Murder on the Minnesota

Ocean Liner Mysteries #3

by Conrad Allen

Fresh from a harrowing trans-Atlantic crossing aboard the Mauretania, and having recently earned a reputation as the best team of shipboard sleuths to sail the seven seas, George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield hardly set foot on land before embarking on another assignment.

Temporarily forsaking the Cunard Line to work as private detectives aboard the Minnesota, a combination freighter and passenger ship owned by the Great Northern Steamship Company, the couple are eagerly anticipating the prospect of a cruise bound for the Far East. Once aboard, the two begin to establish separate social circles in order to keep an eye on as many passengers and crew as possible. As the ship gets underway it's smooth sailing, and George and Genevieve are hoping that perhaps this will be their first uneventful cruise.

Unfortunately, their luck turns quickly as a fiery Catholic missionary is murdered in what proves to be the first of a series of crimes that will stretch them to their limit. Dillman and Genevieve have to use all their skills to combat danger on more than one front, and to prevent an otherwise idyllic (and romantic) trip from becoming a terrifying nightmare.

As fans of Conrad Allen and his nautical adventures have come to expect, Murder on the Minnesota packs another fast-paced, exhilarating mystery into the exquisitely rendered world of romance and suspense aboard the majestic ocean liners of the early 20th century.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Crime, Historical, Fiction, Edwardian

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2002

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 3 out of 5]

This is the third in the Ocean Liner Mysteries featuring, featuring George Dillman and Genevieve Masefield, who act as detectives on cruise ships. In this book, they are on a slightly different voyage. The Minnesota is going to the Far East and is a freighter, as well as a passenger ship. On a longer voyage, there are a greater variety of passengers, plus rumours of smuggling that Dillman is investigating.

This book includes crooks, romance and, of course, murder. Although this is a light series, there is a sense of uneasiness between Dillman and Genevieve, with their relationship on unsteady ground at times, with both experiencing jealousy. A fun series and I like the shipboard settings.

[Susan in NC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another breezy, entertaining cruise with Genevieve and George - read with the Reading the Detectives group as a buddy read. I listen to these, as they are light-hearted, almost cozy mysteries - several in the group chat have realized they are fun but almost instantly forgettable!

My only beef is the narrator’s voice choices for some of the suspects, they can be very grating. Otherwise, it’s another cruise, this time to Japan and China. Our detectives are supposed to deal with the usual card cheaters or pickpockets, but there is a bit of a criminal mastermind on board - the authorities know he’s smuggling or something, they just can’t get him. There is also a murder, of course. Entertaining.

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an early book in the Dillman/Masefield series, set before they married. The couple work as detectives for the Cunard Line but are on loan to another company. The Minnesota is still a luxury ship although it is a combination freighter and passenger ship. The owners are convinced that the ship is being used to smuggle goods between Japan/China and the US. Dillman and Masefield, who pose as first class passengers (as they do in all this series), are assigned to assess the situation and hopefully find the smugglers.

There are two plot lines going on here......one that centers on the smuggling, and another involving the murder of a passenger. Are they connected? What is being smuggles and by whom? The pair soon find themselves up to their necks in danger and deceit. This is a light read and can almost be finished in one sitting. Fun for a change of pace.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, damn. Perhaps George Dillman and Genevieve Masefield shouldn't have temporarily forsaken the Cunard Line for broader shipping alternatives, because the absence of the general air of elegance and finesse on the Minnesota in comparison to the ships of the two prequels was quite keenly felt.

Whereas the setting upon the luxurious Mauretania in the previous book was a highlight, the Minnesota lacked atmosphere - there was barely any sense that we were even at sea and the setting felt incidental to the crimes that took place. This wasn't helped by Genevieve's first impression of heavy disappointment when she first laid eyes upon the Minnesota; as one of our protagonists, her reactions very much drive those of the readers. George Dillman wasn't afforded the same level of power as ship's detective on the Minnesota compared to the Mauretania either (strangely enough, since he's actually friends with the Minnesota's purser), and it increased the feeling of dissatisfaction.

