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A Cruise to Die For: A Novel
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Expected 7 Apr 26A Cruise to Die For has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 5, 2025
2.7 ⭐️
While I am a huge fan of thrillers, this one sadly fell flat for me.
The title and cover really drew me into this one. I liked the concept of the cruise ship for sure, but I was wanting more with the plot.
I will definitely be giving Heather Graham another shot, this book just wasn’t my favorite. Looking forward to reading more of her!
While I am a huge fan of thrillers, this one sadly fell flat for me.
The title and cover really drew me into this one. I liked the concept of the cruise ship for sure, but I was wanting more with the plot.
I will definitely be giving Heather Graham another shot, this book just wasn’t my favorite. Looking forward to reading more of her!
November 19, 2025
I picked this up because I love cruises and the idea of a thriller set at sea had so much potential. Confined space, limited suspects, nowhere to run — all the ingredients for tension and intrigue were there. Unfortunately, this one didn’t deliver.
The writing leaned heavily on telling rather than showing. The dialogue often felt stiff and unnatural, like watching actors read lines in a rehearsal instead of real people having real conversations. It pulled me out of the story more than once.
The central mystery had promise, but the cast didn’t help. The suspects and side characters felt flat and one-dimensional, and the dynamic between the two agents at the heart of the story had zero chemistry. I usually love ensemble casts in mysteries, but this group didn’t leave much of an impression.
I really wanted to enjoy this, but the execution just didn’t match the concept. If you’re looking for a gripping cruise thriller, I’d keep sailing.
The writing leaned heavily on telling rather than showing. The dialogue often felt stiff and unnatural, like watching actors read lines in a rehearsal instead of real people having real conversations. It pulled me out of the story more than once.
The central mystery had promise, but the cast didn’t help. The suspects and side characters felt flat and one-dimensional, and the dynamic between the two agents at the heart of the story had zero chemistry. I usually love ensemble casts in mysteries, but this group didn’t leave much of an impression.
I really wanted to enjoy this, but the execution just didn’t match the concept. If you’re looking for a gripping cruise thriller, I’d keep sailing.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Special thanks to Harlequin Trade for the advanced copy.
I really wanted to enjoy this one more than I did. While the premise had potential, the execution fell flat for me. The biggest issue was the dialogue—it felt repetitive and often failed to move the story forward. Conversations circled the same points without adding tension, depth, or new information, which made it hard to stay engaged.
Another challenge was the length. This felt much more like a short story than a full novel, and as a result, the plot never fully developed. Just as things started to get interesting, the story wrapped up, leaving little room for character growth or meaningful suspense. That abruptness made it difficult to stay invested.
That said, I did appreciate the cruise setting. The details about life on board, the ship itself, and the overall atmosphere were well done and easily the strongest part of the book. Unfortunately, strong setting alone wasn’t enough to carry the story.
Overall, this was a quick read with some nice descriptive moments, but the repetitive dialogue and underdeveloped plot kept it from being satisfying.
I really wanted to enjoy this one more than I did. While the premise had potential, the execution fell flat for me. The biggest issue was the dialogue—it felt repetitive and often failed to move the story forward. Conversations circled the same points without adding tension, depth, or new information, which made it hard to stay engaged.
Another challenge was the length. This felt much more like a short story than a full novel, and as a result, the plot never fully developed. Just as things started to get interesting, the story wrapped up, leaving little room for character growth or meaningful suspense. That abruptness made it difficult to stay invested.
That said, I did appreciate the cruise setting. The details about life on board, the ship itself, and the overall atmosphere were well done and easily the strongest part of the book. Unfortunately, strong setting alone wasn’t enough to carry the story.
Overall, this was a quick read with some nice descriptive moments, but the repetitive dialogue and underdeveloped plot kept it from being satisfying.
November 9, 2025
– Another great read by Graham. I always enjoy her romantic suspense novels and can’t wait for the next one to come out. Her characters are always well developed, and you can’t wait to find out what is going to happen in the story. Her plots are well-developed as her mysteries. Our setting in this book is a cruise ship cruising in the Caribbean in which Milestones, a huge corporation, is running computer courses. FBI has been given some information that seems to show that somehow people in this corporation have committed either murder/suicide or suicide. Special Agent in Charge Adler would like to send Chloe McMurray an officer from the Florida State Enforcement Unit and Wesley Law from the FBI to go undercover as a married couple to investigate what might happen on this cruise. A well written book with plenty of action and suspense with a touch of romance between Chloe and Wesley. I highly recommend this book. I would like to thank Netgalley and Mira Publishing for providing me with an ARC for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was super excited about this book because the concept just sounds like so much fun.
The concept of a thriller taking place on a cruise ship sounds like such a fun and unique take on a locked door mystery.
I did want this to be a little faster and for the characters to be a bit more interesting. I think the dialogue is what made those characters feel a bit weird and flat. The dialogue didn't quite feel natural.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
The concept of a thriller taking place on a cruise ship sounds like such a fun and unique take on a locked door mystery.
I did want this to be a little faster and for the characters to be a bit more interesting. I think the dialogue is what made those characters feel a bit weird and flat. The dialogue didn't quite feel natural.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
December 18, 2025
“A Cruise To Die For” by Heather Graham is a suspenseful, fast-paced whodunit. Two agents go undercover as husband and wife aboard a cruise ship to hunt down a killer, and the tension never lets up. The closed-setting atmosphere adds an extra layer of suspense as secrets unfold and suspects multiply. A fun, engaging read for fans of classic whodunits with a high-stakes edge.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Not up to the author’s high standards. She sets a really high bar in her excellent library of bestsellers, but the characters, other than the leading ones fall flat and the cruise ship setting isn’t put to its best use. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews