Murder on the Lusitania

Ocean Liner Mysteries #1

by Conrad Allen

September 1907. George Porter Dillman sets sail from Liverpool on the Lusitania's maiden voyage. Hired by the ship's captain to pose as a passenger, George is in fact a private detective for the Cunard Line. In the first days of his voyage, George only has to deal with a few petty crimes. But then an expensive piece of jewelry is reported stolen and a body is found. Working quickly to solve both crimes, George makes an unusual friend, Genevieve Masefield, and the two uncover secrets aboard the ship that prove explosive.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Crime, Cozy Mystery

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theater. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book.

The protagonist of the theater series is Nicholas Bracewell, the bookholder of a leading Elizabethan theater company (in an alternate non-Shakespearean universe).

The latter series' two protagonists are the Norman soldier Ralph Delchard and the former novitiate turned lawyer Gervase Bret, who is half Norman and half Saxon.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a series of books written by Conrad Allen, a pseudonym used by Keith Miles. You may know him already by another pseudonym, that of Edward Marston, which he uses for many popular series, including that of the Railway Detective mysteries. This series features George Porter Dillman and the enigmatic and beautiful Genevieve Masefield and all are set aboard cruise ships in the heyday of the great liners. In order, the books are as follows:

1. Murder on the Lusitania (1999)
2. Murder On the Mauretania (2000)
3. Murder On the Minnesota (2002)
4. Murder on the Caronia (2002)
5. Murder on the Marmora (2004)
6. Murder on the Salsette (2005)
7. Murder on the Oceanic (2006)
8. Murder on the Celtic (2007)

It is good to see these books now on kindle and I looked forward to re-reading this mystery, which I had not read for many years. 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.

This is a cosy mystery, with a touch of romance and the bonus of the shipboard location. If you enjoy this kind of story, then I am sure you will like this series and, in my opinion, it is best to start with the first book where the two main characters first meet.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a series of books written by Keith Miles and now published under the pseudonym of Edward Marston. These were previously published under the name of Conrad Allen, but presumably Edward Marston is better known, being used for many popular series, including that of the Railway Detective mysteries. This series features George Porter Dillman and the enigmatic and beautiful Genevieve Masefield and all are set aboard cruise ships in the heyday of the great liners. In order, the books are as follows:

1. Murder on the Lusitania
2. Murder On the Mauretania
3. Murder On the Minnesota
4. Murder on the Caronia
5. Murder on the Marmora
6. Murder on the Salsette
7. Murder on the Oceanic
8. Murder on the Celtic

The first two have appeared for order with nice, new covers, and hopefully the rest of the series will follow.

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.

This is a cosy mystery, with a touch of romance and the bonus of the shipboard location. If you enjoy this kind of story, then I am sure you will like this series and, in my opinion, it is best to start with the first book where the two main characters first meet.

[Austra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stāsta galvenais varonis Džordžs Dilmans ir kuģa detektīvs, kas izliekas esam pavisam parasts pirmās klases pasažieris. Lai gan ne viņš, ne kuģu kompānija neparedz, ka braucienā būs jāsaskaras ar ko sarežģītāku par sīkām zādzībām, viss izvēršas citādi. Hei, maiteklis ir jau nosaukumā! Ja patīk “Nāve uz Nīlas” un gribas kaut ko līdzīgi atmosfērisku - smalki kuģi, smalki ļaudis, smalkas iznešanās, smalkas vakariņas un pilnīgi brutālas slepkavības, tad rekomendēju. Man patika. Fīlingu pilnīgi noteikti var noķert. Ļoti pārliecinoši uzrakstīti personāži, tostarp galvenais varonis, kas noteikti būs jāiepazīst tuvāk pārējās grāmatās.

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery is set on board the ocean liner Lusitania crossing the Atlantic in 1907 and the first in the Ocean Liner series. We meet lots of different characters there and the people that will further appear in this mystery series by Edward Marston (pseudonym for Keith Miles, and also published under the name Conrad Allen).
The story dragged imo, especially in the first half, till something happened. Besides the conversation between the characters there were little means to discover the truth which is presented in a show-down in the end. There are funny parts in it, but the (small) romance isn´t really convincing. I liked the setting on the ship, as it narrows the circle of suspects.
Thanks to Alison & Busby and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is nothing more than a fictional ship board murder mystery which happens to be set on the Lusitania during her maiden voyage in 1907.

Undercover detective George Dillman is hired by the Cunard line to pick up on any petty thefts and such on board but certainly not expecting anything as dramatic as a murder.

There are a number of colourful characters in the style of Agatha Christie where everyone is a suspect.

This is a re-print of a book originally published in 1999 with the author using a pseudonym and is apparently #1 in a series. I have no interest in seeking out any more in the series. This was only good enough to pass the time.

Should you be interested in something non-fictional about the Lusitania I strongly suggest “Dead Wake, The Last Crossing of the Lusitania” by Eric Larson which is a 5-star read.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice cosy mystery really inkeeping with the period setting.
I've enjoyed prolific Marston's Railway Detective series, with this being the first of another range featuring Ocean Liners - I couldn't resist.

I particularly liked that the story is set on a real historic liner as the reader is introduced to the fictional undercover detective George Dillman, who is posing as a passenger on the ship.

Whilst the scene setting was enjoyable, it did take a while for the inevitable murder to happen.
Despite some pacing issues, this was still a delightful fun read.

[Susan in NC · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

Dillman expects to mingle and keep an eye on passengers to make sure there are no problems to mar the ship’s debut; all goes well, and frankly a bit dull, until Dillman finds the battered body of an annoying journalist. Then there are a series of thefts; the purser is panicking, but Dillman is rational and calm, and confident he can catch the killer and find the stolen items.

There are some rather dreary side characters, most notably a rather drippy young woman and her controlling parents, who’ve taken her on the cruise to get her away from an unworthy suitor. The suitor has stealthily joined the ship, and the clandestine romance is dealt with, but more realistically than I would’ve thought, given the cozyish vibe. There are some intriguing characters as well, and the way the author dealt with them, and the tidy, exciting ending, give me hope for our further reading in this series. No surprise, this book from 1999, and the rest of the series are being republished under the author’s better known pseudonym, Edward Marston, under which he has written several popular historical mystery series.

[Viola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lēns sākums, bet ar laiku stāsts paliek arvien piņķerīgāks. Autoram labi izdevies aprakstīt kuģa pasažierus - vīzdegunīgi briti, skaļi amerikāņi, ziņkārīgas vecmeitas un ambiciozi jaunekļi.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really struggled with this one, it was so slow and I felt like giving up on it. I plodded on and finally made it to the end. As you might have gathered it wasn't for me.

[Carolien · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The Lusitania is better known for its sinking in 1915, but this mystery is set on her maiden voyage in September 1907. There are lots of interesting details on the ship and I had a feeling that something was lost once planes became the default mode of crossing the Atlantic. George Porter Dillman is a detective for the Cunard line and stationed in first class to keep an eye out for petty theft and card tricksters. However, first some designs of the ship go missing and then a journalist who had been pestering fellow travellers is found dead, followed by some petty thefts. Suddenly George has his hands full. I enjoyed this especially the period details.

[Sid Nuncius · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t very keen on Murder On The Lusitania. It’s a competently crafted cosy mystery with an interesting period shipboard setting, but it didn’t really work for me.

The book introduces us to George Porter Dillman, an American about to embark in Liverpool for the Lusitania’s maiden voyage to New York. It emerges that he is a detective employed by Cunard to be a security operative on the voyage and, sure enough, skulduggery and eventually murder require his professional attention, as a couple of attractive women vie for his personal attention.

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 it weren’t for the setting I think I may have bailed in this one, and I’m not at all sure I’ll bother with more in the series. Others have plainly enjoyed this a good deal more than I did, but personally I can’t recommend it.

[Alura Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice read. Not massively compelling but not boring either.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, old-fashioned mystery set on the maiden voyage of the famous Lusitania from England to New York in 1907, Murder on the Lusitania certainly doesn't disappoint.

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.

George Dillman has an easygoing manner and is polite, intelligent and resourceful. I liked him almost immediately, so following his process of gaining the other passengers' confidence, picking up the clues and solving the murders and related thefts was a great deal of fun. Genevieve Masefield is the heroine, but we know a lot less of her than we do of George; she is actually fairly cold to him at the beginning and only warms to him about halfway through, when they've had a chance to converse properly. She's a fascinating character, though, and the growing attraction between her and George promises to be an interesting aspect of the following books.

The mystery is well-plotted, and like other classic mysteries, you discover most of the clues at the same time as George does, so you can "sleuth" along with him. I really enjoyed this element, particularly after having read a number of cozy mysteries recently featuring amateur detectives who stumble their way onto the truth more than using any real brain work. In contrast, George is refreshingly competent, intelligent and clearly experienced in his line of work.

My only complaint is that the amazing setting of the Lusitania wasn't used to its full advantage. I adore the era and the idea of one of the greatest luxury liners being the backdrop to a murder mystery, but I simply couldn't get a feel for the atmosphere. There were some descriptions of the surroundings, but little other information filtered through. I would have expected more of that woven in subtly to allow the reader to feel like they're there.

This is only a small gripe, though, and otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this classic mystery. Looking forward to more of George and Genevieve's maritime adventures!

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant mystery set on the Lusitania’s maiden voyage in 1907. George Porter Dillman is the ship’s detective working incognito as a first class passenger. As he observes the characters, several of them come to his notice, including the glamorous Genevieve Masefield and a persistent reporter called Henry Barcroft. Then some important plans go missing from the Chief Engineer’s room, and Barcroft is found murdered. Dillman must solve the murder before the ship reaches New York, without alarming the passengers.

Good fun with a sound plot, and some interesting sub plots among the various characters. The dialogue is convincing but not really sparkling, and some more humour would have helped lighten the tone at times. However, I liked Dillman and his budding relationship with Genevieve, and the background information on the ship and the historical context was well chosen to add to the atmosphere.

Edward Marston (who originally wrote this under the name of Conrad Allen) writes entertaining historical mystery series, and this is similar in tone and style to his Railway Detective and Home Front Detective series, which I often turn to for a light and undemanding mystery story.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this started well, with joining the train, on which the passengers were getting to Liverpool to go aboard the Lusitania. This introduced some of the main characters which were to be followed throughout the book. It also meant we got a good description of the ship, and it's layout. However, it then seemed to me, to become very akin to the old TV series of "The Loveboat" ( believe that was the name). We met more characters and not until halfway through was the murder, as per the title. In GA fashion , the victim was a character that was immediately disliked by the the other characters in the book and also the reader. After this, it did pick up but I had guessed the murderer, so it was more a matter of how and why. As this is part of a series in which two of the main characters are named, it was obvious that neither of those were in any danger.
I quite liked the idea of it, and the how and why, but think it could have not bothered with the romance part of the minor characters, which was making me lose interest. Glad I read past the first half, but hoping the next in this series is laid out differently.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.
They each meet a number of passengers in First Class, and notice each other while becoming acquainted with others in First Class. George anticipates small theft, perhaps some fighting, but nothing more serious on the voyage, and hopes mostly to be watchful while enjoying the trip. Genevieve turns more than one man’s head, and hopes to make a useful connection to a wealthy man.
When one of the guests on board is murdered, George and the staff on board have their hands full dealing with the situation. To avoid panic and damaging rumours for Cunard, George counsels they keep the murder quiet while investigating. George questions and searches, and gradually Genevieve becomes involved, too, though mostly peripherally till the violent confrontation at the end.
I enjoyed this mystery. The pacing is good, and the text flowed well. I liked George and Genevieve, and found the historical details about the Lusitania interesting. There are also several subplots concerning some of the characters in First Class, giving us a nice choice amongst the passengers to point to as a possible murderer.
I had never heard of this series when it came out originally, and I’m glad I got a chance to read this.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Alison & Busby for this ARC in exchange for this review.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had so much potential. SO much. And just kind of fell flat for me. It did have enough that I may read the second one, but I am not in a huge hurry. Sigh.

I liked George Dillman's character [even if I did think he was a bit too cocky for his own good], but I am not a fan of Genevieve Masefield or women like her. And I truly find it hard to believe that a decent guy like George would immediately [to the point of kissing her and wanting to be with her forever] fall for someone like that. I don't know, it just didn't feel true to me and I felt that Genevieve used that that to her advantage later in the book.

I did love that this was set on the Lusitania and that there was some history of that ship in the book. I didn't love that I guess who the murderer was very early one. Its not so much that the murderer is written clearly, its more like they aren't and therefore was who I suspected right away.

Overall, a very average book for me. Like I said, I will maybe read the second one, but again, I am not in any hurry to do so.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am already a fan of Edwards Marston's Railway detective series so was delighted to find this new series set on Ocean liners. Set in 1907 the lead Character George Dillman is a detective hired by Cunard to travel on the maiden voyage of the Lusitania and 'keep the peace'. But before long all manner of nefarious deeds are afoot with theft and murder most prominent. There are a colourful cast of characters throughout and some twists and turns along the way to keep up interest. Thoroughly enjoyed this sea going tale and look forward to reading more.

[Tracey Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice easy read , good storyline

[Jae · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read - better than I expected.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Porter Dillman is sailing from Liverpool back to his native United States. On the train to Liverpool he meets a bunch of quirky characters including the Oxford-educated Cyril Weeks and the Rymer family: Mr., Mrs. and daughter Violet. Dillman sense some tension in the Rymer family and thinks the daughter is not enjoying her trip. On board the ship he's introduced to more quirky people: Jeremiah Erskine, a doom and gloom profit; Henry Barcroft, a brash, nosy journalist and the enigmatic Genevieve Masefield. He'd love to get to know her better but she's always surrounded by two elderly ladies and Dillman can not reveal that he's actually an undercover Pinerton agent, sent to ferret out and prevent any crimes from happening. If the Lucy doesn't win the blue riband this time, her maiden voyage, then Germany wins the race once again. With tensions running high between the two countries and Germany's superior navy, it's important to Britain to win this race. At first Dillman thinks his main problem will be keeping a card shark from fleecing innocent passengers. Then Violet Rymer confides her secret to him and asks for his help and Genevive wants Dillman to play go-between with Barcroft so she can avoid the odious journalist. When the ship's blueprints go missing, Dillman is asked to find them. His search leads to unexpected results. First he becomes the object of fellow American Ellen Tolley's attention and then he discovers Barcroft dead. Dillman has his hands full with his love triangle and searching for the missing plans.

This cozy mystery differs slightly from the usual pattern in that Dillman is a professional detective. The murder happens halfway through as is common in this type of novel. The dust jacket blurb is misleading. There's very little romance and most of it does not involve Dillman. I wouldn't even call this book a romance. Most of the love story involves a typical Edwardian plot. I found it trite and predictable. It's an overused plot device. The mystery wasn't too difficult to figure who whodunnit. I guessed right away but there are so many red herrings that I had to keep reading until all was solved. The red herrings make the story above average. I was engaged in the mysteries enough to stay awake late in the night reading. The Lusitania setting is very interesting. I don't know much about the ill-fated ship but it all could have taken place on Titanic if that ship hadn't sunk. The description of the biggest, fastest ship sounds exactly the same. I don't know if there are any distinctive details that might pinpoint the differences between the two other than the ending. The fashion references sound great except for the word "makeup". Cosmetic was the word used at that time and they weren't really using much in 1907.

I really didn't care for any of the characters in the book. Dillman is cool and analytic. He doesn't really show much emotion. His back story is revealed little by little but he still seems like a stranger. The author gets into Dillman's head but the reader knows little about what Dillman is actually thinking and feeling. Genevieve is sort of a female version of Dillman. She has her secrets which are revealed at the end. She's mostly unlikable due to her actions throughout the story. Violet is unlikable because of her boring, predictable story. She's a typical "poor little rich girl" of the period and I found her story unnecessary. Her father is absolutely horrid and I was surprised and creeped out by his secret. Her mother is slightly more sympathetic. Ellen Tolley gives Americans a bad name. She's loud and speaks whatever comes into her head. She pursues her goal relentlessly without considering what he wants The only character I really liked was Cyril Weeks because he was a literature professor.

I liked the book well enough to want to read more about Dillman's adventures but not enough to want them right now this very minute.

Content: propositions to come into a man's cabin which implies sex but not spoken; one frank discussion among women about sex; Kisses only; naked body not described; and the big ick
One character is having an affair with the maid. It doesn't sound like love. It's a power ploy and I found it disgusting.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely love Edward Marston and have read almost everything he has written, but I'm not so sure about this series. Originally published under a pseudonym and now being reissued under the Edward Marston banner, one can readily guess why this was considered necessary.

The most noticeable thing about this book was that it took almost half the book to get going, but once it did, the story picked up pace. The setting of a ocean liner for a series of murders is inherently flawed, and the necessary investigative restrictions of such a setting were quite apparent in this, the first of the series. Firstly, the detective was working undercover as one of the passengers, making any direct action quite impossible (aside from clandestine searches). Also, no official law enforcement presence was possible, which made the whole thing a completely amateur effort, lacking any official coroner's report or forensic possibilities. This is by no means unusual in mystery fiction, but it can make for a particularly uninteresting investigation.

One thing I found most frustrating was the stilted conversation between the characters. One would expect this amongst a cast of characters who, due to the nature of the setting, are complete strangers to each other, but it made for rather dull and lacklustre characterisation. Even the main protagonist, who seemed to be considered an interesting man of mystery amongst his fellow passengers, did not arouse any interest in me as a reader. He had as much life as a cod on a fishmonger's slab, and the other characters not much more. In fact, the only person who spoke with any life or animation turned out to be the villain!

For Marston fans I would say read this for the sake of completeness, but I would point anyone looking for a really good historical mystery story to one of Marston's other series'.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley in return for an honest, unbiased review.

[Novella · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's better than a good mystery? One that takes place on a ship, train, or plane! First published by Conrad Allen in 1940 this enthralling and sometimes suspenseful plot takes place on the maiden voyage of the Lusitania. The reader is introduced one by one to a host of "players" boarding the ship. Soon, it is evident not everyone is who they seem to be. But there is something even more sinister than just a few deceptions taking place. George Porter Dillman hired by the Cunard line is like the "House Detective" straight out of a late-night movie. He almost ends up sleeping with the fishes but manages to make good and get the girl in the end! The ending is clever and I like how the author left a postscript after the ending, noting historical fact, to lend a touch of realism to the fictional plot.

[Nina]

I absolutely loved this ensemble murder mystery! Previously released under Conrad Allen, this is the first in a series being rereleased for new readers. Taking place in 1907, the setting of the famed ocean liner the Lusitania offers an intriguing setting that should compel most readers -- I know it did for me!

I felt like I was able to learn the experience of traveling on an ocean liner in the early 1900s in a really fun way -- through a murder mystery.

If you like mysteries with a large cast of possibilities, period pieces and historical settings then this is one to add to your list!

Thank you Allison & Busby for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Lillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid 3.5 stars for me. I am really drawn to mysteries that have a travel element to them, especially during the summer months. I really enjoyed the setting. Adding in the historical elements also gave more interest. I would have really loved this mystery novel had the author added more depth to the characters. I definitely knew more about the ship than I did any of the main characters. The mystery was easy to figure out. No twists or turns, definitely on the predictable side. But I am not giving up on this series. I am willing to give the next book a try.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Switch-off entertainment - characters are mostly stereotypes: the handsome detective, the enigmatic femme fatale, the jolly American girl, the innocent young woman being seduced by a cad, even the monocled English Lord. The prose is serviceable and there's not much period feel in terms of language or mores. At times this reads like the trainspotter's guide to ocean liners! The series title also gives away the main characters who go from strangers to suddenly soul mates with not much in between. So fun equivalent of Sunday evening TV: fun, unchallenging and light-hearted.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very suitable read for a cruise. The first in the series so background of how George and Genevieve met . An enjoyable read and I managed to persuade other passengers to look out for the series ! The idea of a closed environment is always good especially when all of the obvious suspects are shown to be innocent.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A completely delightful character study. Everyone's stuck on the same ship, so what else is there to do but people-watch? Everybody has secrets and it's fun to unearth all of them. Can't wait to see what's next!

[Saturday's Child · Rating 4 out of 5]

A murder mystery without too much blood and very little gore. I loved that it was set on board such a historic ship.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a couple of Edward Marston's series before - Railway Detective, Bow Street Rivals, and Nicholas Bracewell - so I was looking forward to starting a new series in a different period as I've really enjoyed the previous ones I've read. It was an interesting premise, being confined to a ship. A murderer can't run very far when in the middle of the Atlantic.

George Dillman was an interesting character, he seems likeable and willing to risk his own life to solve crimes, though I haven't formed a concrete opinion of him yet. As the hero of the series I have to assume he is a good guy generally, though unlike the other of Marston's series I've read, I didn't like him immediately. Genevieve Masefield I had a similar reaction to, unsure quite what kind of person she is. I'll look forward to seeing how their story develops, though. I already have the next two books in the series on my shelves to read.

The supporting characters were interesting, and it was difficult to figure out who the culprit was. They all had very individual personalities and a lot of them had some kind of reason that linked them to the crime. Once again I failed to solve it before it was basically revealed. But I quite like the fact that the solution is always a surprise. It's a very cosy mystery with questions about the passengers revealed before they even board the ship.

I look forward to reading some more in this series and getting to know George Dillman and Genevieve Masefield a bit more, finding out about their pasts and how their relationship develops. The ship setting is really interesting so a whole series on different ships is exciting!