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Death Cruise: Crime Stories on the Open Seas
Death Cruise": Crime Stories on the Open Sea, edited by Lawrence Block, is a collection of murder mysteries with settings aboard cruise ships and written by several members of the International Association of Crime Writers, including Agatha Christie, Nancy Pickard, Piet Teigeler, Edward D. Hoch, Ralph McInerny, John Mortimer, and Carolyn Wheat."
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
1 person is currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
768 books2,995 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 24, 2024
These are mystery short stories mostly set on cruises.
But. Short stories so mostly not memorable by the end of the book, though I really enjoyed most of them as I read them (hence the 4 stars, which is higher than I rate most short story collections). One had a short author’s note at the end, which made me happy because I did wonder (the story took place on the Queen Mary, and there were some interesting stats and uses of the ship during WWII). Unfortunately, one of the last stories (and potentially also the longest), I didn’t like, but almost all the others I really liked. Might help that I have enjoyed the cruises that I’ve taken, so the setting is familiar and enjoyable for me.
But. Short stories so mostly not memorable by the end of the book, though I really enjoyed most of them as I read them (hence the 4 stars, which is higher than I rate most short story collections). One had a short author’s note at the end, which made me happy because I did wonder (the story took place on the Queen Mary, and there were some interesting stats and uses of the ship during WWII). Unfortunately, one of the last stories (and potentially also the longest), I didn’t like, but almost all the others I really liked. Might help that I have enjoyed the cruises that I’ve taken, so the setting is familiar and enjoyable for me.
January 31, 2021
Subtitle: Crime Stories on the Open Seas
This is a collection of short stories, all of which take place on a cruise ship (though at least one of them never sets sail). The anthology is edited by Lawrence Block, himself a master crafter of mysteries, though he did not contribute one for this work. Authors come from multiple nations, starting off with Agatha Christie and including writers from Cuba, Belgium and the Netherlands.
I enjoyed reading them and was happily surprised that there was sufficient difference from story to story to hold my interest – and keep me guessing. Not all the stories involve murder – there are thefts, con jobs, and kidnapping.
This is a collection of short stories, all of which take place on a cruise ship (though at least one of them never sets sail). The anthology is edited by Lawrence Block, himself a master crafter of mysteries, though he did not contribute one for this work. Authors come from multiple nations, starting off with Agatha Christie and including writers from Cuba, Belgium and the Netherlands.
I enjoyed reading them and was happily surprised that there was sufficient difference from story to story to hold my interest – and keep me guessing. Not all the stories involve murder – there are thefts, con jobs, and kidnapping.
April 17, 2020
There is something about cruise ships and murder that just seem to go together. Maybe it is the isolation, the exotic ports of call, the veneer of luxury, the enforced artificial community… Lawrence Block's first foray as an anthologist yields a strong collection that successfully mines all these considerations to fun effect.
Note that four stories are reprints, but the majority are original to this volume. I have reviewed them below in my personal order of preference:
"Honeymoon Cruise" by Richard Deming -- Three people aboard a yacht: The beautiful twenty-five year old bride who just inherited twenty million dollars… The husband: "The penniless younger son of an equally penniless English duke [who] had been existing as one of those curious parasites of the international set who move from villa to villa of the rich as perennial house guests."… The roguish pilot: "My hobbies are all connected with water: swimming, boating, fishing, and as a chaser for rye whiskey."… What could possibly go wrong? What this story lacks in originality, it more than makes up for with its sense of atmosphere and hot desperation.
"Lost and Found" by Benjamin M. Schutz -- Recently released from a five-year stint in prison, former PI Leo Haggarty has a second chance to stop a murderer. This is a well-done story of redemption and starting over after you've lost everything in life. I enjoyed the character so much, I may go back and read the earlier novels. (I was surprised to learn this story was the series finale, because it felt like there is still so much potential with the character.)
"Nine Points for Murder" by Nancy Pickard -- A repressed and prideful steward who has spent his career serving the wealthiest cruise ships guests struggles with his vanity when a famous author does not remember him from thirty years ago. The author's first wife committed suicide on that voyage, and the steward still carries a long-forgotten secret about that event. I absolutely believed in each of these characters and found this to be a compelling psychological drama.
