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High Seas Mystery Series #2
Murder on a Ghost Ship
When Emily Schultz, the president of Constellation Cruise Lines, buys an old cruise ship at a bargain price, she doesn't discover there's a ghost aboard until it's too late to cancel the deal. Desperate for help Emily calls upon Kayla Sanders and Natalia Baliskov to solve the crisis. The three women start a frantic search to find the identity of the ghost and her murderer. The "Lady" tries to communicate by flooding Kayla with crazy visions of the ship from her last voyage. Will the ghost's murderer kill another passenger who will be sailing on their next cruise? The entire ship is filled with suspects and potential victims, since everyone on the Sea Mist is a repeat passenger. The investigation ramps up when Kayla's fiancé, Steven Young joins the ship. Suspended from his job at Interpol, Steven feels guilty and incompetent. While tracking down a smuggling ring selling black market antiquities, Steven's partner got too close to the culprits and paid with his life. Is there a leak inside Interpol? The smugglers traced Steven to Colorado, and now they know he's on the Sea Mist. Do they want him dead? Kayla must interpret her visions from the Lady in time to prevent another murder, and Steven needs to unmask the ruthless leader of the smuggling ring to get his job back. Their future depends on mutual success.
- GenresMystery
248 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2011
3 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 26, 2016
I love this series. I get to see all the different places the ships visit through the author's words. There are detailed descriptions of Bermuda along with vivid details of Kayla and her fiancee Steven volunteering to help with sea turtles. I love the picturesque description of the "dismal fog rolling toward the west end of the island like a hazy blanket creeping across the water".
Kayla and Steven are back with Emily, the cruise line owner and Natalia the physic are back in another great action adventure. Now there's a ghost called the Lady by the crew haunting the Sea Mist. Who is she and she and why is he on the ship?
Throw in a smuggling ring and you have a recipe for action and suspense!
Kayla and Steven are back with Emily, the cruise line owner and Natalia the physic are back in another great action adventure. Now there's a ghost called the Lady by the crew haunting the Sea Mist. Who is she and she and why is he on the ship?
Throw in a smuggling ring and you have a recipe for action and suspense!
May 3, 2013
Cruising in the Caribbean, a ghost story and a mystery to solve. What a great combination!
I really debated between 3 & 4 stars (gave it 4 stars on Amazon) for this book. The plot is interesting and moves along at a nice pace. The characters are likeable, even those you later find out you shouldn’t have liked. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the tropical settings.
I liked this book well enough that I’m going back to read the first one in the series. I’m curious about how these characters first got together. (But this book works fine as a stand-alone.)
I also plan to keep an eye out for more books in the series. I look forward to seeing how Ms. Rapp’s writing and her characters evolve in the future.
I really debated between 3 & 4 stars (gave it 4 stars on Amazon) for this book. The plot is interesting and moves along at a nice pace. The characters are likeable, even those you later find out you shouldn’t have liked. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the tropical settings.
I liked this book well enough that I’m going back to read the first one in the series. I’m curious about how these characters first got together. (But this book works fine as a stand-alone.)
I also plan to keep an eye out for more books in the series. I look forward to seeing how Ms. Rapp’s writing and her characters evolve in the future.
October 14, 2013
Murder on a Ghost Ship is the second in a series. When I began to read this book I was determined to hold fast to my 5 Star rule. The rule being I would only give a five star rating if a book knocked my socks off or taught me something. After reading this book I decided I had to add "fun" to my criteria.
I enjoyed reuniting with Kayla, Steven, Emily and my favorite Natalia as they searched to find out the ghost's identity and how to placate it. Throw in an international smuggling ring,and an aging movie star and an Interpol snitch and you have a read that is both exciting and fun.
I look forward to the next book in this series.
I enjoyed reuniting with Kayla, Steven, Emily and my favorite Natalia as they searched to find out the ghost's identity and how to placate it. Throw in an international smuggling ring,and an aging movie star and an Interpol snitch and you have a read that is both exciting and fun.
I look forward to the next book in this series.
October 17, 2017
From the snow in Colorado to Norfolk, Virginia to
Bermuda then Sao Michael, we travel with Kayla
Sanders who goes to help and work for her friend,
Emily Schultz who is president of the Constellation
Cruise Lines.
Emily has acquired a bargain price cruise ship only
to discover the Lady, a previous guest who met an
untimely death on the ship, present in the form of
a ghost. Emily needs Kayla and another friend,
Natalia Baliskov, a psychic to identify the ghost
and then who murdered her while they cruise the
Caribbean.
Stephen Young, an Interpol agent and Kayla’s
fiancé, is suspended when his partner is murdered.
The smuggling ring is now tracking him aboard the
cruise ship.
A flawlessly plotted story with sub plots contained
within the main plot with plenty of twists and turns.
The author’s vivid, detailed description makes the
reader a part of the crew. You get to go help tag and
set free sea turtles, fly in a sea plane, eat delicious
cuisine, see a psychic and a magician performance.
Sail away into a tale of suspense, intrigue, mystery,
deceit, danger with humor and a touch of romance.
Bermuda then Sao Michael, we travel with Kayla
Sanders who goes to help and work for her friend,
Emily Schultz who is president of the Constellation
Cruise Lines.
Emily has acquired a bargain price cruise ship only
to discover the Lady, a previous guest who met an
untimely death on the ship, present in the form of
a ghost. Emily needs Kayla and another friend,
Natalia Baliskov, a psychic to identify the ghost
and then who murdered her while they cruise the
Caribbean.
Stephen Young, an Interpol agent and Kayla’s
fiancé, is suspended when his partner is murdered.
The smuggling ring is now tracking him aboard the
cruise ship.
A flawlessly plotted story with sub plots contained
within the main plot with plenty of twists and turns.
The author’s vivid, detailed description makes the
reader a part of the crew. You get to go help tag and
set free sea turtles, fly in a sea plane, eat delicious
cuisine, see a psychic and a magician performance.
Sail away into a tale of suspense, intrigue, mystery,
deceit, danger with humor and a touch of romance.
October 23, 2016
Emily the owner of a cruise ship , doesn't realize there is a ghost on board until it's too late. She can't get out of the deal, so she enlists help. Adorable story, well written. Can't wait for more
February 17, 2017
The president of Constellation Cruise Lines, Emily Schultz, discovers that the ship that she has recently acquired has a resident ghost with violent temper tantrums. She asks Kayla to help her before her most recent acquisition becomes a source for loss. Assisted by Natalia Baliskov and Stephen Young, Kayla starts by trying to find out who the ghost once was. Soon it becomes clear that the woman was a previous passenger of the Sea Mist, who had met an untimely death on board. She was pushed to her death and now she is trying to prevent another murder on the ship. But it is a difficult job as the current passengers on board are all second time passengers of Sea Mist. There’s also another parallel story going on with Steven being on board as he is suspended from Interpol after his partner is murdered. The people who murdered Steven’s partner are now tracking him and intent to kill him too.
It was only after I had started reading this book that I realized that this was the second part of a series. But after a couple of chapters, I was relieved as though the main characters seem to be connected through the first book; this book can be treated as a standalone. For a first time reader of this series, it wasn’t really difficult for me to get to know the characters. They slowly built up for me as the story progressed and I found it easy to feel connected to them through the printed words. I have to say that I loved Steven and Kayla. They have their own fair share of troubles, yet they emerge as strong and loveable characters.
The storyline has mystery with a touch of paranormal and action that keeps it interesting. It has a kind of slow build up and though at the beginning I was getting impatient, the pace soon picked up and looking back that build up was necessary. With secrets kept and unveiled and each passenger under suspicion at least once, it was a thrilling ride to take on board of the Sea Mist. The author has also managed to paint vivid pictures of people and situations through her pen and so it was pretty easy to get into the story.
For me this was an amazing discovery and cannot wait to look up the other works of this author.
It was only after I had started reading this book that I realized that this was the second part of a series. But after a couple of chapters, I was relieved as though the main characters seem to be connected through the first book; this book can be treated as a standalone. For a first time reader of this series, it wasn’t really difficult for me to get to know the characters. They slowly built up for me as the story progressed and I found it easy to feel connected to them through the printed words. I have to say that I loved Steven and Kayla. They have their own fair share of troubles, yet they emerge as strong and loveable characters.
