Famous crime writer Bella Tyson is hired to co-host a Murder Mystery cruise, on a luxury liner sailing from Southampton to New York. She’s expecting an easy ride; fun and games, surrounded by amateur sleuths and fans of her books, all the while staying in a deluxe cabin and enjoying the spa and the amazing restaurants on board, culminating in a visit to one of her favourite cities in the world – the Big Apple.
She’s NOT expecting to be stuck on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic with her two least favourite people in the world, her hot but unfaithful bastard ex-husband Joel Quigley and fellow crime writer, bitch goddess and Twitter frenemy, Louise Meyers. And when real live dead bodies start turning up – as well as fake not-really-dead bodies – Bella’s dreams of being pampered on the high seas turn sour.
Accused of a murder she would have liked to commit but didn’t, and helped (or hindered) by a gang of unlikely detectives, can Bella find out who the real murderer is before the ship reaches its destination and New York’s finest drag her off?
Amazon UK
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
My Thoughts…
I always enjoy a good murder mystery, and this is one that captures my imagination. Bella Tyson is a successful crime writer hired to host a murder mystery event on a first-class cruise ship from England to New York. Things do not work out as envisaged, and she embroiled in a real murder mystery as the main suspect.
This story fits well into the cosy mystery genre with vibrant but believable characters, all of whom could be guilty of murder. There are clues along the way as Bella tries to identify the real murderer and clear her name before they reach New York.
Bella is a lovely character with a witty sense of humour that lightens the darkness of the plot and her current situation. Sensory imagery, engages the reader in the plot and setting, on a luxurious cruise ship. The ending ties everything up in a satisfying way.
I like the informal writing style in the first person letting the reader share Bella’s emotions and investigative thoughts. It allows the reader insight into the amateur sleuth’s mind, making it an immersive experience, and a great escapist read.
Fiona Leitch is a writer with a chequered past. She’s written for football and motoring magazines, DJ’ed at illegal raves and is a stalwart of the low budget TV commercial, even appearing as the Australasian face of a cleaning product called ‘Sod Off’. After living in London and Cornwall she’s finally settled in sunny New Zealand, where she enjoys scaring her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days dreaming of retiring to a crumbling Venetian palazzo, walking on the windswept beaches of West Auckland, and writing funny, flawed but awesome female characters. Her debut novel and first in the Bella Tyson series, ‘Dead in Venice’, was published by Audible as one of their Crime Grant finalists. Fiona is represented by Lina Langlee at the North Literary Agency.
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