A high seas adventure, ghost story, and problem novel all in one, The Mariner’s Curse is a nicely crafted yarn by first-time novelist John Lunn. The adventure aspect of this novel is imaginative, but what really stands out is its psychological content. There’s Oedipal conflict, repetition compulsion, and lots of the uncanny – catnip for amateur psychiatrists, and fun reading generally. (The author, who lives in New Hampshire but was raised in Ontario, is the son of writer Janet Lunn.)

The story follows the sleuthing adventures of 12-year-old Rory Dugan, who is accompanying his mother and oafish new stepfather on their honeymoon cruise. Rory has been depressed for years, ever since the drowning death of his younger brother and his parents’ subsequent divorce. But he is fascinated by ships and water and has an encyclopedic knowledge of Titanic history, which is what prompts him to shadow a suspicious passenger on board. The suspect, Mr. Morgan, is an irascible old man who turns out to be the accursed mariner referred to in the novel’s title. He is also Rory’s psychic counterpart, as both characters are caught in the grip of unpleasant pasts. Imagine an emotionally withdrawn Jim Hawkins tailing an especially edgy Ancient Mariner, and you get a good sense of this pair. Rory also has a sleuthing partner, Lucy, a 13-year-old who befriends him and draws him out with her extroverted, often brash, personality. In his dealings with Lucy and Mr. Morgan, Rory begins to work through his feelings of grief and guilt over his brother’s death. The novel’s climax seems overly elaborate and a bit confusing but the conclusion is satisfying.