The storyline has mystery with a touch of paranormal and action that keeps it interesting. It has a kind of slow build up and though at the beginning I was getting impatient, the pace soon picked up and looking back that build up was necessary. With secrets kept and unveiled and each passenger under suspicion at least once, it was a thrilling ride to take on board of the Sea Mist. The author has also managed to paint vivid pictures of people and situations through her pen and so it was pretty easy to get into the story.
For me this was an amazing discovery and cannot wait to look up the other works of this author.
July 15, 2015
Actually 2.5 Stars.
By my estimate I spent about 60% of this book simply waiting for any one of the four investigating characters to even suspect who I knew the murderer to be. I'm told that maybe part of the problem is that I'm just too good at spotting the murder, that might be so. And it's not uncommon for me to know the murderer early on and still rate the book well.
Here's the problem. If we were to look at a book by say, Her Royal Mysteriness, Agatha Christie in the course of one novel you'd have been led, by the clever writing, to suspect, throw out, and come back to suspecting at least 4 different characters throughout the book only to find the person who actually done it was someone you suspected earlier and firmly crossed off the possibility list. In this book, except for the quick look at all the possible suspects, the bulk of this book all of the investigators unquestioningly suspect one and only one person. The only way this plot technique could possibly be successful is if after being surprised into changing your suspicions at the very end the initial suspect turned out to have actually done it. But that's not what happened.
Basically, what our main character did was: "He did it. He did it. He did it. He did it. Holy crap, where did you come from?"
Sadly, I suspect that by the end of the book the only person surprised by who did it IS the fictional invetigators.
There are a few redeeming qualities of the book. If the case of who did it hadn't been so frustrating to have to read through I probably would have really enjoyed the book. The cruise ship setting was clever and interesting, something I haven't seen used before that made for a truly unique setting. I also found it interesting that the series isn't normally a paranormal one, but that the ghost turned out to be real and not a hoax. It's a shame that the murder mystery was so sloppily handled because the author clearly isn't afraid of trying new things. I wonder if I'd like her work more if she stuck to writing adventure/suspense style work like the INS portion of the book has, than on the classic murder mystery.
By my estimate I spent about 60% of this book simply waiting for any one of the four investigating characters to even suspect who I knew the murderer to be. I'm told that maybe part of the problem is that I'm just too good at spotting the murder, that might be so. And it's not uncommon for me to know the murderer early on and still rate the book well.
Here's the problem. If we were to look at a book by say, Her Royal Mysteriness, Agatha Christie in the course of one novel you'd have been led, by the clever writing, to suspect, throw out, and come back to suspecting at least 4 different characters throughout the book only to find the person who actually done it was someone you suspected earlier and firmly crossed off the possibility list. In this book, except for the quick look at all the possible suspects, the bulk of this book all of the investigators unquestioningly suspect one and only one person. The only way this plot technique could possibly be successful is if after being surprised into changing your suspicions at the very end the initial suspect turned out to have actually done it. But that's not what happened.
Basically, what our main character did was: "He did it. He did it. He did it. He did it. Holy crap, where did you come from?"
Sadly, I suspect that by the end of the book the only person surprised by who did it IS the fictional invetigators.
There are a few redeeming qualities of the book. If the case of who did it hadn't been so frustrating to have to read through I probably would have really enjoyed the book. The cruise ship setting was clever and interesting, something I haven't seen used before that made for a truly unique setting. I also found it interesting that the series isn't normally a paranormal one, but that the ghost turned out to be real and not a hoax. It's a shame that the murder mystery was so sloppily handled because the author clearly isn't afraid of trying new things. I wonder if I'd like her work more if she stuck to writing adventure/suspense style work like the INS portion of the book has, than on the classic murder mystery.
May 1, 2013
Imagine Murder She Wrote revised for today with Jessica Fletcher's granddaughter and an engaging, youthful coterie...all fans of Agatha Christie. Though Diane Rapp remains very much her own woman in this second series entry set aboard a cruise ship, the Fletcher/Christie comparison holds: the emphasis is fun, not gore--though the author doesn't hesitate to show her edge when called for...the amateur sleuths are engaging folks we want to spend our time with...and the author's gift for misdirection, from suspect to suspect to suspect, makes our heads spin gleefully.
The supernatural twist in this book is well-played. The ghost of a passenger murdered on a previous cruise haunts the Sea Mist. And Emily, the President of Constellation Cruise Lines, may lose her job if she can't show this spook the door--and quickly. Soon the young old gang is back: adorable Kayla...sexy psychic Natalia...and Steven, Kayla's fiance and intrepid Interpol cop.
This author could charge for lessons in series standalone tactics. She reintroduces her characters and their back stories with dazzling ease. And in her expert hands 'escapist entertainment' means not escaping from but escaping to a wonderfully ordered and beautiful world where wrongs are corrected by people we love in stouthearted, imaginative ways.
This is one of favorite new series. And I do hope this author will put on some speed in getting out the third.
The supernatural twist in this book is well-played. The ghost of a passenger murdered on a previous cruise haunts the Sea Mist. And Emily, the President of Constellation Cruise Lines, may lose her job if she can't show this spook the door--and quickly. Soon the young old gang is back: adorable Kayla...sexy psychic Natalia...and Steven, Kayla's fiance and intrepid Interpol cop.
This author could charge for lessons in series standalone tactics. She reintroduces her characters and their back stories with dazzling ease. And in her expert hands 'escapist entertainment' means not escaping from but escaping to a wonderfully ordered and beautiful world where wrongs are corrected by people we love in stouthearted, imaginative ways.
This is one of favorite new series. And I do hope this author will put on some speed in getting out the third.
April 28, 2012
Murder on a Ghost Ship is the second novel in the High Seas Mystery Series. I fell in love with the first in the series, ‘Murder Caribbean-Style’.
I was happily enchanted, all over again.
Diane Rapp has a musical style of writing that envelopes you in the story, transporting you to beautiful places. However, be prepared to go to some very ugly scenes.
Enjoy the ocean breeze as you embark on your cruise and deepen your relationship with the characters.
You will smile at the blossoming love story between Kayla and Steven. They make a lovely couple- deserving happiness. However, will they find their happy ending?
Emily is a strong powerful woman, but she may surprise you by showing her soft side. The exotic Natalia will prove that her powers may not be just for show. Her gift may not be a match for “The Lady”.
Romance may be in the air, but all is not rosy.
There is a ghost aboard the ship- she is not happy and she wants everyone to know... Her increasing rage could end in murder.
The glamorous Hollywood guests seem to have more than one secret. A suspected love triangle could end in a jealous frenzy. There are predators in the shadows and they are capable of killing!
The friends’ band together to solve this mystery and find that danger lurks on the ship.
I was happily enchanted, all over again.
Diane Rapp has a musical style of writing that envelopes you in the story, transporting you to beautiful places. However, be prepared to go to some very ugly scenes.
Enjoy the ocean breeze as you embark on your cruise and deepen your relationship with the characters.
You will smile at the blossoming love story between Kayla and Steven. They make a lovely couple- deserving happiness. However, will they find their happy ending?
Emily is a strong powerful woman, but she may surprise you by showing her soft side. The exotic Natalia will prove that her powers may not be just for show. Her gift may not be a match for “The Lady”.
Romance may be in the air, but all is not rosy.
There is a ghost aboard the ship- she is not happy and she wants everyone to know... Her increasing rage could end in murder.
The glamorous Hollywood guests seem to have more than one secret. A suspected love triangle could end in a jealous frenzy. There are predators in the shadows and they are capable of killing!
The friends’ band together to solve this mystery and find that danger lurks on the ship.
November 30, 2013
A ghost, a murder and a smuggling ring are at the center of this fast-paced cruise novel.
I received my free copy as part of a Goodreads giveaway and purchased the first in the series, Murder-Caribbean Style, to read first. You could read this on its own but I enjoyed the character-development in the first book.
In the second of the High Seas Mystery series from Diane Rapp, the main character, Kayla, finds herself called on for help from her friend who has just bought a cruise ship. The catch is that the ship turns out to be haunted. To help the ghost pass to the other side, Kayla and her friends must find the ghost’s murderer. I have to admit I knew ‘whodunnit’ fairly early on, but it was still a great read, figuring out if I was right.
In this second novel, there was less travel-guide and more mystery than in the first, and the addition of the supernatural angle made it very different from anything I would normally read.
A little supernatural with a cruise-theme and part-island travel guide made this a great vacation read.
I received my free copy as part of a Goodreads giveaway and purchased the first in the series, Murder-Caribbean Style, to read first. You could read this on its own but I enjoyed the character-development in the first book.
