound. Not like those damn dogs that are always getting confused. Hell to the no!
I do believe that someone with all the facts could come up with and state eloquently why he or she believes this conclusion. I think that the author missed an opportunity. I'm not even sure why Mr. Koeppel wasted his nor my time.
This book sucks. If there was a b.j. emoji? Well, you get it!
Sure is a beauty of a ship in that cover though!