"Rumpole at Sea" by John Mortimer -- A barrister on his second honeymoon spends most of his Mediterranean cruise trying to avoid the hated Judge Graves, who also happens to be on board. However, he is reluctantly drawn from hiding when it begins to look like another passenger's wife has disappeared. The resolution of this mystery was a little haphazard, but the characters were so funny and deftly drawn, it did not matter.
"Hodegetria" by Jeremiah Healy -- Series detective John Francis Cuddy is hired to investigate the circumstances of a lounge pianist who died of a heroin overdose. A compelling and unflinching noir crime story.
"Miscalculation" by Jan Burke -- Sarah and her dynamic grandmother Ada seek revenge for a 60-year old murder aboard the RMS Queen Mary. I enjoyed how the remarkable, real-life history of this luxury liner-turned-warship was weaved into the story.
"Chess on Board" by Erik Amdrup -- A wealthy doctor chances to meet an old college chum aboard a private yacht. Over the course of a chess game, he learns everything about his life has been a lie. This is a neat mystery, with every detail snapping into place on the final page, but it should have been a longer story; it would have benefited from deeper characterization and more buildup.
"The Mermaid" by Jacob Vis -- An impressionable Dutch teenager falls for a married woman on a passenger voyage from Egypt to India in 1906, with tragic results. The best parts of this story were those that touched on the business of running tobacco plantations in colonial Delhi.
"S.O.S." by John Lutz -- A Dr. Laura-like radio psychologist dispenses relationship advice on a cruise ship, which starts a widespread killing spree in this dark comedy.
"The Merry Ghosts of the Grampus" by Arnaldo Correa -- After being wrongfully imprisoned on a Caribbean island, Arthur Gordon murders his jailor and is aided in escape by a ship captain with a mysterious obsession. Set in the pre-Castro era, this story is an interesting blend of noir and horror, with a dash of futuristic technology. The plot is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's first and only novel.
"The Theft of the Bingo Card" by Edward D. Hoch -- Nick Velvet is a series character, a thief who only steals items of no value. In this story, he is hired to steal bingo card #253 which has been hidden on one of the life rafts. Ed does not know the significance of the card, nor how to go about finding which raft it is in--but figuring out the answer to these questions will net him $40,000 and solve two murders to boot!
"Havanightmare" by Jose Latour -- A young woman is kidnapped and held hostage in her cabin for three days. The beauty of this story is that, by the time the crime is found out and the gunshots of the police ring out over the port waters, your allegiance as a reader has been completely flipped.
"The Time of His Life" by Carolyn Wheat-- Margot and Sherri have their sights set on seducing Stan, a wealthy businessman ripe for a con, but when his dead body is found on the waterslide, it appears a third operator may also be at work on this ship.
"Mutiny of the Bounty Hunter" by Ralph McInerny -- Henry pursues Lucy for a shipboard romance, intending all the while to steal her ill-gotten mafia fortune, but they discover love is sometimes stronger than greed. I liked this story probably more than it warrants. In a collection of crime stories, you quickly become accustomed to seeing characters' sordid natures win the day, so this felt like a surprising change of pace.
"A Cruise to Forget" by Barbara Collins & Max Allan Collins -- The lives of five cruise passengers intersect over the course of one week and one murder--Cora, who is suffering from early onset of dementia; Jennifer, the dutiful daughter; Margaret, whose bank account is still in its prime but her body long ruined by too many plastic surgeries; playboy Tony, who is tired of his rich ugly wife; and Tom, the ship doctor. I enjoyed these characters and the story's casual use of violence. However, the subplot where Tony kept misinterpreting Cora's dementia as coquettish flirting felt like an insensitive joke.
"Rhine Ablaze" by Jacques Toes -- After being fired from his job as an accountant, a young man hires onto a river cruise as an engine hand. His workstation is located directly beneath the passenger cabins, which allows him to eavesdrop and peep at women in private moments. When he discovers one of his former bosses is aboard with a mistress and a satchel of stolen money, he hatches a plan to enrich himself. A mediocre and predictable story.
"Problem at Sea" by Agatha Christie -- Hercule Poirot must unmask a killer when a rich wife is found dead inside her locked cabin, while her henpecked husband wanders offshore with two younger women. Despite the promising setup, the resolution of this whodunnit lacks the usual grace and ingenuity of Christie's work.
"Under My Skin" by Chris Rippen -- A middle aged man spends a week on a Mediterranean cruise with a former girlfriend, but he is unable to recapture the romance. This is at least partly because he suspects he is being followed by a mysterious man in sunglasses at every port. This story manages to evoke a nice sense of paranoia but squanders it on a maudlin ending.
"The Deep Blue Sea" by Ina Bouman -- Melanie goes on a week-long cruise out of Thailand to get away from her abusive husband, but her new shipmates prove to be even more dangerous-- one of them may be trying to kill her.
"The Wind & Mary" by Piet Teigeler -- Mary and Mikey have a whirlwind affair on a European cruise, but these small-time criminals are running a con game on each other. This story has a silly ending that features a ghost and an out-of-body death scene.
Note that four stories are reprints, but the majority are original to this volume. I have reviewed them below in my personal order of preference:
"Honeymoon Cruise" by Richard Deming -- Three people aboard a yacht: The beautiful twenty-five year old bride who just inherited twenty million dollars… The husband: "The penniless younger son of an equally penniless English duke [who] had been existing as one of those curious parasites of the international set who move from villa to villa of the rich as perennial house guests."… The roguish pilot: "My hobbies are all connected with water: swimming, boating, fishing, and as a chaser for rye whiskey."… What could possibly go wrong? What this story lacks in originality, it more than makes up for with its sense of atmosphere and hot desperation.
"Lost and Found" by Benjamin M. Schutz -- Recently released from a five-year stint in prison, former PI Leo Haggarty has a second chance to stop a murderer. This is a well-done story of redemption and starting over after you've lost everything in life. I enjoyed the character so much, I may go back and read the earlier novels. (I was surprised to learn this story was the series finale, because it felt like there is still so much potential with the character.)
"Nine Points for Murder" by Nancy Pickard -- A repressed and prideful steward who has spent his career serving the wealthiest cruise ships guests struggles with his vanity when a famous author does not remember him from thirty years ago. The author's first wife committed suicide on that voyage, and the steward still carries a long-forgotten secret about that event. I absolutely believed in each of these characters and found this to be a compelling psychological drama.
"Rumpole at Sea" by John Mortimer -- A barrister on his second honeymoon spends most of his Mediterranean cruise trying to avoid the hated Judge Graves, who also happens to be on board. However, he is reluctantly drawn from hiding when it begins to look like another passenger's wife has disappeared. The resolution of this mystery was a little haphazard, but the characters were so funny and deftly drawn, it did not matter.
"Hodegetria" by Jeremiah Healy -- Series detective John Francis Cuddy is hired to investigate the circumstances of a lounge pianist who died of a heroin overdose. A compelling and unflinching noir crime story.
"Miscalculation" by Jan Burke -- Sarah and her dynamic grandmother Ada seek revenge for a 60-year old murder aboard the RMS Queen Mary. I enjoyed how the remarkable, real-life history of this luxury liner-turned-warship was weaved into the story.
"Chess on Board" by Erik Amdrup -- A wealthy doctor chances to meet an old college chum aboard a private yacht. Over the course of a chess game, he learns everything about his life has been a lie. This is a neat mystery, with every detail snapping into place on the final page, but it should have been a longer story; it would have benefited from deeper characterization and more buildup.
"The Mermaid" by Jacob Vis -- An impressionable Dutch teenager falls for a married woman on a passenger voyage from Egypt to India in 1906, with tragic results. The best parts of this story were those that touched on the business of running tobacco plantations in colonial Delhi.
"S.O.S." by John Lutz -- A Dr. Laura-like radio psychologist dispenses relationship advice on a cruise ship, which starts a widespread killing spree in this dark comedy.
"The Merry Ghosts of the Grampus" by Arnaldo Correa -- After being wrongfully imprisoned on a Caribbean island, Arthur Gordon murders his jailor and is aided in escape by a ship captain with a mysterious obsession. Set in the pre-Castro era, this story is an interesting blend of noir and horror, with a dash of futuristic technology. The plot is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's first and only novel.
"The Theft of the Bingo Card" by Edward D. Hoch -- Nick Velvet is a series character, a thief who only steals items of no value. In this story, he is hired to steal bingo card #253 which has been hidden on one of the life rafts. Ed does not know the significance of the card, nor how to go about finding which raft it is in--but figuring out the answer to these questions will net him $40,000 and solve two murders to boot!
