Newly widowed Charlotte McLaughlin is adrift following the sudden death of her husband of twenty years and the shocking discovery of the lavish double life he’d lived while purportedly traveling for business.
When Charlotte’s only nephew and his fiancée are notified that their secluded wedding venue has flooded, her sister Jane suggests an alternative a Thanksgiving week cruise from Seattle to Alaska aboard the private residence ship where Charlotte’s husband had purchased a two-bedroom unit without her knowledge.
What better way to get closer with her family and banish the memories Charlotte can’t bear to touch now?
But the bride is found dead less than twenty-four hours after departure, and the head of security holds the groom on suspicion of her murder. Charlotte and Jane must figure out who is responsible for the murder before their nephew goes to jail for a crime they’re adamant he couldn’t have committed. Then a second victim is discovered, and Charlotte becomes even more certain there’s a killer on the guest list.
When Kate B Jackson (K.B. Jackson) isn't writing about Sasquatch, secrets, and murder, she enjoys unearthing family scandals under the guise of ancestry research. A 2-time Agatha Award winner, 3-time Anthony Award finalist, and 2-time Silver Falchion Award nominated author of mysteries for kids and grownups, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with her trophy husband and enjoys traveling with their four grown children. She writes the Sasquatch Hunters Middle Grade series, the Chattertowne Secrets mysteries, and the Cruising Sisters mysteries.
If you love a good mystery and love cruising then this is the one to pick up and yay it is the start of a new series, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip on this cruise ship, getting to know Charlotte and Jane was the best fun and truly it had me guessing till the very end, I do highly recommend it.
Charlotte McLaughlin has been married for twenty years when her husband suddenly dies, she of course is heartbroken but she discovered that he led a second life that included a condo on a cruise ship to name one thing, will this change her life she has many thoughts about that and with her sister Jane there for support this is sure to be a big change.
When her dear nephew Andy and his fiancé Phoebe’s wedding venue is closed due to flooding they now need another venue and Jane decides that a Thanksgiving wedding aboard the cruise ship would be the best idea, a one week cruise from Seattle to Alaska with family and friends will be good, little did she know what was going to happen.
Things are tense from the start as everyone boards the ship, Char is finding it hard to settle into the condo she now owns and there appears to be problems between the bride and groom and then one day later the bride is found dead and the groom taken into custody by the French head of security, Char and Jane take it upon themselves to ensure they clear Andy’s name when another victim is found and the danger is building both Char and Jane are putting their lives on the line but they will never give up till the true killer is found.
This is a fabulous book, with awesome characters and a fabulous setting sailing to Alaska I loved Char and Jane and the other characters add so much to the story and of course Xavier the head of security is so good in his role, Char makes some decisions for her and Jane that will change their lives and this is sure to bring us more stories aboard this cruise ships.
I do highly recommend this one to any lover of a good cosy mystery, it is well written with humour, mystery and danger, and I look forward to more stories with Char and Jane.
My thanks to the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.
Not a bad murder mystery but not a great one. It has taken me forever to read because…..I’m on a cruise! I don’t read much on holiday and never have. Anyway, this takes place on board a residential cruise ship. The cast are all attending a wedding on board - or would be if it didn’t go all wrong. The mystery element is well enough written. I had guessed who the perpetrator was but hadn’t figured out the reasons. The denouement is one of those lengthy conversations that absolutely no one would have if they had actually been unmasked as a murderer!
Do not read on unless you are a pedant. You have been warned! Seven times and yes, I counted them, someone makes a ‘gurgling’ sound. I’ve no idea what this actually is but there is a lot of it! The butler has an English accent but he says ‘come show you’ and ‘come locate it’ which is North American syntax. Note to US authors - don’t have ‘British’ characters unless you actually know how we speak. The Frenchman addresses Jane as Madame Cobb but she’s unmarried. There are far too many descriptions of facial expressions and hand movements during conversations. The reader can ‘see’ what’s happening without having every nuance described. Lily’s father calls her Lilibet. Pre Meghan and Harry’s (offensive to some) naming of their daughter, this was not used other than as her father’s pet name for Queen Elizabeth II. Finally, during the denouement ‘the ship was anchored and the engines were at rest’ and yet when someone went overboard, the captain was radioed to halt the ship. Poor editing all round.
Would I read another one? Unlikely but I stuck with this til the end. It wasn’t that bad.
I enjoyed this take on the manor house mystery where here we have a cruise ship as the setting. The characters were incredibly well written and made the story feel alive and so relatable. What starts out with a betrayal and tragedy turns into a shocking murder and a dear nephew accused. Charlotte and her sister turn sleuth to save him and find the killer. I admire Charlotte a lot for not letting the death and betrayal of her husband define her. She while not completely ok doesn’t let that stop her from finding a start to a new beginning. Jane is a hoot and a half. What it all boiled down to for me was a great cast of characters, an interesting setting and a truly wonderful mystery. Definitely recommend!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The first book in the Cruising Sisters Mystery series is absolutely fantastic! A bride that goes missing and winds up dead, a groom who is the prime suspect and two sisters (Charlotte and Jane) who are determined to find the real killer and bring them to justice on this anything but pleasurable cruise. This one was so good I couldn’t stop reading it. Charlotte is fabulous, after being dealt with a deceased husband who had a mistress and a son Charlotte throws herself into solving the murder of bride to be Phoebe. Cleverly written with a suspense filled plot and a few laughs thrown in, this one is brilliant and I can’t wait to read more!
I was lucky to connect with K.B. Jackson recently. She was kind enough to send me The Cruising Sisters series. This was such a great murder mystery. I could not figure out who did it the entire time! Charlotte and her sister Jane were so funny at times. It lightened up the mood of the book with their quirky personalities. They completely took on the role as investigators to help free their nephew. Who wouldn’t want aunts like that right?! Charlotte was already dealing with a lot personally until she boarded this cruise ship. The story was very well written and I throughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I’m jumping right into the next book!
Charolette recently lost her husband of twenty years. Upon his death, she discovered that he had a lavish double life. This included owning a room on a cruise ship. When her nephews wedding venue is ruined, Charolette’s sister Jane thinks it would be a great idea for their nephew Andy to get married on the cruise ship. Within 24 hours after departure, Andy’s bride is found dead. The number one suspect is of course Andy. Charlotte and Jane agree that they will investigate this murder together to free Andy of being wrongly accused.
Sail away for a wedding but disembark for a funeral instead. I loved the storyline. A mix of characters cruise together for the wedding of a nephew and his girlfriend. The characters were very entertaining. I loved Jane and Charlotte. I did not like the bride and groom. Andy and Phoebe were blah although they were supposed to be the center of the story. I think that Frank's smarminess was well written. Every female has met a creep like him in their daily lives. All in all I think that this was a great beginning to a new series. I received a complimentary copy of this story and freely left this review.
This entertaining mystery involves a dead bride, her sister's murder and two middle-aged women Charlotte and Jane trying to exonerate their nephew Andy who is the primary suspect. I enjoyed the dynamic of the two sisters as their belief in Andy's innocence never faltered even as they are thrown into a dangerous path. The cast of characters made for an interesting list of suspects making a compelling who-dun-it I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I look forward to the next cruising sisters mystery and recommend you getting on board for their next adventure.
Until Depths Do Us Part by a new to me author, KB Jackson is the first book in the Cruising Sisters Mystery series. It begins with a grieving widow and shocking surprises. From there the twisty turns increase, making this an unput-downable-story. Nothing like an unexplainable death to get the sisters on the prowl to catch a killer before a loved family member goes to jail.
As an introduction to the series as well as the writer, this is one fascinatingly intriguing read. Unusual murder, wonderful characters, and a convincing plot. Everything I love in a great cozy mystery. This has it all. I recommend Until Depths Do Us Part to all mystery fans.
Until Depths Do Us Part is a fabulous new mystery by K.B. Jackson. It is the first book in the series Cruising Sisters Mystery. This is a new author for me and I found the book to be very well written. I kept trying to guess who the murderer was and continued to be wrong. It definitely keeps you guessing until the end. The book is set on a luxury cruise ship that is traveling from Seattle to Alaska over Thanksgiving.
