Cruise Imposters: A Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery

Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries #16

by A.R. Winters

Secretive VIPs
A man who isn't who he says he is
A murder

When Addi and the gang encounter a group of interesting VIPs, they think it'll be an easy cruise - until a murder rocks the boat.
Now, Addi must uncover a killer - before they strike again.
Meanwhile, Ethan is "shadow captain", Sam is overwhelmed with VIPs' demands, and Cece is enjoying her perfect new role.
Praise for A.R.
"The perfect balance of being lighthearted, but still a serious page-turning mystery." - Jaycie D, Amazon.com

"A fun cozy mystery with engaging and entertaining characters" - lq, Amazon.com

"A cute light read with a final twist at the end." - Stacey Puleio, Amazon.com

This is a humorous cozy mystery featuring a strong female protagonist, some unusual friends and family, and a mystery that needs solving! It has no bad language, graphic gore or explicit love scenes.

Cruise Imposters is the sixteenth book in the Cruise Ship Mystery Series and can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Mystery

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2025

About the author

A.R. Winters is a cozy mystery writer who loves writing about crazy characters and vibrant locations. And food, lots of delicious food!

When not writing, A.R. Winters is usually busy eating too much cake...

You can also find her on Facebook

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to their efforts during the hurricane rescue, Addi, Sam, and Cece return to the Swan of the Seas with promotions. Addi and Sam now have their own private cabins and a shared office space, although their actual assignments aren’t much changed. Cece, however, moves into the perfect position for her in IT. The women all expect a fairly uneventful cruise with Sam’s only VIP, Leaf, the leader of a meditation company. He’s booked the entire 14th deck for his enlightenment seminars. Soon stormy seas are the least of their problems, Leaf’s beleaguered assignment is found dead by the hot tubs, there’s a mystery man and rival guru stealing Leaf’s acolytes, and a killer on the loose. Can Addi wade through the mumbo-jumbo to find the truth before more victims pile up?

AR Winters creates books that have the perfect balance of suspense and humor. Her heroines are smart and courageous with boyfriends that support them unconditionally. You’ll be laughing at Cece’s antics in the IT department while admiring her skill in taking on her new position. Addi’s sharp observational skills are the key to solving the mystery. Readers of the previous books will be invested in the progress made in the kidnapping subplot arc. New readers are given enough background to be able to enjoy the self contained mystery in this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secretive VIPs
A man who isn't who he says he is
A murder

When Addi and the gang encounter a group of interesting VIPs, they think it'll be an easy cruise - until a murder rocks the boat.
Now, Addi must uncover a killer - before they strike again.
Meanwhile, Ethan is "shadow captain", Sam is scrambling to keep up with the VIPs' demands, and Cece is enjoying her perfect new role.

This contemporary lighthearted humorous cruise ship cozy mystery is page-turning with exceptional world-building on a cruise ship and characters that are a strong female protagonist, some unusual, witty friends and family, captivating, intelligent, humorous, and realistic. Their journey is enthralling with cruise imposters, a cruise ship cozy mystery where Addi and the gang have to race against time to solve the murder mystery on this cruise before the killer gets away, drama, humor, heartfelt emotions, suspense that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, no bad language, graphic gore or explicit love scenes, clean, action, adventure, and more. I recommend reading this book by an extraordinary author who knows how to captivate her readers' hearts and attention with cruise imposters and a cruise ship cozy mystery that is sure to transport readers into a world that is wildly entertaining, humorous, dangerous, mysterious, and unforgettable.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.R. Winters delivers another delightfully entertaining installment in the Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries series with Cruise Imposters! If you love whodunits packed with humor, quirky characters, and a luxurious setting full of secrets, this book is the perfect escape.

Addi and her crew are expecting a smooth sailing experience—until a mysterious group of VIPs comes aboard, bringing more than just their extravagant demands. When one of them turns up dead, it’s up to Addi to solve the case before the killer has a chance to strike again. Meanwhile, Ethan is navigating the pressures of being “shadow captain,” Sam is doing his best to keep up with the unpredictable guests, and Cece is thriving in her new role—perhaps a little too much.

What I loved about this book is how seamlessly Winters weaves mystery with humor—Addi’s sleuthing is always clever, but the chaotic antics of the crew and passengers make for an even more enjoyable ride. The suspects are intriguing, and the twists kept me guessing until the very end! The cruise ship setting adds an extra layer of excitement, making every chapter feel like a mini adventure.

If you enjoy fast-paced cozy mysteries with a touch of humor, lovable characters, and a setting that makes you want to book a cruise (minus the murder, of course), Cruise Imposters is a must-read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A fun, fast-paced mystery full of charm, wit, and high-seas intrigue!.

