Death on Deck by Verity Bright Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: 13 March, 2023
Publisher: Bookouture
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #13
Format: ebook, print and audio
Genre: Historical Fiction/Cosy Mystery

Synopsis

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?

My Thoughts

When Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon, Lady Eleanor (Ellie) Swift's beau, reneges on their plans to spend her birthday together, she accepts an invitation to sail onboard the Celestiana's maiden voyage, a Trans-Atlantic crossing to New York. Once again she generously shares the excitement and pleasure of a holiday with her household staff: Clifford (the butler), Mrs. Butters (the housekeeper), Mrs. Trotman (the cook), Polly and Lizzie (the maids) and not forgetting, Gladstone (the bulldog).

Expecting a relaxing cruise with dancing and deck games, instead Ellie becomes involved in a murder investigation when she witnesses a shooting, with the victim going overboard. But it is what she finds at the scene that makes her panic: a gun she recognises as Hugh's weapon. Explanations are called for when Clifford discovers the chief inspector is definitely on board and suffering dreadfully from seasickness. Hugh's claim to be undercover doesn't quite ring true with Ellie. She suspects there is more to his presence onboard than he is willing to share, especially when it appears Hugh is being framed.

Knowing of her past experience with murder investigations, Ellie's old employer, a director of the shipping line, asks her to investigate, which she agrees to do with the help of Clifford and a reluctant Hugh. However, they are taken off the case before any real progress can be made. Unofficially, they continue to investigate, primarily to avoid a miscarriage of justice should Hugh be implicated, but also that Ellie never gives up on an investigation.

Having missed Hugh's presence in the previous novel (Murder in an Irish Castle), fans are treated to much more page time with this popular character. Romance continues to blossom between our two awkward lovers, with Clifford, swishing coat tails and all, making sure every need is met, while looking out for 'the girls' who are travelling third class and enjoying every moment.

Food plays an important role as Ellie's robust appetite needs to be satisfied and there are wonderful, mouth-watering dishes served and whipped up by Clifford, some even managing to tempt Hugh's appetite despite his battle with seasickness.

The excitement and suspense is ramped up when the ship encounters a storm, bringing the memory of what happened to the Titanic on its maiden voyage to the fore and providing an excellent setting for the denouement: a chase through the storm-tossed ship to confront the murderer.

As to the mystery, again I enjoyed how our three sleuths brainstormed and analysed each piece of information together, amidst the banter. When Hugh reveals his personal connection to the case, going back to the days of World War I, why he is being targeted is plausible. I didn't pick who the murderer was; all the suspects had viable motives, some stronger than others. However, the clues are all there and fell into place when Ellie revealed how she had worked out the identity of the murderer.

I can't finish without mentioning Gladstone. His exuberant greetings and dog licks provide pleasure and consternation in equal amounts, especially where Hugh is concerned. Gladstone is one pampered and much-loved pooch, and a delightful member of the cast.

This was the best instalment so far and the ending, on which I'm not going to elaborate, couldn't have been better.

The next book in the series Murder in Manhattan will be released in June this year. While only three months away, it's too long a wait for this fan!

Where to Purchase

Amazon

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Meet the Author

Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.

Connect with Verity: Twitter



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