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A Rachel Prince Mystery #1
A Cruise to Murder
Embark on a thrilling voyage with Rachel Prince, a fearless sleuth who's about to stumble headlong into an unexpected murder mystery…Get ready for a whirlwind adventure on a luxurious Mediterranean cruise. After being dumped by her fiancé, Rachel's best friend Sarah Bradshaw suggests a lavish getaway to heal her heart. When Rachel befriends an elderly widow, her dream vacation turns into the hunt for a killer. A suspicious accident challenges Rachel's detective skills, and soon afterwards she finds herself navigating through more than just the ship's opulent corridors.With trust in short supply and a deadly assassin lurking in the shadows, Rachel and friends uncover a sinister murder plot.
Hold tight for a rollercoaster ride filled with mind-bending twists and turns as Rachel races against the clock to unveil the truth before another life is extinguished.
If you're a fan of Death in Paradise or Murder She Wrote, prepare to be spellbound by "A Cruise to Murder," the electrifying debut in an irresistible cozy cruise ship mystery series.
Don't miss the boat! Grab "A Cruise to Murder" and set sail into a world of danger and intrigue today!
What readers are "Wow, a brilliant read! It’s not often I write a review...""Can't wait for the next book.""It's the kind of book you keep turning the pages.""I was totally hooked from the first page.""Absolutely brilliant!""A perfect vacation read ""A well researched, well written, very entertaining read.""It would make a great tv series or film.""The story kept me guessing.""Brilliant! Loved the medical insights on a cruise ship too.""Best book I've read in a long time!""Had to keep reading to see who the killer was."
Hold tight for a rollercoaster ride filled with mind-bending twists and turns as Rachel races against the clock to unveil the truth before another life is extinguished.
If you're a fan of Death in Paradise or Murder She Wrote, prepare to be spellbound by "A Cruise to Murder," the electrifying debut in an irresistible cozy cruise ship mystery series.
Don't miss the boat! Grab "A Cruise to Murder" and set sail into a world of danger and intrigue today!
What readers are "Wow, a brilliant read! It’s not often I write a review...""Can't wait for the next book.""It's the kind of book you keep turning the pages.""I was totally hooked from the first page.""Absolutely brilliant!""A perfect vacation read ""A well researched, well written, very entertaining read.""It would make a great tv series or film.""The story kept me guessing.""Brilliant! Loved the medical insights on a cruise ship too.""Best book I've read in a long time!""Had to keep reading to see who the killer was."
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2018
1340 people are currently reading
872 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Brookes
103 books359 followersDawn Brookes is an award winning cosy mystery and crime writer who also writes memoirs and children's books.
She has an MA in Creative Writing with Distinction.
Dawn writes most days and publishes regularly, to keep up to date visit her website.
Rachel Prince Mysteries:
#1 A Cruise to Murder set during a Mediterranean cruise
#2 Deadly Cruise set during a transatlantic crossing to New York.
#3 Killer Cruise set during a Baltic cruise.
#4 Dying to Cruise set during a cruise around Australia and New Zealand.
#5 A Christmas Cruise Murder set on a Canary Island cruise.
#6 Murderous Cruise Habit set on a Caribbean cruise.
#7 Honeymoon Cruise Murder set on a Mediterranean cruise.
#8 A Murder Mystery Cruise set on a cruise to the Norwegian Ffords.
#9 Hazardous Cruise set on a Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise.
#10 Captain's Dinner Cruise Murder
#11 Corporate Cruise Murder set in India.
#12 Treacherous Cruise Flirtation set in Hawaii.
#13 Toxic Cruise Cocktail set on a SE Asia cruise.
#14 Cruise into Darkness
The Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mysteries
#Prequel Novella Death of a Blogger
#1 Murder at the Opera House
#2 Murder in the Highlands
#3 Murder at the Christmas Market
#4 Murder at a Wimbledon Mansion
#5 Murder in a Care Home
#6 Murder at the Regatta
#7 Murder on a Bus Tour
Carlos Jacobi PI
#1 Body in the Woods Award winning novel.
#2 The Bradgate Park Murders
#3 The Museum Murders
Nursing Memoirs
#1 Hurry up Nurse: memoirs of nurse training in the 1970s
#2 Hurry up Nurse 2: London calling
#3 Hurry up Nurse 3: More adventures in the life of a student nurse
Books are available in paperback, hardback, large print, kindle ebook, and audiobook.
Dawn's website can be found at: https://www.dawnbrookespublishing.com
She has an MA in Creative Writing with Distinction.
Dawn writes most days and publishes regularly, to keep up to date visit her website.
Rachel Prince Mysteries:
#1 A Cruise to Murder set during a Mediterranean cruise
#2 Deadly Cruise set during a transatlantic crossing to New York.
#3 Killer Cruise set during a Baltic cruise.
#4 Dying to Cruise set during a cruise around Australia and New Zealand.
#5 A Christmas Cruise Murder set on a Canary Island cruise.
#6 Murderous Cruise Habit set on a Caribbean cruise.
#7 Honeymoon Cruise Murder set on a Mediterranean cruise.
#8 A Murder Mystery Cruise set on a cruise to the Norwegian Ffords.
#9 Hazardous Cruise set on a Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise.
#10 Captain's Dinner Cruise Murder
#11 Corporate Cruise Murder set in India.
#12 Treacherous Cruise Flirtation set in Hawaii.
#13 Toxic Cruise Cocktail set on a SE Asia cruise.
#14 Cruise into Darkness
The Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mysteries
#Prequel Novella Death of a Blogger
#1 Murder at the Opera House
#2 Murder in the Highlands
#3 Murder at the Christmas Market
#4 Murder at a Wimbledon Mansion
#5 Murder in a Care Home
#6 Murder at the Regatta
#7 Murder on a Bus Tour
Carlos Jacobi PI
#1 Body in the Woods Award winning novel.
#2 The Bradgate Park Murders
#3 The Museum Murders
Nursing Memoirs
#1 Hurry up Nurse: memoirs of nurse training in the 1970s
#2 Hurry up Nurse 2: London calling
#3 Hurry up Nurse 3: More adventures in the life of a student nurse
Books are available in paperback, hardback, large print, kindle ebook, and audiobook.
Dawn grew up in Leicester, England and trained as a nurse. She later moved to London to undertake further training in the East End. Dawn worked in the NHS in England for the best part of thirty-nine years and during that time gained a wide range of experience as well as academic and professional qualifications. She also holds an MA in Creative Writing.
Dawn's website can be found at: https://www.dawnbrookespublishing.com
Dawn has written a number of children's books including:
Suki Seal and the Plastic Ring
Gerry the One-Eared Cat
Danny the Caterpillar
Ava & Oliver's Bonfire Night Adventure
Ava & Oliver's Christmas Nativity Adventure
Jesus Feeds a Big Crowd
Jesus Heals a Man on a Stretcher
Dawn founded a literature festival in her locality which aims to engage readers and authors with all things literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
October 21, 2018
This seems intended as a G-rated, vaguely "Christian" title; early in the novel one "slutty" male character is presented as a ham-handed example of a Bad Person, while the protagonist's faith (for lack of better term) is highlighted. This approach falls by the wayside, but made a negative impression on me.
Story is told from multiple points of view, which works in terms of giving knowledge our heroine couldn't possess, though in some cases I found it distracting. The mystery itself will likely frustrate readers as, sorry for the semi-spoiler, the person is not anyone who can be guessed ahead of time.
I'd say the target audience would be folks looking for a gentle "clean" adventure. I didn't really care for any of the characters, other than the old Lady, so doubt I'd read a sequel. Verdict here: so-so, filled time, nothing more. Audio narration was a good fit.
Story is told from multiple points of view, which works in terms of giving knowledge our heroine couldn't possess, though in some cases I found it distracting. The mystery itself will likely frustrate readers as, sorry for the semi-spoiler, the person is not anyone who can be guessed ahead of time.
I'd say the target audience would be folks looking for a gentle "clean" adventure. I didn't really care for any of the characters, other than the old Lady, so doubt I'd read a sequel. Verdict here: so-so, filled time, nothing more. Audio narration was a good fit.
March 5, 2021
A 25 year old woman is dumped by her cheating boyfriend (maybe finance) and goes on a cruise, where she meets an old lady and they team up when murder happen on the cruise. Thought I would enjoy it more but this just didn't held my attention or intressed. Not sure quite what happened clearly because I keept zooming out while listening to this book but it seems like most other reviewers enjoyed it a lot more.
October 28, 2018
Having recently experienced my first ever cruise, I was attracted to the idea of a murder mystery story set on a cruise liner. I found the details of the ship fascinating, especially the behind-the-scenes stuff, and enjoyed this tale.
It was a little predictable in places, and it seemed to give a lot of background information before getting to the main story, but all in all it was a fun read, and a promising start to a new series. I'd be interested in reading more. Rachel made an interesting main character, there were enough other characters to make it interesting without being confusing, and I enjoyed the journey.
It was a little predictable in places, and it seemed to give a lot of background information before getting to the main story, but all in all it was a fun read, and a promising start to a new series. I'd be interested in reading more. Rachel made an interesting main character, there were enough other characters to make it interesting without being confusing, and I enjoyed the journey.
August 3, 2021
Quick Review:
A Cruise to Murder was an unusual read in that the murder doesn’t occur until just about the halfway point and no one other than the reader and the killer have an idea a crime has been committed until the 80% mark. In one of several bizarre choices, the author attempts to make the murder victim sympathetic by making her a widow with large loving family back home, but also unkindly describes her as worn and wrinkled from smoking and “probably liking a drink too many” before nearly excusing her death because she had such severe depression she wanted to die when her husband passed away. Our Mary Sue sleuth oscillates between thinking all the strange, suspicious things she’s noticed are strange and suspicious and then writing it all off as her cop brain working overtime. She ultimately does almost nothing to solve this mystery. She follows two or three leads, stumbles into a murderer, and then other characters save the day and solve the mystery off page and just report it to her.
It sometimes felt like the author injected her opinions into the book and some topics felt forced and shoehorned in. I was a bit uncomfortable with the way some of the non-white/non-English characters were handled. I found the number of references to weight/fitness to be excessive and obsessive, especially as this is supposed to be a cozy mystery. I found myself wondering more about the other bizarre choices than the who, what, and why of the mystery.
Detailed review:
The characters in this book are quite two-dimensional. Rachel’s flaw is that she’s having a hard time after her fiancé dumped her for another woman, but she can’t even hate the woman because she knows her name. Her best friend, Sarah, is a nurse on the ship with seriously loose lips. Sarah has no problem divulging that so many people on the staff have VD—pretty sure there’s a law against that even in England-- and there have been hush money settlements paid for by the cruise line. Marjorie is the least offensive because she’s just an old woman who can’t remember things and doesn’t think it’s important to mention she was nearly killed by a car even though she quickly blames her coat for getting a nice woman killed.
The handling of some non-white/non-English characters struck me as problematic. Sarah says a bunch of the crew all sleep around but pointedly mentioned the Filipino staff have families at home so they are just there to work. More about that in a moment. Rachel meets family she describes only as Asian while on a tour bus and she learns that although the teenager daughter is wearing a sari and her father is Hindu, unlike a lot of Asians she won’t have an arranged marriage and her father only prefers she marry Asian. What? Rachel, you’re on vacation. Why are you asking teenage girls about arranged marriages?? Rachel and Sarah POVs both critique the English or accents of non-native English speakers. When Sarah realizes Rachel has been kidnapped by a murderer, she mentions she isn’t going to bother giving an English lesson to the Romanian man describing her BFF’s drugging and kidnapping.
Another bizarre choice in the same vein is the reason Rachel decided to join the police force. If you had to guess, what do you think happened in college that could have inspired Rachel to be a cop? If you said a Muslim extremist on campus, ding ding ding, you’re right. Rachel reports the man, sees him walked away by two men one day, and says, “I might have prevented a crime. I should be a cop.” I was just flabbergasted when I read it. Why on earth did this author chose Islamic extremism to be the motivating factor for a cozy mystery sleuth? Why didn’t she choose something like figuring out who framed her friend for plagiarism, a stolen exam, a missing teacher, or even a panty thief? To be clear, she does mention other Muslim students who are just average people who happen to be Muslim, but given the references to Christianity, it still feels quite pointed. Also seems fit to mention here that 88% of the Philippines are Christian so those nice, decent crew members are also likely Christian.
Lastly, I’d like to talk about the hyperfocus on weight, weight gain, eating, and exercise that go beyond Rachel just being fit. At first, it didn’t strike me as odd. Rachel had already been described as a fitness fanatic and had suffered being dumped by her fiancé for another woman so when she mentioned not eating for days, but not wanting to starve herself or gain weight getting comfort from food is pretty normal. At the safety seminar, Rachel mentions some passengers struggling with life jackets due to “generous waists and chests.” She passes “well proportioned” folks milling around that inspire her to run up the stairs specifically saying that she doesn’t want to gain weight. She misses breakfast and gets a salad at the buffet for lunch and mentions that she is amazed by all the food people could fit on their plates and did they all miss breakfast too? A man at her dinner table says that they’re all going to gain weight from eating so well. Her best friend comments on her weight loss and when Rachel says she’ll probably gain it all back eating all the great food on the ship, Sarah tells her that she can’t eat like that all the time even if it is delicious. There are at least two gym visits that add nothing to the plot and at least two run around the deck scenes where she passes a Jamaican guy. What does the Jamaican guy have to do with anything? Nothing, but the author wants you to know about him.
I was quite surprised when I saw what a high rating this book has and was baffled by the reviewers who mentioned that Rachel is a great investigator when she really did very little to advance the plot. I felt like more time was spent criticizing the way foreigners speak and random mentions of weight/fitness than actual investigation. This just wasn’t the book for me and I doubt I’ll read another by this author.
A Cruise to Murder was an unusual read in that the murder doesn’t occur until just about the halfway point and no one other than the reader and the killer have an idea a crime has been committed until the 80% mark. In one of several bizarre choices, the author attempts to make the murder victim sympathetic by making her a widow with large loving family back home, but also unkindly describes her as worn and wrinkled from smoking and “probably liking a drink too many” before nearly excusing her death because she had such severe depression she wanted to die when her husband passed away. Our Mary Sue sleuth oscillates between thinking all the strange, suspicious things she’s noticed are strange and suspicious and then writing it all off as her cop brain working overtime. She ultimately does almost nothing to solve this mystery. She follows two or three leads, stumbles into a murderer, and then other characters save the day and solve the mystery off page and just report it to her.
It sometimes felt like the author injected her opinions into the book and some topics felt forced and shoehorned in. I was a bit uncomfortable with the way some of the non-white/non-English characters were handled. I found the number of references to weight/fitness to be excessive and obsessive, especially as this is supposed to be a cozy mystery. I found myself wondering more about the other bizarre choices than the who, what, and why of the mystery.
Detailed review:
The characters in this book are quite two-dimensional. Rachel’s flaw is that she’s having a hard time after her fiancé dumped her for another woman, but she can’t even hate the woman because she knows her name. Her best friend, Sarah, is a nurse on the ship with seriously loose lips. Sarah has no problem divulging that so many people on the staff have VD—pretty sure there’s a law against that even in England-- and there have been hush money settlements paid for by the cruise line. Marjorie is the least offensive because she’s just an old woman who can’t remember things and doesn’t think it’s important to mention she was nearly killed by a car even though she quickly blames her coat for getting a nice woman killed.
The handling of some non-white/non-English characters struck me as problematic. Sarah says a bunch of the crew all sleep around but pointedly mentioned the Filipino staff have families at home so they are just there to work. More about that in a moment. Rachel meets family she describes only as Asian while on a tour bus and she learns that although the teenager daughter is wearing a sari and her father is Hindu, unlike a lot of Asians she won’t have an arranged marriage and her father only prefers she marry Asian. What? Rachel, you’re on vacation. Why are you asking teenage girls about arranged marriages?? Rachel and Sarah POVs both critique the English or accents of non-native English speakers. When Sarah realizes Rachel has been kidnapped by a murderer, she mentions she isn’t going to bother giving an English lesson to the Romanian man describing her BFF’s drugging and kidnapping.
Another bizarre choice in the same vein is the reason Rachel decided to join the police force. If you had to guess, what do you think happened in college that could have inspired Rachel to be a cop? If you said a Muslim extremist on campus, ding ding ding, you’re right. Rachel reports the man, sees him walked away by two men one day, and says, “I might have prevented a crime. I should be a cop.” I was just flabbergasted when I read it. Why on earth did this author chose Islamic extremism to be the motivating factor for a cozy mystery sleuth? Why didn’t she choose something like figuring out who framed her friend for plagiarism, a stolen exam, a missing teacher, or even a panty thief? To be clear, she does mention other Muslim students who are just average people who happen to be Muslim, but given the references to Christianity, it still feels quite pointed. Also seems fit to mention here that 88% of the Philippines are Christian so those nice, decent crew members are also likely Christian.
Lastly, I’d like to talk about the hyperfocus on weight, weight gain, eating, and exercise that go beyond Rachel just being fit. At first, it didn’t strike me as odd. Rachel had already been described as a fitness fanatic and had suffered being dumped by her fiancé for another woman so when she mentioned not eating for days, but not wanting to starve herself or gain weight getting comfort from food is pretty normal. At the safety seminar, Rachel mentions some passengers struggling with life jackets due to “generous waists and chests.” She passes “well proportioned” folks milling around that inspire her to run up the stairs specifically saying that she doesn’t want to gain weight. She misses breakfast and gets a salad at the buffet for lunch and mentions that she is amazed by all the food people could fit on their plates and did they all miss breakfast too? A man at her dinner table says that they’re all going to gain weight from eating so well. Her best friend comments on her weight loss and when Rachel says she’ll probably gain it all back eating all the great food on the ship, Sarah tells her that she can’t eat like that all the time even if it is delicious. There are at least two gym visits that add nothing to the plot and at least two run around the deck scenes where she passes a Jamaican guy. What does the Jamaican guy have to do with anything? Nothing, but the author wants you to know about him.
I was quite surprised when I saw what a high rating this book has and was baffled by the reviewers who mentioned that Rachel is a great investigator when she really did very little to advance the plot. I felt like more time was spent criticizing the way foreigners speak and random mentions of weight/fitness than actual investigation. This just wasn’t the book for me and I doubt I’ll read another by this author.
July 7, 2018
I generally prefer my reads more gritty than this one but I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy mystery.
Although Rachel Prince is a policewoman the book read far more like a cosy mystery than a detective mystery.
Jilted by her fiance, Rachel agrees to spend a week relaxing on the cruise ship her friend Sarah works. On board the ship is a wealthy widow and a professional contract killer. Rachel's suspicions are raised and puts her in danger.
The book is well written with a lovely even flow. The suspense and intrigue grow as the story progresses. A few red herrings are thrown into the mix to keep the reader guessing along the way.
Highly recommend to readers of cosy mysteries and/or Agatha Christie.
Although Rachel Prince is a policewoman the book read far more like a cosy mystery than a detective mystery.
Jilted by her fiance, Rachel agrees to spend a week relaxing on the cruise ship her friend Sarah works. On board the ship is a wealthy widow and a professional contract killer. Rachel's suspicions are raised and puts her in danger.
The book is well written with a lovely even flow. The suspense and intrigue grow as the story progresses. A few red herrings are thrown into the mix to keep the reader guessing along the way.
Highly recommend to readers of cosy mysteries and/or Agatha Christie.
May 18, 2020
My first book by this author, it was quite an entertaining and stress free read/listen. Murder set on a cruise gave me a locked room kind of a feel to it which kept my interest going. I was not very keen about the workings of a ship, but getting to the identity of the killer was interesting.
Rachel was delightful, though some parts were predictable. Today I found comfort in that predictability.
The narrator was okay.
A delightful cozy murder mystery.
Rachel was delightful, though some parts were predictable. Today I found comfort in that predictability.
The narrator was okay.
A delightful cozy murder mystery.
September 20, 2018
Kept me engaged from beginning to end. Good suspenseful read.
I loved learning about travel on a cruise through this book. So much fascinating information, and I am anxious to read book 2, and seek out other books about cruising.
I also enjoyed the twists and turns in the story, and loved the three main characters.
I loved learning about travel on a cruise through this book. So much fascinating information, and I am anxious to read book 2, and seek out other books about cruising.
I also enjoyed the twists and turns in the story, and loved the three main characters.
November 7, 2018
Police Constable Rachel Prince is invited to embark on a cruise on the Coral Queen. Her friend, Sarah, a nurse on the ship has convinced her that a holiday is what Rachel needs after her breakup with her fiancé. While on board Rachel befriends newly widowed passenger, Marjorie Snellthorpe and finds herself attracted to Carlos, a mysterious passenger.
As they cruise the Mediterranean it becomes apparent that Marjorie’s life is in danger when she is targeted by a hit-man. But who is he and who hired him?
I enjoy mystery stories that provide suspense and where you try and figure out “who dunnit.” The problem is while there was suspense it failed on the who dunnit. That’s because there would be no way to ever guess who the hit-man was or who hired him as both the guilty parties appear out of the blue. And because of that I did not feel any sense of surprise or I-never-saw-that-one-coming.
The story itself is interesting and well-written in that there are few grammatical errors and typos. It is an enjoyable cozy mystery but I don’t think it’s one for hard-core mystery lovers.
As they cruise the Mediterranean it becomes apparent that Marjorie’s life is in danger when she is targeted by a hit-man. But who is he and who hired him?
I enjoy mystery stories that provide suspense and where you try and figure out “who dunnit.” The problem is while there was suspense it failed on the who dunnit. That’s because there would be no way to ever guess who the hit-man was or who hired him as both the guilty parties appear out of the blue. And because of that I did not feel any sense of surprise or I-never-saw-that-one-coming.
The story itself is interesting and well-written in that there are few grammatical errors and typos. It is an enjoyable cozy mystery but I don’t think it’s one for hard-core mystery lovers.
May 15, 2018
I really love mysteries. After having written for a cozy mystery review blog for several years, it'd be fair to say I've read hundreds of mysteries. Many are quite formulaic, so I was pleasantly surprised when this one didn't start with a dead body. I enjoyed that as I met new characters I was wondering, will they be dead or will they be killers. The setting was fun for me. I've never been on a cruise ship so it was neat to not only get a rich detailing of the setting but since Rachel's friend was a nurse on the ship, I got to see what it was like from a behind the scenes perspective. There were a few different POVs that gave glimpses from other eyes though mostly we were with Rachel, who is a great sleuth. The climax was satisfying and I look forward to reading more in the series.
July 29, 2018
I liked this neat little whodunnit because it kept had me guessing and I liked the setting, which was a cruise ship. All the pieces of the puzzle were there, all the characters were well introduced and we got to see as many as necessary takes on the situation. At times, I would have preferred a faster pacing, but overall, I enjoyed it. Enjoyable for anyone who likes a cozy mystery with an international flair for a summer holiday read.
June 9, 2024
A Cruise to Murder by Dawn Brookes
Rachel Prince Mystery #1
6h 2m narrated by Alex Lee, 239 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Featuring: Train Ride, Brokenhearted, Cheating Ex-Fiancé, Police Officers, Southampton, Leeds, Manchester, and London, England; Cruse Ship Crew Members, Crew Nurse, Norovirus, Best Friends, Widow, Preacher's Kid, Christianity, Religious Values, Former Teacher, Several Characters, Vicenarians, Octogenarians, Earl Grey Tea, Lisbon, Portugal; Stereotypes, Non-judgmental Judgment, Investigation, Subtle English Superiority, Well-Done Plot and Execution, Excursions, Medical Field,
Rating as a movie: PG
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🛳🚨🏥
My thoughts: 📱27% 1:37:16 Chapter 9 - This story is a bit confusing as it uses the jump-to-next character introduction method, but I did find it soothing as this ship is swaying today. I started to get my mind off my ankle and stopped to get ready for dinner. So far, I think I could read a dozen of these, but we'll see after the murder.
📱40% 2:23:39 Chapter 12 - I should be done with this story, but I keep falling asleep between Chapter 12 and 19 - missing the murder, I finally caught it but here I am again for the 5th time. I'm going to do a sleep timer for each chapter. I blame the narrator's voice; it is quite soothing as I'm fully awake.
I love how cruise-detailed this book is. We have buffets on Deck 14, and so does this book. It felt like I could see more and more of this ship. I wasn't expecting multiple POVs; it was nice. This was so much better than I hoped for. I was right about the ending because, obviously, there are 14 books, but I didn't know who the killer was, so that was good too. I can't wait to read more of these adventures but I'll wait till after Wednesday as I have 3 anticipated new releases coming Tuesday.
Recommend to others: Yes. This is a sweet, as in cool, cozy mystery series, quick read.
Rachel Prince Mystery
1. A Cruise to Murder (2018)
2. Deadly Cruise (2018)
3. Killer Cruise (2019)
4. Dying to Cruise (2019)
5. A Christmas Cruise Murder (2019)
6. Murderous Cruise Habit (2020)
7. Honeymoon Cruise Murder (2020)
8. A Murder Mystery Cruise (2021)
9. Hazardous Cruise (2021)
10. Captain's Dinner Cruise Murder (2021)
11. Corporate Cruise Murder (2022)
12. Treacherous Cruise Flirtation (2023)
13. Toxic Cruise Cocktail (2024)
14. Cruise Into Darkness (2025)
Rachel Prince Mystery #1
6h 2m narrated by Alex Lee, 239 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Featuring: Train Ride, Brokenhearted, Cheating Ex-Fiancé, Police Officers, Southampton, Leeds, Manchester, and London, England; Cruse Ship Crew Members, Crew Nurse, Norovirus, Best Friends, Widow, Preacher's Kid, Christianity, Religious Values, Former Teacher, Several Characters, Vicenarians, Octogenarians, Earl Grey Tea, Lisbon, Portugal; Stereotypes, Non-judgmental Judgment, Investigation, Subtle English Superiority, Well-Done Plot and Execution, Excursions, Medical Field,
Rating as a movie: PG
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🛳🚨🏥
My thoughts: 📱27% 1:37:16 Chapter 9 - This story is a bit confusing as it uses the jump-to-next character introduction method, but I did find it soothing as this ship is swaying today. I started to get my mind off my ankle and stopped to get ready for dinner. So far, I think I could read a dozen of these, but we'll see after the murder.
📱40% 2:23:39 Chapter 12 - I should be done with this story, but I keep falling asleep between Chapter 12 and 19 - missing the murder, I finally caught it but here I am again for the 5th time. I'm going to do a sleep timer for each chapter. I blame the narrator's voice; it is quite soothing as I'm fully awake.
I love how cruise-detailed this book is. We have buffets on Deck 14, and so does this book. It felt like I could see more and more of this ship. I wasn't expecting multiple POVs; it was nice. This was so much better than I hoped for. I was right about the ending because, obviously, there are 14 books, but I didn't know who the killer was, so that was good too. I can't wait to read more of these adventures but I'll wait till after Wednesday as I have 3 anticipated new releases coming Tuesday.
Recommend to others: Yes. This is a sweet, as in cool, cozy mystery series, quick read.
Rachel Prince Mystery
1. A Cruise to Murder (2018)
2. Deadly Cruise (2018)
3. Killer Cruise (2019)
4. Dying to Cruise (2019)
5. A Christmas Cruise Murder (2019)
6. Murderous Cruise Habit (2020)
7. Honeymoon Cruise Murder (2020)
8. A Murder Mystery Cruise (2021)
9. Hazardous Cruise (2021)
10. Captain's Dinner Cruise Murder (2021)
11. Corporate Cruise Murder (2022)
12. Treacherous Cruise Flirtation (2023)
13. Toxic Cruise Cocktail (2024)
14. Cruise Into Darkness (2025)
September 3, 2018
What I love most about cozy mysteries is that the shear creativity authors come up with for the settings and themes that drive the story: a book store, a knitting shop, catering, libraries, a tea shop. The list goes on. One of the things I really enjoyed about Dawn Brooke’s A Cruise to Murder was the cruise ship setting with a medical theme thrown in. This is a new combination for me and I’m glad I picked up the book. The novel was obviously well researched and presented an accurate account of the workings of a cruise ship. And the fact that the author is a nurse lends another air of authenticity to the book.
A Cruise to Murder has all the elements of a fine cozy: a sympathetic main character (we like Rachel Prince because she is both vulnerable and kick-ass); a cheery side-kick; a love interest; and of course the murder mystery, which centers around an elderly woman Rachel meets on the cruise.
The author created a strong cast of characters and kept me in sufficient suspense, wondering which one was the murderer. I liked the fact that we got to know the characters and the setting before the murder. It’s so nice to ease into a cozy rather than encountering the corpse in the first chapter!
In true cozy fashion, I enjoyed much of A Cruise to Murder curled up on the couch, a snoozing puppy on one side and a cup of tea on the other. (I had to have tea: the author is British!) This book definitely lived up to the standards of a fine cozy, including the upcoming release of a second book in the Rachel Prince series, A Deadly Cruise.
A Cruise to Murder has all the elements of a fine cozy: a sympathetic main character (we like Rachel Prince because she is both vulnerable and kick-ass); a cheery side-kick; a love interest; and of course the murder mystery, which centers around an elderly woman Rachel meets on the cruise.
The author created a strong cast of characters and kept me in sufficient suspense, wondering which one was the murderer. I liked the fact that we got to know the characters and the setting before the murder. It’s so nice to ease into a cozy rather than encountering the corpse in the first chapter!
In true cozy fashion, I enjoyed much of A Cruise to Murder curled up on the couch, a snoozing puppy on one side and a cup of tea on the other. (I had to have tea: the author is British!) This book definitely lived up to the standards of a fine cozy, including the upcoming release of a second book in the Rachel Prince series, A Deadly Cruise.
October 22, 2018
I've never fancied cruising, until now! Dawn Brookes has done an excellent job of selling me on a cruise. I acquired dogs to walk because everyone knows that it's dog walkers who always find a dead body, but 10 years on and nothing! Now if I could meet the kind of people on this cruise, it would be worth it. I loved the fact that our heroine, Rachel, had parents and friends. So many of our fictional police officers are unloved and broken, it was a pleasure the meet one who had a life outside "the job". Rachel and Sarah's friendship was believable and lovely. This is a genuine cosy mystery, because despite the murder and the intrigue, there was a wonderful sense of warmth, friendship, mutual respect and care through this entire story. It lifted my heart and I absolutely loved that element. I'm not usually a cosy mystery type of person, but Dawn Brookes has enticed me with her superb writing and clever story telling. Excellent narration by Alex Lee added another layer of enjoyment to this eloquent and articulate tale. Highly recommended.
October 28, 2018
I listened to the audio version of this book. I have read several cozy mysteries and this one is pretty good. The author started the story out by introducing the different characters and I had no idea where the story was going. She developed the background and the interaction of the characters well before the mystery part came into play.
After the death of a character occurred, Ms. Brookes did a good job of leading the reader on in order to make you feel like you had figured out who had "dun-it". Of course, if you think you've figured it out, you're bound to be wrong. I certainly was! There was lots of mystery to go around in the plot. The characters were likable and felt real.
The author also did a great job giving the reader a little insight into life on a cruise ship, both from the passenger and from the cruise personnel's point of view. There were British words and phrases that threw this American reader off a few times, but the book was a lot of fun and kept my attention. A very fun cozy mystery indeed! Tea anyone?
After the death of a character occurred, Ms. Brookes did a good job of leading the reader on in order to make you feel like you had figured out who had "dun-it". Of course, if you think you've figured it out, you're bound to be wrong. I certainly was! There was lots of mystery to go around in the plot. The characters were likable and felt real.
The author also did a great job giving the reader a little insight into life on a cruise ship, both from the passenger and from the cruise personnel's point of view. There were British words and phrases that threw this American reader off a few times, but the book was a lot of fun and kept my attention. A very fun cozy mystery indeed! Tea anyone?
October 18, 2018
Rachel, a probationary police constable, decides to take a cruise on the ship where her friend works as a nurse, to help get over being dumped by her fiancé. During the cruise there are several strange incidents, culminating in a murder, and Rachel's detective skills are put to the test.
This is a delightful, fun murder mystery. There are a few red herrings thrown in the mix which kept me guessing, and the ending was satisfying. I've never been on a cruise but Dawn Brookes described life on board the ship very well, and there were some nice descriptions of the places visited on the excursions. I usually prefer a more gritty thriller, but sometimes it's good to have a change and I thoroughly enjoyed this. I believe this is part of a series and I would definitely read the other books, especially if I decide to take a cruise!
This is a delightful, fun murder mystery. There are a few red herrings thrown in the mix which kept me guessing, and the ending was satisfying. I've never been on a cruise but Dawn Brookes described life on board the ship very well, and there were some nice descriptions of the places visited on the excursions. I usually prefer a more gritty thriller, but sometimes it's good to have a change and I thoroughly enjoyed this. I believe this is part of a series and I would definitely read the other books, especially if I decide to take a cruise!
May 22, 2018
Escaping the depression of a failed relationship by taking a holiday on a cruise ship turns out to be more than a trip of leisure and fun for Rachael. Her police training sets her imagination on edge after several unexplainable incidents occur around her. With a killer on the loose, Rachael is determined to do what she was trained to do, protect and serve. An elderly woman, whom Rachael befriends, appears to be the killer’s intended target.
There is plenty of mystery woven into this story, and it moves at a decent pace. The author does a good job describing events and excursions while on a cruise. Overall, it was a good read with plenty of action.
There is plenty of mystery woven into this story, and it moves at a decent pace. The author does a good job describing events and excursions while on a cruise. Overall, it was a good read with plenty of action.
May 16, 2018
Preparing for an upcoming Mediterranean cruise, I saw this book and thought it was absolutely perfect for a pre-cruise read. And I wasn’t wrong! It was full of wonderful descriptions of cities along the cruise’s path, and the reader gets a glimpse of life aboard a ship as one of the characters works as a nurse. The main character is not only caught up in a mystery involving a murder, attempted murder, and feels as though she is being “watched”, but she also manages an on-board romance to top off her perfect holiday! I thoroughly enjoyed this as my getting-ready-to-sail story!
June 20, 2019
Beginning with the breakup with the fiancé and moving quickly through her qualifying for law enforcement, Rachel plans to take a break from reality and join her nurse friend who works on a cruise ship to the Mediterranean. She meets a delightful new widow taking her first cruise without her husband. And then things get real. Irregularly paced, but still a pleasant read full of misdirection, plot twists, and red herrings. I liked it.
Alex Lee is the perky voice actress narrating this comfortable tale.
Alex Lee is the perky voice actress narrating this comfortable tale.
May 10, 2021
A fast paced, thoroughly enjoyable read.
It was a freebie and as such I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. I started reading and couldn't put it down. The characters are well written. This book made me realize just how much I've missed cruising. I look forward to continuing the series.
It was a freebie and as such I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. I started reading and couldn't put it down. The characters are well written. This book made me realize just how much I've missed cruising. I look forward to continuing the series.
May 25, 2018
Boy, was I surprised! Halfway through this story I was sure I knew who the killer was, and who had hired him... until I didn't! Five well-earned stars to Dawn Brookes for a well-researched, well-written, very entertaining read. Highly recommended!
October 21, 2018
Audiobook review
This was a fun listen. The clues & suspicions. Guilty looking people, following clues. Yes a murder in the middle but it was a fun listen with everything going on in the story.
Narrator was good, kept it interesting & listened in 2 days
This was a fun listen. The clues & suspicions. Guilty looking people, following clues. Yes a murder in the middle but it was a fun listen with everything going on in the story.
Narrator was good, kept it interesting & listened in 2 days
June 15, 2018
I really enjoyed this book as I love cruising, it reminded me so much of the cruising experience and the mystery was interesting too
June 18, 2018
Enjoyable read
If you have sailed from Southampton, you can relate to the surroundings described in the book. Enjoyed the story from start to finish, would recommend.
If you have sailed from Southampton, you can relate to the surroundings described in the book. Enjoyed the story from start to finish, would recommend.
June 21, 2018
Loved this book could not put it down loved the characters and not knowing what was going to happen next Great read
October 29, 2018
A little bit reminiscent of Nancy Drew, I enjoyed the story, the characters and the setting. Light reading, not as dark as a lot of modern mysteries.
November 2, 2018
Easy listening, a pleasant story, different to my usual story lines. Overall I liked it but wasn't keen on the narrator.
October 23, 2018
A cruise to Murder by Dawn Brooke's.
A Mediterranean cruise should be the perfect remedy for Rachel Prince who has been ditched by her fiancé.
Her best friend, Sarah suggests she needs a break and invites Rachel to join her on the cruise ship where she works as a nurse. It should have been the ideal getaway but there is a murderer on the loose.
Rachel befriends a bereaved, elderly woman but it's not long before she is convinced that something sinister is going on around the old lady. There is mystery and threat surrounding her new friend, Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe.
Who is the secretive Carlos and why does he seem to be watching Lady Snellthorpe? As she finds herself becoming more and more attracted to him she is sure stress is causing her to imagine things. Has her broken engagement clouded her judgement?
Events unfold that cause her to doubt herself and when one of the passengers meets with, what appears to be a tragic accident, the doubts multiply. Rachel tries her best to relax and enjoy her holiday with her friend but there seems to be danger around every corner. Is Marjorie in danger? Can Rachel solve the mystery even when she is in danger herself?
This was a very enjoyable read. I liked some of the characters. Some characters I didn't like. I thought I knew who it was but what a twister. I didn't see that coming. I loved the ending too. Perfect. Can't wait to read the next book. 5*.
A Mediterranean cruise should be the perfect remedy for Rachel Prince who has been ditched by her fiancé.
Her best friend, Sarah suggests she needs a break and invites Rachel to join her on the cruise ship where she works as a nurse. It should have been the ideal getaway but there is a murderer on the loose.
Rachel befriends a bereaved, elderly woman but it's not long before she is convinced that something sinister is going on around the old lady. There is mystery and threat surrounding her new friend, Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe.
Who is the secretive Carlos and why does he seem to be watching Lady Snellthorpe? As she finds herself becoming more and more attracted to him she is sure stress is causing her to imagine things. Has her broken engagement clouded her judgement?
Events unfold that cause her to doubt herself and when one of the passengers meets with, what appears to be a tragic accident, the doubts multiply. Rachel tries her best to relax and enjoy her holiday with her friend but there seems to be danger around every corner. Is Marjorie in danger? Can Rachel solve the mystery even when she is in danger herself?
This was a very enjoyable read. I liked some of the characters. Some characters I didn't like. I thought I knew who it was but what a twister. I didn't see that coming. I loved the ending too. Perfect. Can't wait to read the next book. 5*.
September 1, 2018
Readers for whom such terms as ‘charming’ and ‘old-fashioned’ aren’t pejorative may enjoy A Cruise to Murder very much. Tho’ the setting is contemporary, the feel reminds one of Agatha Christie. The setting is a cruise ship sailing from Southampton with stops in Lisbon, Barcelona, and Gibraltar. Our principal characters are Rachel, a probationary police constable from Leeds, her friend Sarah, a nurse on the cruise ship Coral Queen, and Marjorie, Lady Snellthorpe, a wealthy widow who may be estranged from her son. Rachel was given the trip by Sarah to help her recover from the heartbreak of being jilted by her fiance Robert, a Manchester police sergeant. Tho’ Rachel, the daughter of a vicar and possessed of strong moral principles, isn’t eager for a shipboard romance, she finds herself quite attracted to a mysterious charmer named Carlos.
Tho’ I have never taken a cruise, I was fascinated by learning so much about how a cruise line operates. I am old enough to have made a transatlantic passage by ocean liner and to my eye cruise ships today look like nothing so much as huge hotel-ziggurats capable of flotation: it amused me that staterooms have “balconies” - tho’ in this book one is put to good use. Appropriately perhaps, the vocabulary of the book wavers between nautical and landlubber in terms (sometimes the Coral Queen has a ‘bow’ and a ‘stern’ and sometimes ‘it’ (never ‘she’ I believe) a ‘front’ and a ‘rear’). Having read some recent horror stories in the newspapers about cruise ships losing all their power in the Caribbean, being terrorised by rowdy passengers off the Australian coast and being infiltrated by drug smugglers, and of course managing to wreck themselves on the rocks of the Italian coast, I was pleased and surprised that the company and crew of this ship were so caring and efficient.
The author, Dawn Brookes, is a nurse clearly knows her way round a cruise ship. I found those features most informative and were I tempted to take a cruise, I’m glad I’ve read this book first.
My principal criticism is of the thinness in the depiction in the backgrounds of the characters and the settings. We discover early that the villain who threatens Lady Snellthorpe is a professional hit-man. Of course it is necessary to the plot that we have no idea who employs him, but it would have taken but a few sentences to provide some background (gangster? ex-SAS?) and the motivation of his employer. And I’d quite liked to have known more about Rachel. We know her father is a vicar and that she has strong religious values - but did they have some role in Robert’s breaking their engagement? We’re told that they’d been engaged for a year and for half that time Rachel had feared something dodgy. But that’s quite a while. And as an Anglican myself I wondered just what beliefs are: surely CofE, but High Church or Evangelical? As she visits churches and monasteries in Lisbon and Barcelona, it would be interesting to know what she thought of them.
As this book is the start of a series, I hope the author thickens the descriptions of her settings and characters. But otherwise I highly recommend A Cruise to Murder to readers who like ‘clean’ mystery stories with just enough violence to be exciting but not gruesome. I shall also post this review to the Clean Fiction group on Goodreads to being this book to the attention of a wider audience.
Tho’ I have never taken a cruise, I was fascinated by learning so much about how a cruise line operates. I am old enough to have made a transatlantic passage by ocean liner and to my eye cruise ships today look like nothing so much as huge hotel-ziggurats capable of flotation: it amused me that staterooms have “balconies” - tho’ in this book one is put to good use. Appropriately perhaps, the vocabulary of the book wavers between nautical and landlubber in terms (sometimes the Coral Queen has a ‘bow’ and a ‘stern’ and sometimes ‘it’ (never ‘she’ I believe) a ‘front’ and a ‘rear’). Having read some recent horror stories in the newspapers about cruise ships losing all their power in the Caribbean, being terrorised by rowdy passengers off the Australian coast and being infiltrated by drug smugglers, and of course managing to wreck themselves on the rocks of the Italian coast, I was pleased and surprised that the company and crew of this ship were so caring and efficient.
The author, Dawn Brookes, is a nurse clearly knows her way round a cruise ship. I found those features most informative and were I tempted to take a cruise, I’m glad I’ve read this book first.
My principal criticism is of the thinness in the depiction in the backgrounds of the characters and the settings. We discover early that the villain who threatens Lady Snellthorpe is a professional hit-man. Of course it is necessary to the plot that we have no idea who employs him, but it would have taken but a few sentences to provide some background (gangster? ex-SAS?) and the motivation of his employer. And I’d quite liked to have known more about Rachel. We know her father is a vicar and that she has strong religious values - but did they have some role in Robert’s breaking their engagement? We’re told that they’d been engaged for a year and for half that time Rachel had feared something dodgy. But that’s quite a while. And as an Anglican myself I wondered just what beliefs are: surely CofE, but High Church or Evangelical? As she visits churches and monasteries in Lisbon and Barcelona, it would be interesting to know what she thought of them.
As this book is the start of a series, I hope the author thickens the descriptions of her settings and characters. But otherwise I highly recommend A Cruise to Murder to readers who like ‘clean’ mystery stories with just enough violence to be exciting but not gruesome. I shall also post this review to the Clean Fiction group on Goodreads to being this book to the attention of a wider audience.
March 23, 2021
Since I tend to write long reviews, there is a short version and a long version. The long version may contain spoilers and is hidden under a spoiler tag.
Short Version: I didn't like it but I didn't hate it. I found the first half of the book slow and boring. The second half picked up a little speed. The story is told from multiple POVs with no transitions which made the whole thing feel disjointed and confusing. I never felt a connection to any of the characters. They mystery is MEH. The story had potential but never achieved it.
This is a clean and cozy mystery with no swearing, no sex, very light romance, light violence, and very little joy.
Long Version:
Short Version: I didn't like it but I didn't hate it. I found the first half of the book slow and boring. The second half picked up a little speed. The story is told from multiple POVs with no transitions which made the whole thing feel disjointed and confusing. I never felt a connection to any of the characters. They mystery is MEH. The story had potential but never achieved it.
This is a clean and cozy mystery with no swearing, no sex, very light romance, light violence, and very little joy.
Long Version:
April 24, 2021
I'm really ambivalent about this one.
A Cruise to Murder was my first cruise ship cozy, and I'm not sure how I feel about this setting. It definitely features people with a much more lavish lifestyle than I'm used to, and I don't always know if I like those characters in cozy mysteries or otherwise.
On the other hand, Rachel is not a ditzy woman who never graduated college and goes against everything the police request, which is a point in her favor (although less well done by the fact that she's on the police force back home.)
The mystery itself helped pick up the story a lot, but it also overdid the idea of only one red herring character. There were not enough players to have a good suspect list, and a lot of this was happening behind the scenes. I think I prefer books where we know the main players on every level, and although the snippets from the assassin's perspective were interesting, they were too random, and played too much into the idea that it was the same person who we've been led to suspect, and who we pretty much know it couldn't be.
This also had a slow start, as the murder didn't happen until the halfway point, which made the beginning slow. We had to get to know all the characters' histories and backstories before the action of the story, instead of intertwining it, and this is something else that doesn't work for me.
Still, I liked this more after it picked up, and it was an easy read that I could knock out in a few days without distracting me too much from my studies. I am not going to purchase the second book, but if I ever receive it for free I will read it and likely leave a positive review.
A Cruise to Murder was my first cruise ship cozy, and I'm not sure how I feel about this setting. It definitely features people with a much more lavish lifestyle than I'm used to, and I don't always know if I like those characters in cozy mysteries or otherwise.
On the other hand, Rachel is not a ditzy woman who never graduated college and goes against everything the police request, which is a point in her favor (although less well done by the fact that she's on the police force back home.)
The mystery itself helped pick up the story a lot, but it also overdid the idea of only one red herring character. There were not enough players to have a good suspect list, and a lot of this was happening behind the scenes. I think I prefer books where we know the main players on every level, and although the snippets from the assassin's perspective were interesting, they were too random, and played too much into the idea that it was the same person who we've been led to suspect, and who we pretty much know it couldn't be.
This also had a slow start, as the murder didn't happen until the halfway point, which made the beginning slow. We had to get to know all the characters' histories and backstories before the action of the story, instead of intertwining it, and this is something else that doesn't work for me.
Still, I liked this more after it picked up, and it was an easy read that I could knock out in a few days without distracting me too much from my studies. I am not going to purchase the second book, but if I ever receive it for free I will read it and likely leave a positive review.
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