In the second of the High Seas Mystery series from Diane Rapp, the main character, Kayla, finds herself called on for help from her friend who has just bought a cruise ship. The catch is that the ship turns out to be haunted. To help the ghost pass to the other side, Kayla and her friends must find the ghost’s murderer. I have to admit I knew ‘whodunnit’ fairly early on, but it was still a great read, figuring out if I was right.
In this second novel, there was less travel-guide and more mystery than in the first, and the addition of the supernatural angle made it very different from anything I would normally read.
A little supernatural with a cruise-theme and part-island travel guide made this a great vacation read.
September 10, 2016
I was really disappointed in the last half of this book. I read the first one in the series and thought it was a pretty good story, if maybe not the best writing in the world. I decided to try another by this author. The writing seemed a little better and the plot started pretty well.
A ghost haunts a cruise ship. A slight smell of lavender, shimmery images--okay so far. But eventually this ghost becomes almost a main character, showing up at every turn. She can't speak, but manages to get across what she wants. Now, honestly, I just do not believe in ghosts. Not that a book can't have a little of the supernatural, but this is so heavy handed. About the time she was tossing people around, I parted company with the story. If strange things happen, you at least have to believe that they might be possible!
I don't even know why I felt compelled to finish it. It's too bad, because I really like the main character, but I can't stand another story like this one!
A ghost haunts a cruise ship. A slight smell of lavender, shimmery images--okay so far. But eventually this ghost becomes almost a main character, showing up at every turn. She can't speak, but manages to get across what she wants. Now, honestly, I just do not believe in ghosts. Not that a book can't have a little of the supernatural, but this is so heavy handed. About the time she was tossing people around, I parted company with the story. If strange things happen, you at least have to believe that they might be possible!
I don't even know why I felt compelled to finish it. It's too bad, because I really like the main character, but I can't stand another story like this one!
September 21, 2012
Murder on a Ghost Ship – Five stars for the 2nd book in the High Seas Mystery Series
By Diane Rapp
Crime, suspense, and shipboard romance, with a vengeful ghost to keep it exciting - this book has it all. Movie star Vance Bollard killed his wife, Celeste, so that he could marry Paula. Or did he? Celeste's ghost tries to clear that up, with frightful consequences for the cruise ship's new owner and her friends.
Well drawn characters with several plot twists and a cleverly integrated sub-plot hooked me from the beginning and held me right though the last page. Good old-fashioned mystery and suspense with a little romance to keep it light.
I enjoyed it - you will, too.
By Diane Rapp
Crime, suspense, and shipboard romance, with a vengeful ghost to keep it exciting - this book has it all. Movie star Vance Bollard killed his wife, Celeste, so that he could marry Paula. Or did he? Celeste's ghost tries to clear that up, with frightful consequences for the cruise ship's new owner and her friends.
Well drawn characters with several plot twists and a cleverly integrated sub-plot hooked me from the beginning and held me right though the last page. Good old-fashioned mystery and suspense with a little romance to keep it light.
I enjoyed it - you will, too.
September 2, 2013
Kayla is back. Emily calls for help after purchasing a new ship for her cruise line. A ship with a ghost!!
I enjoyed this book. I especially loved the paranormal aspect. It added just a bit extra to the story that really piqued my interest.
It's a murder mystery book, with the victim/ghost haunting the ship!
To help the ghost move on, Kayla, Steven, Emily and Natalia have to help solve the murder and bring justice.
I enjoyed this book. I especially loved the paranormal aspect. It added just a bit extra to the story that really piqued my interest.
It's a murder mystery book, with the victim/ghost haunting the ship!
To help the ghost move on, Kayla, Steven, Emily and Natalia have to help solve the murder and bring justice.
December 21, 2013
Nicely written but uneven
it's definitely a suspend belief kind of book. Not for the Ghost story / murder but more on the smuggling story.
I think the Ghost story / murder was strong enough to stand by itself and didn't need the distraction of the other.
An easy and fun read.
it's definitely a suspend belief kind of book. Not for the Ghost story / murder but more on the smuggling story.
I think the Ghost story / murder was strong enough to stand by itself and didn't need the distraction of the other.
An easy and fun read.
April 17, 2013
This kept me reading. I love detective thriller books. Just not the best I've ever read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews