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Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective #3
Murder, She Floats
A suicide note found in a locked room. A shard of glass buried in a scoop of whipped potatoes. A pickle jar filled with poisonous spiders. Precious jewels yanked off of a woman’s neck but left at her feet. It’s just a week in the life of Damon Lassard when he boards The Vitamin of the Seas with his charismatic mother for a ‘relaxing’ Caribbean cruise.
After Damon’s acerbic dining companion is found floating alongside the ship and local police rule the death a suicide, the loveable amateur sleuth is left to find the killer himself. He encounters seductive sirens, cunning con artists, and fascinating family members en route to solving not only the murder but a handful of clever capers as well.
After Damon’s acerbic dining companion is found floating alongside the ship and local police rule the death a suicide, the loveable amateur sleuth is left to find the killer himself. He encounters seductive sirens, cunning con artists, and fascinating family members en route to solving not only the murder but a handful of clever capers as well.
- GenresMysteryMystery Thriller
212 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2014
14 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Kaminski
5 books100 followersSTEPHEN KAMINSKI is the author of two cozy mystery series: The Male Housekeeper Mysteries and the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective series, both published by Cozy Cat Press.
"Corpse & Robbers" is the latest of Kaminski's Male Housekeeper Mysteries. The first installment of the series, "An Au Pair to Remember," was penned in 2019.
Each of Kaminski's Damon Lassard books -- "It Takes Two to Strangle" (2012), "Don't Cry Over Killed Milk" (2013), and "Murder, She Floats" (2014) -- was awarded the Reader Views Literary Award for the Mid-Atlantic Region, and Don't Cry Over Killed Milk was named Best Classic Cozy in the 2014 Murder & Mayhem Awards and was a 2013 Chanticleer Media CLUE Award Finalist.
Stephen is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School, and currently serves as the chief executive officer of a national energy association. He lives with his 120 lb Swissie, Siberian forest cat, rescue kitty, and a gaggle of occasionally tolerable but always loveable humans in Bethesda, MD.
"Corpse & Robbers" is the latest of Kaminski's Male Housekeeper Mysteries. The first installment of the series, "An Au Pair to Remember," was penned in 2019.
Each of Kaminski's Damon Lassard books -- "It Takes Two to Strangle" (2012), "Don't Cry Over Killed Milk" (2013), and "Murder, She Floats" (2014) -- was awarded the Reader Views Literary Award for the Mid-Atlantic Region, and Don't Cry Over Killed Milk was named Best Classic Cozy in the 2014 Murder & Mayhem Awards and was a 2013 Chanticleer Media CLUE Award Finalist.
Stephen is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School, and currently serves as the chief executive officer of a national energy association. He lives with his 120 lb Swissie, Siberian forest cat, rescue kitty, and a gaggle of occasionally tolerable but always loveable humans in Bethesda, MD.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 13, 2017
Pretty good. Solid 3 stars
January 25, 2019
I liked it. For a third in a series it was pretty good. I'm going to pick up others.
December 17, 2014
Stephen Kaminski in his new book, “Murder, She Floats” Book Three in the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective Mystery series published by Cozy Cat Press gives us a new adventure with Damon Lassard.
From the back cover: A suicide note found in a locked room. A shard of glass buried in a scoop of whipped potatoes. A pickle jar filled with poisonous spiders. Precious jewels yanked off of a woman’s neck but left at her feet. It’s just a week in the life of Damon Lassard when he boards The Vitamin of the Seas with his charismatic mother for a ‘relaxing’ Caribbean cruise.
After Damon’s acerbic dining companion is found floating alongside the ship and local police rule the death a suicide, the loveable amateur sleuth is left to find the killer himself. He encounters seductive sirens, cunning con artists, and fascinating family members en route to solving not only the murder but a handful of clever capers as well.
Hercule Poirot solved a murder on board a snow-bound train. Columbo solved a murder while he was on a cruise. Now Damon Lassard takes to the high seas and tries to solve a ship-board suicide. Of course it is not a suicide there would be no mystery otherwise and this mystery is a stumper. There are other events happening on board this cruise that also take up a lot of his time and keep us wondering how he is going to expose the bad guys. “Murder, She Floats” is full of really enjoyable characters both good and bad. The plot runs along at a brisk clip and is filled with twists and turns that leave you guessing, unprofitably, all along the way. I certainly did not figure out who the murderer was. Damon Lassard really is an enjoyable, personable character that is interesting and fun to hang out with. I am so looking forward to more stories from Mr. Kaminski about Damon Lassard.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Cozy Cat Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: A suicide note found in a locked room. A shard of glass buried in a scoop of whipped potatoes. A pickle jar filled with poisonous spiders. Precious jewels yanked off of a woman’s neck but left at her feet. It’s just a week in the life of Damon Lassard when he boards The Vitamin of the Seas with his charismatic mother for a ‘relaxing’ Caribbean cruise.
After Damon’s acerbic dining companion is found floating alongside the ship and local police rule the death a suicide, the loveable amateur sleuth is left to find the killer himself. He encounters seductive sirens, cunning con artists, and fascinating family members en route to solving not only the murder but a handful of clever capers as well.
Hercule Poirot solved a murder on board a snow-bound train. Columbo solved a murder while he was on a cruise. Now Damon Lassard takes to the high seas and tries to solve a ship-board suicide. Of course it is not a suicide there would be no mystery otherwise and this mystery is a stumper. There are other events happening on board this cruise that also take up a lot of his time and keep us wondering how he is going to expose the bad guys. “Murder, She Floats” is full of really enjoyable characters both good and bad. The plot runs along at a brisk clip and is filled with twists and turns that leave you guessing, unprofitably, all along the way. I certainly did not figure out who the murderer was. Damon Lassard really is an enjoyable, personable character that is interesting and fun to hang out with. I am so looking forward to more stories from Mr. Kaminski about Damon Lassard.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Cozy Cat Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
January 29, 2015
thank you Stephen for giving me this opportunity to read your book.
By chapter 2 I was hooked into this book. Other books in the series I can usually pick out a few characters that I think are the killers but not this one! it kept me guessing.
Damon and his mother Lynne go on a cruise . He was supposed to go with Bethany the weather girl he was dating but they broke up.
On the cruise they meet an interesting large wealthy family as well as a pretty girl dating an old man that sit at their dinner table for the week. soon after the ship sets sail someone(a women who sat at his dinner table) dies found floating in the water next to the boat. this is ruled as a suicide but Damon knows its a murder.
throughout the whole book Damon attempts to find out what happened to the deceased women who sat at his dinner table finding out dirty family secrets, and getting down and dirty with the family. I never would have guessed who it was!
He also solves two little mini mysteries. Lynne even gets involved with one as well.
this book is absolutely amazing, couldn't put it down, definitely a page turner, and I highly recommend the series!!
*review also posted on amazon
By chapter 2 I was hooked into this book. Other books in the series I can usually pick out a few characters that I think are the killers but not this one! it kept me guessing.
Damon and his mother Lynne go on a cruise . He was supposed to go with Bethany the weather girl he was dating but they broke up.
On the cruise they meet an interesting large wealthy family as well as a pretty girl dating an old man that sit at their dinner table for the week. soon after the ship sets sail someone(a women who sat at his dinner table) dies found floating in the water next to the boat. this is ruled as a suicide but Damon knows its a murder.
throughout the whole book Damon attempts to find out what happened to the deceased women who sat at his dinner table finding out dirty family secrets, and getting down and dirty with the family. I never would have guessed who it was!
He also solves two little mini mysteries. Lynne even gets involved with one as well.
this book is absolutely amazing, couldn't put it down, definitely a page turner, and I highly recommend the series!!
*review also posted on amazon
February 6, 2015
The Book
Damon Lassard is a detective in training. He is on a cruise with his mother because of a breakup with his girlfriend. This is good because it's obvious where he received his investigative senses. A woman by the name of Philippa Drummiler goes overboard and it's ruled a suicide by everyone except Damon. He spends the cruise investigating what he calls a murder.
My Thoughts
I enjoyed the feeling of being on the high seas. The investigation reminded me of a soap opera. The Drummilers had many skeletons in it's closet and the reader explored the secret places of a very rich family.
I didn't mind several of the corny jokes like a noun and verb dating. If you want to know the punch line you'll have to read the book. But what I will tell you it's not a singular noun.
I found the book an easy and fun read. I like the voice of this author. There weren't a lot of swear words; something I like. And the reader stayed out of the bedroom scenes; another thing I liked.
Overall this book was a break from reality, a vacation of sorts. The pages kept turning because I needed to find out what was going to happen next. I wasn't able to figure out the murder as much as I tried.
Damon Lassard is a detective in training. He is on a cruise with his mother because of a breakup with his girlfriend. This is good because it's obvious where he received his investigative senses. A woman by the name of Philippa Drummiler goes overboard and it's ruled a suicide by everyone except Damon. He spends the cruise investigating what he calls a murder.
My Thoughts
I enjoyed the feeling of being on the high seas. The investigation reminded me of a soap opera. The Drummilers had many skeletons in it's closet and the reader explored the secret places of a very rich family.
I didn't mind several of the corny jokes like a noun and verb dating. If you want to know the punch line you'll have to read the book. But what I will tell you it's not a singular noun.
I found the book an easy and fun read. I like the voice of this author. There weren't a lot of swear words; something I like. And the reader stayed out of the bedroom scenes; another thing I liked.
Overall this book was a break from reality, a vacation of sorts. The pages kept turning because I needed to find out what was going to happen next. I wasn't able to figure out the murder as much as I tried.
August 28, 2015
Typical of traditional cozy mystery plots, Murder She Floats takes place in a relatively confined setting – a cruise ship – with key characters forced to interact on a daily basis. When a woman’s body is found floating alongside the ship, Damon is a wannabe detective who is determined to prove her death was not a suicide and identify her killer. Damon’s instincts were correct regarding the woman’s demise, however the ease with which he passed himself off as a detective didn’t always ring true to me as a reader nor did his close relationship with his mother. His mother gets swept up in his investigation, and her affinity for puns provided great comic relief. The story line was interesting, and the true murderer was revealed only after a series of twists and turns. All in all, Murder She Floats was an enjoyable read – a nicely paced, light mystery, ideal for a day at the beach (or on the deck of a cruise ship).
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of a blog tour. This did not affect the content of my review in any way.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of a blog tour. This did not affect the content of my review in any way.
September 2, 2015
Be whisked away on a relaxing vacation–or not so much. That’s what happens to Damon Lassard in this intriguing cozy mystery. He is an amateur sleuth who is about to go to police academy. This was his last hurrah before he started work. His mother, Lynn, accompanies him on the cruise. When a dead body appears, it is not exactly smooth sailing.
I am an avid cruiser and Royal Caribbean is my cruise line. I would have to say that Mr. Kaminski nailed the details about the ship, the crew, cruising, and the location of the murder/investigation/vacation. The characters in this novel are well fleshed out and likable. I enjoyed Lynn, Damon’s mother the most. Mr. Kaminski leads you through twists and turns in this intriguing book. The plot was nicely written. It held my attention and kept me flipping pages. I couldn’t guess who did it on my own. This book is a terrific summer beach read. 4 stars.
**Disclaimer: I was given this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the Great Escapes Book Tour. This did not influence my review in any way.
I am an avid cruiser and Royal Caribbean is my cruise line. I would have to say that Mr. Kaminski nailed the details about the ship, the crew, cruising, and the location of the murder/investigation/vacation. The characters in this novel are well fleshed out and likable. I enjoyed Lynn, Damon’s mother the most. Mr. Kaminski leads you through twists and turns in this intriguing book. The plot was nicely written. It held my attention and kept me flipping pages. I couldn’t guess who did it on my own. This book is a terrific summer beach read. 4 stars.
**Disclaimer: I was given this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the Great Escapes Book Tour. This did not influence my review in any way.
August 23, 2015
While this isn't really a book that strikes my fancy, it is very well-written, and has much to recommend it to others. The victim's family has a multitude of skeletons in the closet, and thanks to the author they all come tumbling out over the course of the story.
