Killer Cruise

A Rachel Prince Mystery #3

by Dawn Brookes

A body in the water. A plethora of suspects. Rachel Prince must be on another cruise!When a Freddie Mercury lookalike goes overboard, (literally). Rachel Prince and her octogenarian traveling companion, Lady Marjorie, are thrown headlong into another topsy-turvy murder mystery that threatens to be their last!

Crew aboard the luxurious Coral Queen are finding themselves stretched to the limit with the antics of a 'Queen' tribute act; a troublesome stag party, and a group of excitable female cheerleaders.

Rachel is accompanying Lady Marjorie on a cruise around the Baltic Sea. The senior is hoping for a mystery, while Rachel seeks peace and quiet.

The cruise ship sleuth can't believe it when the tribute act's lead singer dies. The probable homicide occurs shortly after an unpleasant encounter with the Freddie Mercury lookalike. Rachel and Marjorie find themselves absorbed by the man's untimely death, and surrounded by suspicious characters with ample motive for killing the unpopular victim.

Chief of Security, Jack Waverley vacillates between involving Rachel in the investigation and keeping her away from it. Sarah Bradshaw, Rachel's best friend and cruise ship nurse is keen to keep her friends from harm, but it's a case of the irresistible force meets the immovable object when there's a mystery to be solved. Rachel is spurred on by the incorrigible Marjorie who is keen to interfere and test her own sleuthing skills.

Chief Waverley and Sarah are fighting a losing battle, and become more and more exasperated with Rachel's stubborn involvement. In addition to this they each have problems of their own.

As the dead man appeared to have more enemies than friends, this mystery tests Rachel to the limit. She finds herself in danger while trying to keep Lady Marjorie safe.

Join the crew and passengers aboard the Coral Queen for another exciting adventure at sea!

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Mystery, Cozy, Fiction

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 9, 2019

About the author

Dawn 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 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

Children's Books

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.

Reviews

[Livia · Rating 5 out of 5]

★¸¸.•*¨*•★Minor spoilers alert★•*¨*•.¸¸★

What I enjoyed most about this cozy mystery novel…
Quick listen / Entertaining / Wonderful characters / Witty / Original / Well described tourist locations / Unpredictable / Whodunit

★¸¸.•*¨*•★Unabridged Audiobook Info★•*¨*•.¸¸★
Format read: Unabridged Audiobook
Narrated by: Alex Lee
Length:6 hrs and 38 mins
Release Date: 08-21-19
Publisher:Dawn Brookes Publishing
Cover gush: Big ocean liner ship? Check! The Coral Queen is pictured on the cover. Yellow and purple color combo? Double check!
Dual format owned: Kindle e-book & Audible audiobook (primary reading format)
Ratings
Overall ★★★★★ Without giving away too many details, I suspected the villain who ultimately gets fingered as the murderer, but I wavered and wasn’t 100% until Rachel figured it all out.

Performances ★★★★★ Alex Lee continues to charm me vocally with her acting. She’s terrific with both female and male characters and easily animated all them flawlessly.

Story ★★★★☆
As a young reader, I used to love reading mysteries and watching them as well. But once I discovered the romance genre at the tender age of 10, I could never read mystery without a heavy dose of romance i.e. romantic suspense. I tried reading a Dorothy Sayers and one of two others authors in the mystery genre, but I figured out rather quickly that they just were no longer as satisfying with romance. But now, I think I was just waiting to discover this Rachel Prince mystery series. As a former cruise ship employee myself, I love that this series is set on a cruise ship.

Rachel is back on vacation and accompanying her senior pal, Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe. Of course, a body goes overboard, and the sleuthing begins anew for these two spunky and intelligent ladies. And guess what? He was the lead singer of a Queen tribute band hired as part of the cruise ship entertainment staff. The funny and cool thing about this victim is that he rocked the Freddie Mercury look and ’tude.

And poor Jack Waverly, the ship’s Chief of Security, still didn’t manage to convince Rachel to join his crew permanently. But personally, I wonder if she will someday soon cave in…

•*¨*•
Coming up next in this series: Dying to Cruise which is already available in e-book format. I purchased my Kindle copy the first week of August, but I’ll be waiting for the audiobook format before I dive back into Rachel’s sleuthing.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The killer cruise by Dawn Brooke's.
A fantastic read with great characters. I love Rachel and Marjorie characters. They are a right pair. Getting up to mischief. I love how the don't listen to Weaverly. Please let there be more to come. I love this series. And I had no idea it was who it was. 5*.

[DubaiReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man overboard!
I enjoy these cruise ship mysteries, even though cruising itself doesn't really call to me. I am becoming fond of the characters and love the sleuthing that goes on in each subsequent novel.

In this episode we have Rachel Price, accompanied by her elderly friend, Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe. They are barely on board, when a body tumbles over the side. Rachel is a Police Constable by profession and would happily leave the problem to the security professionals on the ship. Marjorie, on the other hand, can't resist a challenge and encourages Rachel to start snooping around.

There are some fun characters on this cruise, including the smarmy Freddie Mercury look-alike, who obviously has several enemies. Then there's an energetic stag party and a group of excitable female cheerleaders, which is bound to be a volatile combination. Rachel's friend, Sarah is travelling with them again and Chief Waverley, head of Security is responsible for solving the murder.

I enjoyed the narration by Alex Lee, in very correct English and with such a soothing lilt that I fell asleep on the plane while listening and had to replay the last few chapters three times!

I see that Dawn Brookes is releasing book 6 of this series in March and I hope that they will all be available on audio soon.

[Emmalynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel and Lady Marjorie are on a cruise and of course because it’s Rachel, a murder happens. This time it’s a member of a cover band. With prodding from Lady Majorie, Rachel “unofficially” investigated the murder discovering a plethora of suspects, including the victim’s band mates, his brother, long lost son, and sister in law. Sarah still refuses to take a job with the ship, much to the consternation of the Chief of Security, but she thrills at sleuthing and the experience she gets from it. These are quick, clean cozy mysteries and fun reads.

[Lesley Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely cozy mystery

If you like cozy mysteries with no swearing or gore then I highly recommend this series. They are just right to curl up with on a lazy afternoon. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killer Cruise, is the latest Rachel Prince mystery by Dawn Brookes, and number three in the series, although it can happily be read as a stand-alone book.
Another cruise, Another body, and Another mystery for PC Rachel Prince, cruise ship sleuth to solve! ‘Join the crew and passengers aboard the Coral Queen for another exciting adventure at sea’!
I love this series about Rachel Prince, PC and cruise ship sleuth, along with her friend and cruise ship nurse Sarah. It’s a fast paced murder mystery at sea, and this third instalment involves a Freddie Mercury lookalike and a Queen Tribute Act. It’s a fun and easy read but filled with mystery and surprises to keep you reading until the last page.
I have already pre-ordered book number four!

[Marcia Lanting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story plot.

She has a wonderful way of weaving the plot and characters together. I found myself caring about the people involved in the storyline.

[Linda L. Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cozy read!

I've just finished all three books on Rachel Prince's detective delving while cruising the beautiful seas. They are all told in a believable way, with murder, intrigue, solid likeable characters, and a little romantic on the side. I wrote author, Dawn Brookes, telling her how much I enjoyed her books, and she actually wrote me back!😘. I will be watching for future books with Ms Prince at the helm!

[Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel is a police officer who is looking for a little rest and relaxation. Her friend Sarah is a nurse on board a cruise liner. This is the third book in the series, and the third time Rachel has joined Sarah on board the Coral Queen. It's become a running joke now amongst the crew that with Rachel on board there's likely to be a murder!
Cruise ships are a good place to find tribute bands, and on board the Coral Queen is no exception. When the Freddie Mercury of the band proves himself to be a nuisance towards women, and then apparently falls or throws himself off the ship, Rachel's holiday is again interrupted and she is dragged into a web of deception as she helps to investigate the incident.
It was amusing to see the coincidence of Rachel and murders on board joked about directly, and it's a good job that Rachel receives compensation for being involved in these investigations, as that then pays for the next one! (a hint for anyone who fancies regular cruises but can't afford them?)
The insights into the running of a cruise ship prove fascinating, and I've learned a lot more about what goes on in what is essentially a floating city. The crime is well written and kept me guessing until the end.
This series is fast becoming a favourite, and would make a great holiday read. Even on a cruise ship.

[Cassandra MADEUP BookBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you go on a cruise, you tend to go expecting to relax and have some fun, have some me time. Unless you work ON cruise lines, you expect to have a break from work and home life. That’s what you expect.

I laughed a few times at the jokes in this book about the fact that if Rachel is on the boat then there is a murder, it gave the story a lighter edge and kept it fun as well as exciting. You almost feel sorry for her whilst also being amused at her plight. Solve a murder, be compensated for it, pay for next cruise...

I really love her Character, she has me smiling away to myself and shaking my head regularly, and each of the books in the series is just that bit different. I can see this easily joining my favourite series on my bookcase to be reread when I want a bit of a lighter crime. Something to keep you hooked to the who and why, but also make you chuckle away and smile to yourself.

The writer weaves a story so cleverly that it’s completely engaging even when you flit between humour and serious crime thread. For me this marks a talented crime author, and all my favourites have the same skill, yet it isn’t one that often works so well, as such I only have a few I regularly return to.

If you enjoy an easy to read crime that will keep you guessing and make you smile regularly. Then this is perfect for you.

[Kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

3rd in the series and just as enjoyable. I love Rachel and her friends and glad to see Marjorie back to help out! It almost makes me want to work on a cruise ship. Well except for all the bodies dropping dead!

[Joanne Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third in a series of murder mysteries set on the Coral Queen (mental note to self: if ever booking a cruise do not choose a ship with this name!). Rachel (holidaying police officer) and her friend Sarah (cruise ship medical staff) once again find themselves embroiled in the thick of an on board death. Initially thought to be an accident Rachel investigates the death of Freddie Mercury tribute singer Dom.
This was a welcome return for me to the decks of the Coral queen and the escapades of Rachel Prince. The characters are beautifully written and the descriptions of life on board the ship (above decks at least) are extremely tempting (not so sure I would want to be crew below the water line though!)
The story has plenty of intrigue and plot thickeners without ever become gory and the short bursts of tourist information on the land trips make you want to visit those towns and cities along with Rachel and her friend Marjorie. A it a lovely read for a lazy day, maybe on a sun lounger on a cruise ship if you are brave enough!

[STEVEN WALLACE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Trip

Once again I wasn't sure who dunnit until the end. Great feasible twists that take you one way and then slam it shut. I'd avoid that cruise line like the plague lol

[Mrs. J.E. Flippence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Brilliant, exciting and clean fun. Well written!!!!! Can't wait for the next instalment!!!!! The whole series of stories are great and I have loved them all

[Melanie Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Ms Brookes, how you spoil us with these books, elegantly and eloquently narrated by Alex Lee. Once again we take to the seas with the divine Rachel Prince. I would have loved to have a friend like Rachel. We could have gone on adventures, read The Famous Five together and what fun we'd have had. It is a delight to listen to such beautiful English, there's no dropped 'aitchs' in this book, (neither are there any 'haitchs' - it's aitch, AITCH for goodness sake!). Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, Ms Brookes writing reminds me how beautiful English can be when employed so gracefully. The story moves along at a fair pace and the characters are so well drawn you can't help but feel invested in the outcome. The mystery is solved and fair play is done, and quite right too. All I need to know is should I buy a hat for the wedding of Rachel and Carlos' - because it's about time they got married. Will Sarah be a bridesmaid? Can I be a bridesmaid? Listening to Killer Cruise is like getting a lovely cuddle from your favourite person; I didn't want it to end. Simply beautiful

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 in the Rachel Prince series is as entertaining as the first two. Although the plots are basically the same - Police Officer is on a cruise holiday when a murder takes place - they are all individual enough not to seem repetitive. Although part of a series, it works well as a standalone book too.

An easy going mixture of humour and mystery, I hope Rachel will be back on board very soon.

Thank you to TBC Reviewer Request Group for the ARC.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book.
The Rachel Prince Mystery books are light and entertaining. Every time Rachel goes on a cruise, someone is murdered and she can't leave her police background behind--she has to help solve the crime. In this one, her older travel companion is helping her sort through the multiple suspects in the murder of a member of a Queen tribute band. Her friends and the workers on the cruise make for a multi-faceted story.
I think the narration by Alex Lee added a lot to the story, due to the multiple nationalities and accents of the crew members. She did a fantastic job!
I was given a complimentary copy of this audio book. All thoughts are my own.

[Suzanna Salter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read any of Dawn Brookes books before, however I will be from now onwards. Not only was this book well written with a lot of believable characters it also had a brilliant plot. Pc Rachel prince is on a cruise where someone ends up overboard, are they alive or dead? How did they end up overboard? Why is the queen tribute bands lead singer such a jerk? So many questions asked throughout this read but each question is answered. An all around good read

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this the 3rd in the Rachel Prince Mysteries series Dawn Brookes has done it again and produced a really good adventure once again set on the Coral Queen cruise liner. It is lovely getting to know all the characters and their jobs aboard the liner. I can't wait to read the next one! Although it is part of a series it is still a stand alone book that can be enjoyed without having read the first two. Well done Dawn Brookes.

[Kristi Blessing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic cruise ship mystery with Rachel Prince

I love cruise ship mysteries and I really love the Rachel Prince series. The story was very entertaining and all the characters were great. My two favorites were of course Rachel & Marjorie. If you love cruise ship stories or any mysteries, I highly recommend you read this series. I can't wait for the next two books in the series and the new series with Rachel's boyfriend, Carlos. Great job, Dawn!

[Margarida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in this series -- #3. You would think this series would make me swear off cruises, but I feel more like making sure I an onboard for Rachel's next cruise this summer! (not as a victim, mind you... to hang out with the loveable characters). Great story--I was guessing incorrectly whodunnit, which is a must for me. Can't wait for the next one!

[Kamini Mehta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, lighthearted read. I really enjoy Rachel Prince when I am tired and need some distraction. The characters are vivid and there are some interesting twists. I also read darker crime stories, but sometimes you just want to be entertained. Would make an excellent holiday read.

[Ellie Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Rachel Prince cruise ship mystery. A great lighthearted read with fun and dark characters, really enjoyed this one too. Always a good storyline and easy to read and escape from real life and dark books when things get too much. Absolutely love Marjorie Snellthorpe especially.

[Penny-sue Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is not to like about these books? They are funny, sassy and clever. A mystery on the high seas which gives Agatha a run for her money! Loved it!

[Julie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by this author that I have read/listened to but I quite enjoyed it. It is a nice clean mystery with out any really violence, well except the murder. This is book three and obviously a lot of the characters appear in the previous books but it was still enjoy able if you haven't read the other books because the write gives you some information without going into to much information that you lose the story you are listening to or giving away the plot for the others. I liked the characters and think I will check out the previous books to find out how Rachel and Marjorie meet.
Rachel Prince is taking a much deserved holiday on the cruise ship the Coral Queen with her friend, Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe when they witness a man fall over board. He was the entertainment and his murder proves to be very entertaining for the two ladies. He was a member of a Queen tribute act and questioning the other band members is less than helpful. Then the band manager is nearly killed and Rachel comes to his aid, opening up the suspect list even more. With both men less than likeable they have there work cut out for them to find the killer and with the head of the cruise ship security happy to believe it was a drug induced accident they have to sort out the clues to get to the bottom of the murder before they are sunk.
The narrator was very British sounding which took some getting use to, but she did a good good with all the different accents she had to use.

[Pam G · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the Rachel Prince mysteries, set aboard a cruise ship, this time sailing around Europe.
Police Officer Rachel joins forces again with her nurse friend Sarah and her octogenarian friend Lady Marjorie to solve yet another murder mystery at sea. This time the deceased is the lead singer of a Queen tribute act and Rachel reluctantly finds herself embroiled in the mystery surrounding his death. She has to contend with a rowdy stag party, a group of cheerleaders and a motley assortment of group members.
To extend the series, I expect Rachel to eventually take on the role of security officer on board which is repeatedly offered to her, as realistically, a serving police constable wouldn’t be able to go cruising two or three times a year! One, because of the time, and two, because of the cost!
These books definitely fall into the cosy crime category. The characters are likeable, the action is well-paced, but not action-packed and it reminds me a bit like Midsomer, but at sea!
The narration is very good. Alex Lee is a good voice actor, with excellent intonation, expression and pace.
An enjoyable listen.

[Robert Williscroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book by this author that I am reviewing and her third novel. In my review of her first book, A Cruise to Murder, I commented that it was especially good given that it was her first novel. This third book shows a lot of professional progress in the author’s writing.

The story is a typical murder mystery set on a cruise ship. Someone on the ship will be killed by someone else on the ship, and the heroin and her octogenarian friend will solve the mystery. What makes this story stand out are the beautiful descriptions of various ports of call, the reader’s immersion into cruise life, the clues and misdirections with which the author peppers the story, and the delightful friendship between Rachel, a young policewoman on vacation, and Lady Marjorie Snelthorpe, her wealthy eighty-six-year-old friend.

If you are a cruise mystery fan or just a mystery fan, this book is right up your alley. If you want a diversion from your regular reading fare, you could do much worse than this.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel is back on the cruise ship, this time accompanying elderly Marjorie, who no longer wishes to travel alone.

Chief Security Officer Waverly has his hands full (aside from his blossoming relationship with bakery worker Brenda). A rowdy group of musicians playing Queen music, led by a Freddie Mercury look-a-like, are causing trouble, along with a group of young men at a stag party and a group of cheerleaders. When the lead singer takes an involuntary dive off the side of the ship while in port, it becomes obvious that he was not well liked by the other band members. To complicate matters, the new cruise director is the brother of the dead singer and his wife confides to nurse Sara that he (the CD) has been isolating and controlling her. She is happy when her husband is thrown in the brig for the murder of his brother.

Naturally, it is Rachel who figures out the miss and in the process gets bashed on the head, thus earning more cruise compensation, not to mention being offered a job again.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dawn Brookes writes an engaging cozy based on a Baltic cruise ship. The characters are well developed and interesting and the plot flows well.
This time Rachel is taking a cruise with her elderly friend Lady Marjorie.
Rachel is a British police officer when working. Going on elaborate cruises seem to be a habit. This is book 3.

These books remind me of Murder She Wrote episodes. As with Jessica Fletcher, PC Prince has murder follow her. Only on a very upscale cruise ship.

If one wonders how a police officer can afford a luxury cruise and high end suites, look no further than Lady Marjorie. Apparently, she has her own book series.

Despite the obvious plot trope of a murder, murder attempts, and interfering non professionals, the story works. Of course as a work of total escapism fiction.

The author even adds a taste of culture at every Country stop, although it is merely a sideline of the plot.

[Scilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel is on another cruise with the elderly Marjorie. The first day they go ashore, while they are waiting to leave, they see a man flying down to the water from a much higher deck. When they get back to the ship, they find the man is dead and he was the very obnoxious lead singer of the band, who was hitting on every attractive woman (including Rachel). Then they find out that he was the brother of the new cruise director Gordon, and had stolen almost every one of Gardon's girl friends. They also find out that Gordon's wife is afraid of him.

Of course, Rachel and Marjory must do some sleuthing, and they must become a threat to the real killer, and thus put themselves in one or more dangerous situations! It's a good story, and I will continue the series.