MoonglotexasKel’s Review:
A new Verity Bright is a delight and in “Death on Deck”, Lady Eleanor is crossing the Atlantic on a opulent ocean liner with her staff. She is surprised to find herself at the centre of a murder and that Detective Seldon is on board!
Along with the staff, the two work together to untangle the mystery whilst keeping up appearances. Amongst finding red herrings and clues, the group enjoys all the entertainment and luxury the voyage has to offer with lovely light moments worked in.
I particularly appreciated the development of the relationship between Eleanor and Hugh as they have to work closely together with Hugh walking in her shoes with little authority on board.
I do so enjoy this cast and eagerly looking forward to the next one in the series! It’s a four out of five enJOYment scale and highly recommended.
Ka’s Review:
Lots of intrigue and red herrings to boot. In this 13th book in the series, Eleanor is off across the water with the entire entourage in tow. This time Hugh plays a primary role – he’s a suspect in the murder. I’m glad to have had more time with him and Ellie, can we begin to hope that they will finally make some progress as a couple?
The other passengers on the liner are a diverse group and, as usual, once you go a little below the surface you find they are hiding many secrets. As Ellie has her staff with her you also get to contrast the experiences of the various classes on board these ocean liners – such opulence (and waste) versus such poverty, It was well done.
Untangling the clues to get to the murderer made for a delightful read. I look forward to reading what they all get up to in the US.
The book has all you’d expect from this lovely group of characters and an enjoyable murder mystery as well. I highly recommend this book and the series. It’s 4 out of 5 for me!
We received complimentary copies of the book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in these reviews are completely our own.
From back cover:
When Lady Swift embarks upon her first luxury cruise she imagines a gilded ballroom, afternoons on deck taking tea and all the delectable food she can eat. But she can’t seem to escape from murder…
Lady Eleanor Swift is all set to spend her birthday with her beau, dashing Detective Hugh Seldon, until he calls to cancel on her again at the last minute. What’s a girl to do? Pack up her staff and her faithful old bulldog, Gladstone, and head off on a cruise to New York, that’s what!
On the stunningly opulent ocean liner Celestiana, Eleanor tries to forget her worries and make the most of her trip. That is, until she sees a man being shot and falling overboard. On closer inspection of the scene, Eleanor literally stumbles over the likely murder weapon. And the nick in the barrel is unmistakeable: this gun belongs to Detective Seldon…
With some discreet digging, Clifford discovers Detective Seldon is aboard the ship on an undercover mission. Eleanor doesn’t want to make waves but she’s sure that something fishy is going on and he’s being framed. To get Seldon off the hook, Eleanor casts her net wide and searches for the real murderer among a sea of suspects including European nobility, Italian opera stars and American nouveau riche. But does the victim’s expensive gold ring point to a lavish lifestyle or is it a red herring?
When another passenger is found dead in his first-class cabin, a poisoned whisky glass clutched in his hand, Eleanor realises they are really in hot water. Will the killer be Eleanor’s catch of the day, or will she spend her birthday at the bottom of the sea?
A totally charming, unputdownable Golden Age mystery with characters readers will adore. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