This feeling extends to the hastily-plotted mystery and supporting characters, who were high in number but shallow in depth. Considering a point was made at the start of the book that this voyage would take George and Genevieve to Japan and China and that the ship's population has a large number of Asian travellers, I would have expected to see more of them, but ultimately we only got to meet one Chinese couple and one Japanese couple, both of whom remained peripheral to the story. There were a few likeable characters like Fay Brinkley and Maxine Gilpatrick, but I was baffled at how little purpose they served to the mystery in the end. The mystery itself didn't tie together very well - the actual murder felt neglected in favour of the smuggling subplot and much of the "solving" of it relied on George and Genevieve not-so-subtly pumping information out of passengers. I was pretty much waiting for something to go wrong.

On the upside, the smaller quarters upon the Minnesota meant that George and Genevieve were able to work much closer together this time. There's also a bit more development of their relationship with the introduction of romantic conflict to spice things up (and now I actually feel like they're a real couple) and more details revealed about George's past. I'd commented previously that I liked George but felt like he remained very distant because we had so little chance to see him as anything other than a calm and collected professional, so a small chink in the armour was a welcome change.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read some of the Railway Detective books by this author and enjoyed them so when I spotted this on the library shelf I decided to try it as I am a "cruise addict". I was not disappointed. The murderer had to be one of the passengers or crew . as the ship was crossing the Pacific Ocean. I warmed to the detectives as they mingled with other guests . My only criticism was the number of guests with similar surnames so i did not easily keep track of them.
I do look forward to reading other books in the series, perhaps whilst taking a cruise !

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series, and like the previous two, it holds my interest whilst I am reading them, but as others have said they are not memorable. This one differs slightly, as the voyage is to the Far East, rather than the USA. We have here a political interest, along with arms smuggling. We learn that one of the main characters has musical abilities, and that their romance is indeed flourishing.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is unusual for me to finish a book so fast, I really got emersed in the story and could picture every detail in my mind.

[Tracey Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read in this series of books ,still with a few twists

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still enjoying this series! I like the historical setting and in this book I found the mystery aspect most interesting.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 284. I really hope the library has more of Allen's mysteries. This title (3rd in the series) is as good as the second, and possibly better. The villains are complex and multiple, ranging all of the classes of the ship. The voyage to the orient, tangles our pair of detectives in a mystery involving not the Cunard Line, but a Pacific line that carries both freight and passengers. The purser believes his ship has been and is being used to smuggle, but he doesn't know what and only has a guess at the who. A bungled assassination, a diplomat, people on their honeymoons, and ocean going romance all mix into the plot that makes up this excellent historical mystery.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say it's probably a 3.5 but I can't do half stars.
I read this before any others in the series and it can easily be read as a standalone.
It's sucked me in and I will read the rest of the series, but it doesn't have the best character descriptions, I can understand that for the main characters as they will have been introduced in the previous books, but it's the same for new characters too. It's not one of those books where you have a clear picture and voice for each of the characters which is disappointing. It's an easy read, but not amazing.

[Carolien · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this series and this was a more complex plot and interesting cast of characters that the first books. A pleasant read and I like the historical details on the ships.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

The murder this time happened fairly early on, thankfully, and there wasn't as much fluff describing the luxury decor since the ship was more of a freight carrier that took passengers...

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genevieve Masefield is looking forward to seeing New York with her beloved George, but then he springs news on her: he's signed himself up for a voyage of the ship Minnesota to help out an old friend and Genevieve is invited to come as his partner. Though she feels put out that George didn't consult her and she feels a pang of missing her home on board the Trans-Atlantic luxury liners, she agrees to come on the trip. The Minnesota is not a luxury liner like Cunard ships. She sails from Seattle to The Orient (China and Japan) with cargo and passengers, mostly business men. The ship's crew have reason to believe someone is smuggling something and they're pretty sure they know who but not what or where the smuggled goods are. That's up to George and Genevieve. Genevieve quickly falls into congenial company, aside from a lovesick artist, a sleazy English roue and a Catholic priest who must proselytize to all and sundry. It's her job to cozy up to the wife of the suspected smuggler but when they become friends, Genevieve feels uneasy about deceiving the other woman. When the priest ends up dead, Dillman is on the job to find out who and why. Who would kill a priest? Not all is as it seems and the detectives have their work cut out for them.

I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. I didn't quite enjoy the plot as much as the previous two. The different setting made it far different from a Titanic rip-off which was a nice change. However, there's way too much info dump about the ship's history that bears little relevance to the story. There's also a lot of political situations that aren't explained enough until the very end. I didn't really understand the smuggling plot either. I did end up staying up too late reading because the death happened sooner than expected and I wasn't able to put it down. I was a little disappointed in the reason behind the death. The plot felt disjointed once everything was revealed.

There's a lot more Genevieve than George in this book and I finally liked her and felt sympathetic to her in this book. She's warmed up a lot and in this book, she was put in a tough spot. I didn't really like Faye though I liked what she stood for. She seemed a bit hypocritical at times. I especially liked Maxine. She is not a stereotypical "moll." She's innocent in some ways but not in others. She has her eyes wide open when it comes to her husband and it seems he's finally met his match. I really liked her gumption and how she stood by her friend instead of her man. She was the most admirable wife in the entire story. I hope she makes an appearance in a future book as a famous opera singer. It would be nice to know what happens to her. George is as cool a cucumber as ever. I don't feel like I know him very well even after all this time and that's how he wants it. He stays cool and detached from everything but his job. Only when he's with Genevieve does he show a softer side.

I am enjoying the series and plan to read the rest of the books.

Content PG: Minor violence, flirtation, kisses nothing sensual, no dialogue, nothing.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining series, though certainly nothing top-notch. All the books thus far hover in the 3-3.5 star range. The mysteries are quite good with plenty of red herrings. If you like or are interested in the history of ships (and you probably are if you're reading this series) there are some fun and interesting facts to gobble up. The main problem lies with the main characters of George and Genevieve. Both seem like nice people, but they are very two-dimensional. We never really get an understanding of their true feelings or what makes them tick. Neither is there any real passion in their relationship. Because of the lack of depth, they come across to this reader as mere acquaintances, not people I have a deep and vested interest in. Too bad because I think there is potential, but deep characterization is just not Mr. Allen's strong point nor do I think he's interested in that aspect of the story.

[Moravian1297 · Rating 4 out of 5]

If these Dillman & Masefield books were music, they'd most definitely be 'Easy Listening', as they efficiently and effortlessly meander along without much thinking needed by the reader whatsoever. But that's not to say you can't peruse along through the story without incident, I certainly had cause to stop on occasion and take note of a few things. However, the books assuredly fall into the gentler side of literature, with a slow paced predictability and a calm reassurance that the good guys (and gals!), will out fox the baddies and win the day.

Nevertheless, I must point out, that making the 'heroes' of the piece, George Porter Dillman, an ex 'Pinkerton' detective, infamous 'strike breakers' among other things, and Genevieve Masefield, the ex fiancée to the son of a Lord and a member of the British Aristocracy, is for me at any rate, kinda blurring the lines between who's good and who's bad?!
I will say in their defence however, and to defer from my guilt at liking them, that Miss Masefield did f*ck the upper class fiancée off and proceed to get the feck out of it, and Dillman admitted here, that in the past, when he once had to bodyguard a boss, whom had locked out his workers, that his sympathies had very much been with the said workers. Granted, not the greatest of CV's, but at least their hearts seem to be in the right place, I suppose.

The author has also changed it up a tad on this voyage, where our starting point is New York and we see everything moving West to Seattle, and a journey this time across the Pacific Ocean, and the destinations of Japan and China. The majority of the book is taken up with mealtime conversations across the tables of the first class passengers, whom, to be fair, are something of a mixed bag.

Some are pretty egregious and wholly detestable, like resident baddie, Rance Gilpatrick. Some have eminently contradictive personalities like Catholic missionary, Father Slattery. Whom initially comes across as an obnoxious bawbag, annoyingly arrogant and outrageously overbearing, but conversely, when he learns of two Chinese stowaways, he volunteers to pay their fare, showing a very much more charitable side to his nature. However when Father Slattery was discussing religion with other diners around the dinner table, on one particular occasion, he accused fellow first class passengers, Japanese born and Shinto worshipping, Mr and Mrs Natsuki, of 'not living in the real world'! I must say, I near ended myself laughing. For a Catholic Priest, of all people, to level 'fantastical ideas' at another religion was beyond parody. For the people that bring you, 'the virgin birth', 'everlasting life', 'heaven & hell' and 'Christ resurrected', to accuse others of ‘not living in the real world’, is beyond the proverbial pale. Unfortunately, no one around the dinner table pointed this out, and everyone just seemed to get quietly offended on behalf of Mr and Mrs Natsuki, but refrained from pointing out the utter hypocrisy of the God bothering, nuisance of a man.

A few passengers were again, also the novel's social conscience. Highlighting issues of the period, like women's suffrage. All cleverly done through the attitudes of certain travellers, like women's rights advocate, Mrs Brinkley. Fay Brinkley certainly had the better of it, when pitted against women whom were unbelievably against giving women the vote, like Mrs Van Bergen, talk about turkey’s voting for Christmas (or being unable to vote AGAINST Christmas, as the case may be)! Just like the nawbags that voted against Scottish Independence in the 2014 referendum, when the oppressed start agreeing with their oppressors, concurring that their oppression is a good thing, it would now be termed, that Mrs Van Bergen was suffering from ’Stockholm Syndrome’. I think it’s subtle little socially conscientious character exchanges like those between the progressive Fay Brinkley and the more ’traditionalist’ (usually code for a bigot lol) dinosaur, Mrs Van Bergen, that sway me over into enjoying the books.

I also very much appreciate, the fact that when the stories reach their climax, the author just gets on with it, and catches the baddies with little fuss. There's no faffing about with the bad guys getting the upper hand for a bit, then vice versa and so on, they're rumbled, then that's the end of it. There's no real jeopardy when that 'good guy winning/bad guy winning/good guy winning/bad guy winning' scenario rears its ugly and oh so predictable head in other books, it's utterly tedious, so just get on with the inevitable please, and have the good guy/gal winning and the baddie bang to rights, and everyone is happy, the end, haha!

However, I could do without the overblown descriptions of the passengers attire. Fair enough, give us descriptions of what they would have been wearing, but do we really need to have as much detail as this example?

'The skirt was rather full on the hips, the attractive frou-frou at the feet secured by broad flounces that were trimmed with pleated rouches, arranged in festoons. A pearl necklace and pearl earrings completed the outfit.'

Dearie me! Enough already! Besides not really knowing what, 'frou-frou's', 'flounces', 'rouches' and 'festoons' (obviously I know what ’festoon’ means when used as an adjective, but not in the context of it being used as a noun) are, I was beginning to feel like Nikita Khrushchev in Armando Iannucci's, 'The Death of Stalin' when he's asked to choose between 'rouched' or 'non-rouched' curtains for Stalin's funeral! ”Do I look like I give a f*ck about ‘rouches’?” Khrushchev hilariously bleats at the designer in the movie, and likewise, do I sound like the type of guy that gives a f*ck about ’frou-frou’s’? Haha!

So, yet again, despite some minor reservations about their past lives, I'll still be happy enough to sail on into the sunset with, George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield, all aboard me shipmates! Happy days and easy ways.

[Rachel Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fast becoming my favorite historical mysteries.

[Hestiope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true 3.5/5.

Another light but solid entry in this series. This time, George and Genevieve are on a smaller ship, the Minnesota, headed first to Japan, then to China. They are investigating a potential smuggling operation when another passenger turns up dead, leaving them two investigations. This was a bit slow at the beginning but picked up when the real reason for the murder was discovered--this was different from the previous two books and added some interest.

Also in the second half of the book, two characters who were the subject of one of the investigations became more interesting, with Genevieve getting involved with one of them in a way that opened her up to suspicion--that was good as we got to see a few other characters.

These books are surprisingly unobjectionable. They aren't brilliant or very exciting, but they are very even-handed. Allen clearly knows what he is doing and is occupying his groove with confidence. And it works--the mysteries are not boring, nor predictable. The cast of characters--almost always of the "country house murder group" type, is varied and interesting. George and Genevieve, although hardly the most interesting characters, operate in a plausible and intelligent manner when trying to solve their cases. In this book, Allen deals reasonably with a more diverse cast than usual, representing Chinese and Japanese characters--who mostly remained on the sidelines--in a way that was not problematic, at least to my eyes.

As always, though, I feel that Allen gives us only the outline of the story. There's more to George and Genevieve than we get, although I'll admit that the fact they don't have dramatic lives rather appeals to me. What I'd like to see is a bit more humour and life in them--here there's a tiny bit of jealousy, but it's not very well conveyed. As I've said for previous books, what these stories need is a film adaptation, to bring these outline people to life through actors injecting a little style or personality into their lines. At the moment, I just can rely on my imagination to fill in the blanks.

One thing I find interesting is that the author often describes women's dress in detail, often using terms that aren't in common usage or (at least to me) don't summon up an actual image. I wonder if the author has some special knowledge of clothing of the era.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 'Ocean Liner Mysteries' is Edward Marston's eighth series of mystery books with a different setting and it is just as Promising as his others. He always catches the ambience of his settings admirably and 'Murder on the Minnesota' is no exception. It features the detective duo of George Dillman and Genevieve Masefield and when the former is told of problems on the Minnesota and is asked to take a voyage on it in order to find out what is going on, he is most willing to do so even though it is not associated with the company, the Cunard Line, that he is contracted to. He discusses it with Genevieve and before you know it, they are on board and ready to do any investigations necessary.

And there are plenty because as they get to know their immediate travelling companions there seems to be a variety of issues that need looking into as some of the characters they meet are not only rather eccentric but offer signs of shady dealings. There follows a variety of threads that need investigating and once a murder is committed (not giving anything away because it's there in the title), there is an added complication.

All the characters, and there are many flitting about the ship and getting involved with one or other of the duo, who work independently so as not to arouse any suspicion, seem on the surface to be likeable folk but obviously some of them are not what they seem; these must be exposed in order to find the murderer and see what else is going on behind the scenes.

George and Genevieve meet up surreptitiously every now and again to compare notes, all of which, after a lot of hard work, come together to make the Minnesota a safer ship to be cruising on.

[Lommie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got myself a good audiobook through Spotify. I started listening to it 2 days ago. And, I just figured out last night that there were 3 audiobooks available in this series. And, they’re all free. I am very happy about it.

What’s interesting about this book is that it has transported me to the Edwardian era. Talking and thinking about sleuthing, it is enjoyable to imagine the means of finding evidences and process an investigation all throughout the story is through exceptional and expert conversational skills of the detectives. I would say that if the objective of the author is for its readers to use their instinct to pick who the culprit is, the narration is definitely effortless and well-written. The narrator’s voice is soothing and playful. He uses various tone of his voice for each character in the story, which is actually entertaining to listen to.

All in all, the book is a pleasant surprise. I am saving the other 2 titles in my playlist. It’s an interesting read, especially for readers who are keen in light and easy read of cozy mysteries. This is for sure a something that is timely to read while enjoying leisure time on a cruise ship.

[Andree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to read cozy mysteries. Is this a groundbreaking book in the series? No. These books are all very similar. But I liked how this one did character. I felt like there was a greater breadth of characters in this one. I thought class and race was explored a bit more diversely (which kid of makes sense given who is more likely to be taking a steamer across the Pacific versus the Atlantic). I continue to think the general character work is strong, even if the mysteries themselves aren't always super intricate. This has some interesting characters.

I will say, these books need to figure out another way to end. This is three for three now that essentially have Genevieve in a cabin with the villain, while Dillman shoulder-barges the door and procedes to beat the crap out of someone with his boxing skills. It's perfectly fine for an ending for some of the books, but it cannot be the ending for all the books in a series that apparently has eight books in it.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Evidently this is the third book in a series. I am not sure having read the other two would have made this book any better. George and Genevieve set sail on the cruse ship Minnesota as private investigators assigned to investigate a smuggling ring. The story meanders around dinners and concerts and what life must have been like on a cruise ship in 1908. All rather dull. There turns out to be a murder, but since the victim is not very liked, I am not sure why anyone cared. The smuggling ring was exposed, and all lived ‘happier ever after’ . What a nice story. Except it wasn’t. I am convinced that the actual story could have been told in 20 pages. The rest was just fluff. And not very interesting fluff at that. I was never convinced that the characters were real. No Jack Dawson or Rose Dewitt Bukater in this story. Instead, we have dull characters roaming around a ship and only solving the crime by accident. This book lacks mystery, suspense or grandeur.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Roman Catholic priest, an American diplomat, a group of smugglers and many other passengers are aboard the Minnesota, on its way to the Far East.
George Porter Dillman and his partner, Genevieve Masefield, are also on board. They are looking for the smugglers and the contraband.
Whilst investigating the smuggling ring, the priest is killed on his way to being a missionary in China. The diplomat fear for his life, and the smugglers are difficult to find.
Dillman and Masefield make friends with some of the other passengers and subtley question them. A honeymoon couple are also among the suspects,
Eventually, after several suspicious incidents, the two detectives finally solve their two cases and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.

[Jerry Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

George and Genevieve are partnered again but not on the Atlantic nor Cunard. They take a train journey from NY to Seattle and take a gig on the Minnesota part of the Great Northern Steamship Company. Many of the railroad men got into the steamship business to transport people and freight. Solving a mystery and smuggling ring on the way to Japan and China.

Favorite line:

What’s your favourite country?’ The one that I’m in at any given moment.

[Kate Hopkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm, this is the third murder on a cruise ship book that I've read and they're all a bit the same. Also Dillman's arrogance is starting to get on my nerves. His refusal to allow another man to sleep in his cabin meant that the assassin got away. Me thinks he realises how good looking he is and assumes another man in close proximity wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself...see, I said he was arrogant 🤣

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 2002, 'Murder on the Minnesota' is the third in the 'Ocean Liners' series of mysteries, featuring a pair on detectives employed by Cunard to investigate crime on board liners in the early 20th century. This volume sees them 'loaned' to a Pacific-based shipping line to investigate suspected smuggling on the freighter/passenger liner Minnesota. Different from the previous instalments, but still an enjoyable though undemanding read.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having traveled on ships of various sizes, it is interesting to continue this series as Dillman and Masefield work undercover on the Pacific crossing of the largest combined passenger & cargo ship built in the early 20th century. This time both work to discover what is being smuggled and who wants to kill the USA ambassador to Japan.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was well written, but not really the type of mystery I enjoy. I didn't really get in to the smuggling mystery and the murder would have been more interesting to me if it was what it first appeared to be. It didn't so much seem a mystery to be solved as it was something the detectives knew, but had to prove.

[Helen Birkbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to have a different type of ship and a different destination and I enjoyed the usual descriptions of the lives, characters and clothes of the people aboard. The plot was sufficiently detailed and involving and I do like George as a character, though Genevieve's secrecy and prickliness can be a little irritating and their relationship doesn't seem entirely believable for that era.

[Austra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lai neatkārtotu iepriekšējos stāstus un lai mūsu kuģa detektīvi nekļūtu aizdomīgi pazīstami uz Atlantijas līnijām, autors viņus nosūta ceļojumā uz otru pusi - Japānu un Ķīnu. Tas nozīmē dažus eksotiskākus ceļabiedrus, bet citādi scenārijs jau apmēram ierastais. Tomēr šie stāsti man patīk, un autoram ir pilna soma ar dažādiem interesantiem personāžiem. Perfekta atslodzes literatūra.