[Margery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our three ladies are called to the Captain's office for a meeting. Being who they are, they are wondering what they have done to get in trouble before the passengers board. Turns out, they all have been promoted. Cece is promoted from house keeping to IT. Addie pretty much does her same job, as does Sam, but they share an office and no longer share their state room. Ethan, even though he has his captain stripes is shadowing the captain on this cruise as he awaits a captainship to open up on another ship. This cruise has a whole floor deck 14 of VIP's for a meditation cruise. Lief is heading this group with his over worked assistant Brook. A competitor of Lief's named Mercury somehow is scheduled for. He and a few other attendees are poisoned and, thankfully, survive. While our ladies are trying to figure how Mercury wound up in Leifs Conference and who is doing the Poisoning they find Brook dead in one of the hot tubs. Was it a Conference attendee or did someone from another deck sneak up to deck 14? Always a page turning book by Ms. Winters.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO good!!

I love this series, and really knew it would be a 5 star read before I even started!

Back on their normal cruise ship, Addie & Sam, with some help from Cece, once again have a murder to solve.

Ethan is there, too, as "shadow captain".

Trying to get answers from some of the VIPs on board is, to say the least, challenging. There are a number of suspects, lots of action, and some fun along the way. As with the other books, the characters are well defined and interesting, and the story is easy to read, hard to put down, and told well.

A very enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next adventure!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Addie, Cece and Sam receive promotions before their next sail, they're excited to get office space and hopes of new responsibilities. However, when their job doesn't seem to reflect that while trying to handle the demanding VIPs on board, they realize it may not be all it's cracked up to be as another dead body shows up.

Another page turner as they try to navigate another mystery before the murderer gets away.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this is indeed a great read! A.R.Winters has written a super book ,I was caught up in this immersive tale hook line and ship’s anchor. There’s vips onboard in fact they’ve taken over a whole deck to themselves. Addi and crew encounter a fair few misdemeanours onboard but nothing like this doozy! They thought it was quite simply be a smooth sailing ,a cruise along . But they had another thing coming ,they were wrong. This epic tale is so very well written with great characters too. And the plot? Well what can I say ? Blew me away . Very well written and the storyline sublime.

[Big Fat Hairy Man · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addi and the gange are off on another cruise, this time with hard earned, though dubious, promotions. The cruise is hosting a rather quirky group of VIPs which shortly leads to poisonings and a murder. But seriously, why do people keep booking cruises with this crew? Anyway, this is a fun, cozy mystery with plenty of humor and suspense mixed into the story as the gang tries to solve the mystery before the cruise ends.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay! I'll say it again. I love AR WInters and all the series that she writes. This is the 16th book in the Cruise Ship Mysteries and Addi is at it again. When Addi and her gang are called to the captain's office they are wondering what they have done now and how much trouble they are in. But no! They are getting promoted. When a group of big wigs board the ship for a meditation cruise things seem for once to go smooth. That is until a VIP passenger is found dead.

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addi is given a promotion and is excited until some VIP guests turn out to be more trouble than expected. When a VIP passenger is found deceased, Addi and the gang try to find the culprit before they get away with murder. There are a number of plot twists as dark secrets are revealed. This can be read as a standalone.

[Aimee Worth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meditation cruise turns deadly then everything turns out to not be what it seems. This was an intriguing mystery filled with greed, duplicity and lies. I wasn’t sure who was telling the truth amongst the suspects. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and how you feel like you are on the cruise too. I look forward to the next book!

[LizJ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cruise Imposters Book 16 of Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries by A.R. Winters is a quick, cozy mystery that is full of adventure, quirky characters, and lots of twists and turns. I've read other books by this author, but this is the first Cruise Ship Mystery story and now I have to get the rest.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

enlightenment for somw might truly come with death.

deception, misdirection, trust, twists and soooo much trouble.

enticing and charismatic characters keep you reading - and keep the excitement on high

[Deborah K DeLaVina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imposters

Another great book by A R Winters! I have enjoyed every single book in this series. They have been full of intrigue and suspense. You never know what to expect when the cruise ship embarks.

[DEBRA KAASTRA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Switcharoo

When the LIT group boards the Swan of the Seas everyone is expecting enlightenment and peace but some members get more enlightened about personal interests than spiritually

[Suzanne Myette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craziness

A fun whodunit, on a cruise with Addi,Sam and Cece.
One of the ships VIP is killed. Can they figure it all out, before someone else is killed or the end of the cruise. Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

[AMBER CLARK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page turner from Winters. The twists will keep you guessing. Can be read as a standalone though you will want to read them all once you read this one. I can't wait for the next book!.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best ones in the series. The suspense was incredible and the story compelling. I could hardly put it down!

[Patricia Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book

The plot lines twisted and turns all over with a suspenseful ending. The characters continue to grow and evolve. On to the next book.