Aside from the murder, there are also two other smaller mysteries to be solved, and our hero gets some help from his mother with one of them. When it comes to the actual murderer, I was totally in the dark as to the identity up until the reveal.
The author also manages to include some humor along the way, to help break up the tension.
I would suggest that readers start at the beginning of the series rather than just picking up this one as a standalone, but it isn't really necessary to have read the others in order to follow this one.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
Aside from the murder, there are also two other smaller mysteries to be solved, and our hero gets some help from his mother with one of them. When it comes to the actual murderer, I was totally in the dark as to the identity up until the reveal.
The author also manages to include some humor along the way, to help break up the tension.
I would suggest that readers start at the beginning of the series rather than just picking up this one as a standalone, but it isn't really necessary to have read the others in order to follow this one.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
October 1, 2014
This is such a great and fun book! I loved it! I like to try to figure out who the murderer is as I read mysteries, and I've been able to pick them out in quite a few books, I couldn't even settle on a suspect. The plot is so tightly woven, I had to wait until the mystery was laid out perfectly at the climax to find out who the murderer was. It was a thrilling surprise. Stephen Kaminiski is great at creating fun, interesting and thrilling mysteries with memorable characters. This book takes place on a cruise ship and if you've cruised before, you'll feel like you're back on your cruise again. If you have never cruised, you'll enjoy getting a taste of what cruising is like (without the murder of course). I highly recommend Murder, She Floats.
This book was given to me by Stephen Kaminski in return for my honest review. :)
This book was given to me by Stephen Kaminski in return for my honest review. :)
March 22, 2015
Reading Murder She Floats was like participating in a Murder Mystery train ride, murder mystery dinner or in this case, a murder mystery on a cruise. The characters all participated in giving clues to Damon Lassard who was on a cruise ship, The Vitamin of the Seas, with his mother. He met the Drummiller family while having dinner. Whether the person found floating behind the cruise ship was a suicide or a murder became Damon's mission. I enjoyed the conversations, the personalities, and the humor.
October 24, 2014
Sequel
I loved this book even more than the second one in the series.There is one main story line which is .a mystery and two secondary mystery stories.They both kept me guessing from start to finish and I never would have guessed the answer to these mysteries.I missed the first book in the series which I am going to go back and read and am hoping there will be more in this series. Love the way this writer writes.
I loved this book even more than the second one in the series.There is one main story line which is .a mystery and two secondary mystery stories.They both kept me guessing from start to finish and I never would have guessed the answer to these mysteries.I missed the first book in the series which I am going to go back and read and am hoping there will be more in this series. Love the way this writer writes.
September 23, 2015
Damon Lassard is on the case again this time out at sea.Looking in to what appears to be a suicide but her knows better and has to find out who would kill companion and why. This whodunit is a great read. Fast- paced, action packed you will read late into the night. I enjoyed this installment in the series and am looking forward to the next one.
January 21, 2015
Murder, she flying floats review
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It held my interest from the beginning. It had so many twists and I couldn't figure out who was the killer. I definitely recommend this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It held my interest from the beginning. It had so many twists and I couldn't figure out who was the killer. I definitely recommend this book.
December 10, 2015
Kaminski kills it again!
Another great mystery starring Damon Lassard. This was a great read that had me guessing the whole way to the end. I love how Kaminski writes in a style that is entertaining without being crude!
Another great mystery starring Damon Lassard. This was a great read that had me guessing the whole way to the end. I love how Kaminski writes in a style that is entertaining without being crude!
December 1, 2014
A light mystery
A little more intensity would have been nice, but we all need a change of pace once in a while
A little more intensity would have been nice, but we all need a change of pace once in a while
January 30, 2015
Interesting cozy with believable plot and cast members. pleasant and rereadable. Not offensive but not Christian-based. Recommended for cozy readers. eBook ©2014
March 25, 2015
I read this because I enjoy cruises. Well, that's all I have to comment.
May 26, 2015
fast summer read; entertaining; good plot
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews