Murder on the Oceanic (Ocean Liner Mysteries, 7): A gripping Edwardian mystery from the bestselling author

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This was entertaining, with two interesting main characters, George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield. He’s an American detective formerly of Pinkerton, employed by Cunard Lines on the 1907 maiden voyage of the massive and prestigious Lusitania, and she’s a young, attractive woman with a secret in her past, looking for a new opportunity in America. In the tradition of novels by Golden Age mystery writers like Christie and Marsh, we have an interesting and varied cast of characters/suspects, mostly restricted to the first class passengers, whom we're slowly introduced to. George Porter Dillman, our protagonist, is hired by the Cunard Line as an undercover detective and finds more trouble than he had expected when an overly nosey journalist, Henry Barcroft, is found murdered. This was okay for a first in a series, read with the Reading the Detectives group. Dillman is an appealing detective, and I thought it was an interesting premise to have the former Pinkerton agent, now a plainclothes detective for the Cunard Line, undercover as a first class passenger on the maiden voyage of the Lusitania.

I had enjoyed the first book in Conrad Allen's cruise liner mysteries, but second installment Murder on the Mauretania manages to raise the bar even higher. The multi-layered mystery, the luxurious setting and atmosphere of the Mauretania's maiden voyage and the characters (and many suspects) was gripping from the get-go and I loved it. Calamity smolders on the Welsh English frontier, where three powerful men squabble over the same rich tract of land. When King William’s clever agents soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret arrive to settle the dispute, one of the claimants has been brutally burned alive, and the king’s men are saddled with a formidable murder investigation. Before the frightful truth shines clear, everyone will be scorched by the flames of violence… Added to the thefts, there is a gold bullion consignment on board en route to New York and there are elements on the ship that fancy their chances of robbing the strongroom where it is kept. This is rather an unlikely scenario, particularly in the way that attempts to get at the gold are made but it fits into the overall story. It is September, 1907 and the Lusitania is sailing her maiden voyage to New York. This novel introduces American George Porter Dillman, a detective who is usually called upon to keep an eye on professional card sharps, or some thieving. However, this voyage offers more than the usual excitement - and romance. From the time Dillman boards the train from Euston to Liverpool, Lime Street, he feels that things are not right. He is intrigued by Mr and Mrs Rymer, whose daughter Violet seems sad and listless for such an exciting event as a trip on such a wonderful liner and is further concerned about the oily journalist Henry Barcroft, who bothers the passengers and crew alike. When there is murder onboard, his detective skills are put to the test. The characters are so and so - there will always be a sprinkle of drama and a dash of romance in these books and I've come to terms with that... so don't expect the murder to take centre stage. It's good to see the two main characters teaming up and solving mysteries as a couple (that's not a spoiler, because even the first book's short description tells us this much from the get-go)