"Havanightmare" by Jose Latour -- A young woman is kidnapped and held hostage in her cabin for three days. The beauty of this story is that, by the time the crime is found out and the gunshots of the police ring out over the port waters, your allegiance as a reader has been completely flipped.
"The Time of His Life" by Carolyn Wheat-- Margot and Sherri have their sights set on seducing Stan, a wealthy businessman ripe for a con, but when his dead body is found on the waterslide, it appears a third operator may also be at work on this ship.
"Mutiny of the Bounty Hunter" by Ralph McInerny -- Henry pursues Lucy for a shipboard romance, intending all the while to steal her ill-gotten mafia fortune, but they discover love is sometimes stronger than greed. I liked this story probably more than it warrants. In a collection of crime stories, you quickly become accustomed to seeing characters' sordid natures win the day, so this felt like a surprising change of pace.
"A Cruise to Forget" by Barbara Collins & Max Allan Collins -- The lives of five cruise passengers intersect over the course of one week and one murder--Cora, who is suffering from early onset of dementia; Jennifer, the dutiful daughter; Margaret, whose bank account is still in its prime but her body long ruined by too many plastic surgeries; playboy Tony, who is tired of his rich ugly wife; and Tom, the ship doctor. I enjoyed these characters and the story's casual use of violence. However, the subplot where Tony kept misinterpreting Cora's dementia as coquettish flirting felt like an insensitive joke.
"Rhine Ablaze" by Jacques Toes -- After being fired from his job as an accountant, a young man hires onto a river cruise as an engine hand. His workstation is located directly beneath the passenger cabins, which allows him to eavesdrop and peep at women in private moments. When he discovers one of his former bosses is aboard with a mistress and a satchel of stolen money, he hatches a plan to enrich himself. A mediocre and predictable story.
"Problem at Sea" by Agatha Christie -- Hercule Poirot must unmask a killer when a rich wife is found dead inside her locked cabin, while her henpecked husband wanders offshore with two younger women. Despite the promising setup, the resolution of this whodunnit lacks the usual grace and ingenuity of Christie's work.
"Under My Skin" by Chris Rippen -- A middle aged man spends a week on a Mediterranean cruise with a former girlfriend, but he is unable to recapture the romance. This is at least partly because he suspects he is being followed by a mysterious man in sunglasses at every port. This story manages to evoke a nice sense of paranoia but squanders it on a maudlin ending.
"The Deep Blue Sea" by Ina Bouman -- Melanie goes on a week-long cruise out of Thailand to get away from her abusive husband, but her new shipmates prove to be even more dangerous-- one of them may be trying to kill her.
"The Wind & Mary" by Piet Teigeler -- Mary and Mikey have a whirlwind affair on a European cruise, but these small-time criminals are running a con game on each other. This story has a silly ending that features a ghost and an out-of-body death scene.
August 10, 2021
I love cruising and I love murder mysteries. That combined with the opportunity to read authors new to me was irresistable. I am also at a time in my life where reading short stories seems beneficial to keeping an upbeat mood. So many of the books I have been reading for Book Group and otherwise, have been somewhat depressing and hard to shake off when it is time to cook dinner or watch a baseball game. I look forward to following up on some of the authors whose writing style I enjoyed.
November 24, 2018
Liked the few stories written by good storytellers, which only incidentally were about cruises. Especially one about a German river cruise, and of course, the Agatha Christie. The others, not so.
May 9, 2020
A good collection of mysteries; intriguing, humorous & eerie.
December 31, 2024
Esta bueno como lectura rápida. La mayoría de historias son atrapantes en el misterio, otras son demasiado cortas para entrar de lleno en la historia.
October 26, 2009
It's an anthology, which means it's uneven. But it's also the only place to find some of the stories which have never been published in America.
I loved some stories, hated others. On the balance I hated more. But I would recommend it just for the chance to read a few of the tales.
I loved some stories, hated others. On the balance I hated more. But I would recommend it just for the chance to read a few of the tales.
Want to read
September 28, 2009AKA: Sheldon Lord, Jill Emerson, Paul Kavanaugh, Chip Harrison, Lawrence Block
August 29, 2012
Loved most of the stories. Really liked opportunity to read authors from other countries.
October 29, 2014
A good collection of murders tied together by ocean cuises by a wide variety of authors.As with any colletion the stories are in general interesting and well written.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews