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About a month ago I picked up a copy of Galusha the Magnificent at a used book store. It’s the fourth Joseph Crosby Lincoln book I’ve read, and it’s made clear to me that Lincoln has simultaneous and competing talents for making me — and presumably other readers — feel as if the book of his I’m reading is his best book, and that nothing could be better; and creating sense of impending doom, a thing that makes me super uncomfortable. Usually that first one wins out.

All of which is to say that although one of the major plotlines of Galusha the Magnificent makes me kind of upset and I don’t think Galusha’s attitude toward his cousin is in keeping with his character, it’s kind of delightful. I can’t honestly say that nothing could be better, but if you’re into sensible spinsters, mild-mannered archeologists, New England, and stories about stock sales, you won’t be disappointed.

Joseph Crosby Lincoln was a recommendation from Mel, and from the long list of his books at Project Gutenberg I picked Cap’n Eri.

It’s the story of three retired sea captains keeping house together who advertise for a wife — not to be shared between them, but to be married by whichever of them draws the short straw.

Captains Jerry and Perez are meant to be amusing, and occasionally they are. Captain Eri, though, is wonderful — smart, competent, and sensible. And so is Martha Snow, the prospective bride. Personally, I’d rather have one novel where two sensible, respectable middle-aged people fall in love than a hundred where enterprising young men fall in love at first sight with heiresses.

Cap’n Eri isn’t just — or even primarily — a romance, though. There’s blackmail, some political machinations, a wayward youngster who needs discipline, religious fervor, arson, daring rescues, and a fair amount of bad weather. And, you know, boats. Lots of boats. Early on in the book, I kept looking askance at new subplots — it didn’t seem like there could possibly be room for all of them. But there was. My main takeaway from the book wasn’t adoration for Captain Eri, although I have that to spare — it was respect for Joseph Crosby Lincoln, who took an array of elements (most but not all of which I liked) that should have been a mess, and created something solid and functional and extremely entertaining.