Non-Fiction Books In Publication Order

and Mary, Queen of Scots, dies by the executioner’s axe, her head, shorn of its auburn wig, rolling across the platform. Will her death end the ceaseless plotting against Mary’s red haired cousin, Elizabeth?1588, the year of the Spanish Armada, is a time of more terror and triumph, not just for queen and court but for the whole of England. The turmoil is reflected in its theatres and under the galleries of inns like London’s The Queen’s Head where Lord Westfield’s Men perform. The scene there on grows even more tumultuous when one of the actors is murdered by a mysterious stranger during a brawl. Nicholas Bracewell, the company’s bookholder, a role far wider than mere producer, faces two immediate repercussions. The first is to secure a replacement acceptable to its temperamental star and chief shareholder Lawrence Firethorn. The second is to keep his promise to the dying Will Fowler and catch his killer. Soon further robberies, accidents, and misfortunes strike Lord Westfield’s Men even as their stage successes swell. Bracewell begins to suspect a conspiracy, not a single murderous act, but where lies the proof? Then the players are rewarded with the ultimate accolade an appearance at court and the canny bookholder senses the end to the drama is at hand… a b Pierce, J Kingston (September 1999). "The Many Roles of Keith Miles". January Magazine . Retrieved 14 December 2010. And sure enough wrong doings does go on so both the detectives are called into action. Some petty thefts take place and in following up various leads we learn of all the characters who are on board who are likely to be suspects. The setting of on board the liner is well presented and the salient characters flit about the boat to give the reader a good idea of the layout. So, new line, smaller ship, new longer cruise route. Also, our two detectives, until now universally adored - throughout the series, the author tells us at length how gorgeous, witty, charming Genevieve is, and George is just as handsome, smart, tough, etc. Finally, a bit of conflict enters their Teflon existence - first, the Marmora bursar has no use for them on his ship, and resents their presence, especially George. Kilheaney (I think that was the name, an Irishman) doesn’t like Americans (George), and thinks of Cunard as the enemy, so resents both detectives. Plus, their reputation as effective professionals precedes them, and he resents that as well. We learn there is more to his story, of course. Also, Genevieve spots a very unpleasant man from her past among the passengers, so she’s on pins and needles much of the time.

This started off with two interesting twists for me - our two detectives, who’ve always worked on luxurious Cunard vessels making Atlantic crossings, are now on the P & O liner Marmora - still luxurious, but making stops in Marseille, Egypt, and finally, Australia. EDIT: this is only the fifth book, sorry! There are more books in the series Herbert, Rosemary, ed. (1999). The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507239-1. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Miles turned to writing mystery fiction. His first series, written under his own name, featured Alan Saxon, a professional golfer-turned-amateur detective. After four books, Miles's publisher did not wish to continue the series, [1] which only resumed after a hiatus of more than a decade. [5] He has written two mysteries set in the United States which feature a Welsh architect, Merlin Richards. The plot is pretty run-of-the-mill – although the identity of the killer is well concealed – and the characters are rather laboriously depicted. The shipboard atmosphere is pretty well done, although there is an awful lot of fact-sharing between characters to show how much research the author has done, and the language by no means always reflects the period. The prose is workmanlike but no more, with a sprinkling of rather lazy, stale usages like “gloomy prognostications” and “with consummate ease,” and there is an awful lot of what seemed to me like padding where pretty obvious things are explained at length and a wholly irrelevant and rather annoying side-plot. I skimmed quite a few passages and didn’t feel I’d missed anything. The denouement is quite well constructed, but the dialogue as it plays out is simply absurd and the subsequent struggle is wholly unconvincing.If the plot sounds the same as the other books in the series, it's because it is. However, I will say that while the basics are a bit repetitious, this one is just a wee bit better than its predecessors. Not only do we have a believable list of suspects, but he's toned down the minutiae (the fashions of the day down to the buttons) and given Genevieve time off from the usual coterie of men going gaga over her. Placing her ex-fiance on board was a good move...I enjoyed the little extra addition to the usual storyline. George continues to be charming and intelligent, handling difficult situations adeptly and with grace without letting himself get trampled on. His constant professionalism and inward aloofness made him feel distant in past books, but he forms an actual friendship with the Egyptologist Mr. Goss and his family this time around that made him feel more human. We find out more about Genevieve this time as well, and finally know the story of her past. Dillman and Masefield, the seagoing detective team, are now about the Marmora, a ship owned and operated by the P&O line. They are traveling to Australia via the Mediterranean and Egypt. The purser, a charming Irishman, does not like either of them and does not really want them there meddling into what he considers to be his ship's business. On board is the Princess Royal Louise, her husband, the Duke of Fife, their two daughters and other various passengers, but there is a bit of a surprise for Genevieve. Her ex-fiance, Nigel Wilmshurst, is on board with his new bride for their honeymoon. As usual, the voyage begins and things start disappearing from cabins right away. While the two are puzzling over these crimes, there is a murder on board.