As the book opens we meet the main character, Charlotte McLaughlin, who was recently widowed. She discovered after her husband of 20 years died, that he had another family. He spent a lot of time with a younger woman and their infant son. Charlotte learned also that her husband was very wealthy and she inherited quite a lot. The mistress and her son also inherited a portion of the estate. One of the things she got was an apartment on a luxury ship. When her nephew Andy’s wedding venue is flooded, her sister Jane suggests they have it on the cruise ship.
The bride’s parents, aunt and uncle and siblings with their partners all are in attendance on the wedding trip. Also, some of the couple’s friends have joined in. In addition to Andy’s aunts, his estranged mother is also on the ship. At dinner the first night, it seems all is not perfect with the happy couple and there are some issues between her family members too. The next morning when Andy can’t find his fiancée, he goes to Charlotte’s apartment. The bride to be is found dead on another floor and Andy is questioned and eventually arrested for the murder by the security officer, Xavier. Charlotte and Jane are convinced of his innocence and start to investigate on their own. As they continue to ask questions, another victim is found. They no longer believe that the killer is an outside person, but is with the wedding group.
I enjoyed this book so much. It was a longer book with more depth than many mysteries. I liked the characters a lot. I felt so much empathy for Charlotte after learning what her husband had done to her. There were several quirky characters in the bride’s family that were fun to read. It appears that we will see Charlotte and Jane again as they move on to the ship permanently. Also, I am guessing Xavier will play a part in future books as a possible love interest for Charlotte. This is a 5 star book that I recommend highly.
I was fortunate to receive an Arc of this book from Tule Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
When her nephew needs a last-minute location for his Thanksgiving wedding, Charlotte reluctantly offers the private residence ship she’s just learned her late husband bought a cabin on. Charlotte and her sister, Jane, aren’t sure about this wedding, but they are trying to be supportive for their nephew. However, their first night at sea, someone kills the bride, and their nephew becomes the obvious suspect. Can the sisters figure out what really happened?
I’d been wanting to try this author’s books for a while, and I’m glad I did. This book handled the tricky job of backstory and mystery set up well, and I was pulled into the story from the beginning. I did feel the interactions with one character got repetitive, but overall, the plot kept me engaged as Charlotte kept finding out more things that might have played into the murder. The solution was perfectly logical when we got there. We met the majority of characters at once, so I had a harder time keeping them all straight, but I did by the end. That doesn’t apply to Charlotte and Jane, who are great main characters. I enjoyed the fantasy of cruising, yet the murder is played seriously. I’m looking forward to booking another cruise with this series soon.
LOVED IT. Absolutely one of the best who dunit in a series. Does make one wonder if a cruise is the safest vacation. Maybe a murder mystery one. Charlotte is the wife that's husband has an affair and a son by his mistress. Best news is that he dies in an accident and leaves her very well off plus a residence on a cruise ship. She and her sister , Jane, Decide to go only after hearing their nephew, Andy, would like to take a cruise for his wedding . So plans were made for Andy's and Phoebe's wedding to take place on the ship. Charlotte meets Xavier, head of security on the ship when they arrive. He speaks to them and then helps them on their way to their rooms. Phoebe and Andy fight and the next morning she is found dead. Andy is blamed as the evidence points to him. Charlotte, Jane and Xavier start to look for clues to lead to the real killer. Each has their own reasons to solve this murder. Has lots of action, mystery, intrigue, drama, twists to this story, will keep you on the edge of your seat. Excellent storytelling by this author. Would strongly recommend to everyone.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Until Depths Do Us Part~ Cruising Sisters Mystery#1 by KB Jackson
KB Jackson is a new author to me, and I will be reading more from this author. Until Depths Do Us Part is set on a cruise ship, Charlotte McLaughlin whose husband of twenty years sadly died in a car accident. To Charlotte's surprise Gabe was leading a double life, when reading the will, she found that Gabe had a mistress and a young son., who too was in the car at the time.
What better way to put the past few months behind than her nephew's wedding? What will happen to board a ship? murder, that's what but it's not just one! I found this book to be written brilliantly with wonderful characters that feel so real. The storyline is also believable and I felt that I too was there. a highly enjoyable story, which I recommend to all. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Reasons I enjoyed this book: Action-packed, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Great world building, Informative, Inspirational, Page-turner, Realistic, Tragic, Unpredictable, Wonderful characters
I loved this first book about Charlotte and Jane and the murder mystery on a cruise ship. Charlotte and Jane’s nephew’s bride is murdered on the cruise where Charlotte inherits a cabin on the ship. Charlotte’s husband has recently died but left her with a fortune and a cabin on this ship. Unknowingly for Charlotte, he also had a mistress and a son which was embarrassing for her.
The French head of security arrested their nephew, Andy, for the murder and Charlotte and Jane needed to investigate the clues and find the culprit. All the characters were excellently portrayed.
The story was well-written, interesting, suspenseful, and easy to read. I would be interested in following this series. I recommend it to people who love mysteries.
‘TIL depths do us part Cat’s Stats Detective- Charlotte McLaughlin, widow. Aunt of groom. Sidekick- Jane Cobb, her sister. Aunt of Groom. Crime- murder Victim - Phoebe Braithwaite. Bride. Suspect- Andy Cobb. Groom. Hook- the murder takes place on a wedding cruise, on a ship where Charlotte owns a condo.
Mewsings This cozy mystery introduces the sister team of Charlotte and Jane. They are likable and Jane is hilarious. I liked the cruise-ship setting a lot. I also liked that there is a relatively narrow field of suspects. The mystery is intriguing, but the characters are what makes it better than average.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was super good! And the way the story was weaved, everyone was guilty of something! I love stories like this. Trying to figure out who's done what and why and knowing each person has something they want to hide. I was surprised at who it was in the end. I honestly had it down to two people, for different reasons. This one wasn't really on my radar. My mystery solving skills have been foiled again🤣 it is a really good book though. And book 2 promises to be good with who is involved. Highly recommend!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A wedding party on a cruise ship - what could possibly go wrong? When the bride is discovered stabbed to death and the groom is arrested for murder, his aunts have to don their sleuthing hats to get to the truth.
A fun cozy murder mystery with all the quirky characters and red herrings that you'd expect to see plus the beginnings of a possible romance to be explored in the series as a whole.
A well written story that flows nicely and sets up the pretext for the next book in the series whilst remaining fully stand-alone.
Whilst the cruise has not gone to plan and what as meant to be a fun and happy time, we have a death, suspects and two sisters Charlotte and Jane who have decided to take up challenge of finding out who the culprit is. This leads us on one wild ride of secrets, suspects and suspense that has you need to see what the sisters uncover next!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the first in a new series, and Charlotte and her sister Jane, need to find out who is the killer. This is a well written story which is action packed, and has family, mystery, twists, humor, witty and snarky banter, which leads to an entertaining, tragic, unpredictable, and fun addictive page turner. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charlotte's cheating husband died, it turns out he was very wealthy, owning a suite on a cruise ship. When the venue for her nephew's wedding becomes unavailable, her sister, Jane, suggests they use the ship. A good idea until they start dropping like flies! Who's killing everyone and why?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A murder on an elite cruise ship leads sisters Charlotte and Jane to investigate the murder, endangering themselves in the process. It is all hands on deck waiting and worried while far at sea. A good murder whodunit. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Really great start to this new series. I love a good mystery book and this one had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I loved the story line. The characters were so well written. I am really looking forward to this next book in the series. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Excellent first book of the series! I’m hooked! Great relatable MC with her sister for a sassy sidekick. The setting on the ship is excellent with a built in set of characters ready to reoccur.
Now to remember to always pack a “the wedding’s off because….dress”. My favorite line-edited to not be a spoiler ;)
Engaging and entertaining start of a series. This would be the way to cruise. A smaller ship with fewer passengers. Nice introduction to the characters and their issues. The murder mystery kept me guessing. Lots of situations to be fleshed out in future stories. I am eager to read more. Thanks to Booksprout for providing a copy. My review is voluntary.
A quick fun read that I enjoyed as an arc reviewer. I can honestly say that Charlottes is quite the character. She is the fun nosy aunt you wish you did have. Her antics really helped set the stage and bring the other characters out. Try it might like it!
Loved this book, the references to the PNW were great. I can usually guess “who did it.” But with this book - I was shocked! Excellent character development, plot and overall story. Recommend!!!