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Caribbean Cruise Cozy #7
Body at the Banquet
There’s nothing like a backstabbing co-worker to put a damper on a big event, permanently. A cozy mystery from International Bestselling Author Susan Harper Hope and Felix have been given an unexpected vacation and decide to spend the time catching up with their respective families. When they unexpectedly meet up in DC, things go from friendly to deadly. When their parents wind up as prime suspects, Hope and Felix must solve another mystery. Can they put the pieces together in time to save their parents or will they be going on a permanent vacation? Body at the Banquet is part of the Caribbean Cruise Cozy Mystery series. If you like fast-paced mysteries with interesting characters, exotic locations, and unexpected twists, you’re going to love the Caribbean Cruise Cozy Mystery series. Download Body at the Banquet and start solving your next mystery today! Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited
- GenresMysteryCozy MysteryCozy
116 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 7, 2020
142 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 22, 2023
As I read deeper into the series the implausibility of situations mount. Hope moves from one murder mystery to another with very little passage of time between. (I recognize that a suspension of disbelief is required, but there should at least be weeks between novels.)
Here, in Body at the Banquet, Felix and Hope are both suspended for two weeks, and they both manage to find themselves in Washington DC. A banquet is occurring, and Hope’s parents attend along with Hope, Felix, and his stepfather. It is clear that a connection is building between Hope and Felix, but to have parents urging the relationship prematurely is kind of icky. Again it is not implausible, it just feels seedy.
The situations feel contrived, and despite the entertaining read, I still find myself thinking “Too much, too fast.” Still I have enjoyed these cozies, although Hope sometimes feels over-the-top, in-your-face.
Here, in Body at the Banquet, Felix and Hope are both suspended for two weeks, and they both manage to find themselves in Washington DC. A banquet is occurring, and Hope’s parents attend along with Hope, Felix, and his stepfather. It is clear that a connection is building between Hope and Felix, but to have parents urging the relationship prematurely is kind of icky. Again it is not implausible, it just feels seedy.
The situations feel contrived, and despite the entertaining read, I still find myself thinking “Too much, too fast.” Still I have enjoyed these cozies, although Hope sometimes feels over-the-top, in-your-face.
September 29, 2020
Cruise ship employees Hope and Felix are taking time off in Washington, DC, where his stepfather and her parents live. While at a banquet, Hope's mother (reporter Cynthia Harper) and Felix's stepfather (businessman Thomas Lloyd) become the prime suspects in a murder when Cynthia's younger, blonder replacement is killed.
Since Hope's dad is the police chief, I'm not sure why she and Felix feel the urge to interfere in the investigation. The plot is clever, but there's no character development, and the author really needs a better proofreader (or editor).
Since Hope's dad is the police chief, I'm not sure why she and Felix feel the urge to interfere in the investigation. The plot is clever, but there's no character development, and the author really needs a better proofreader (or editor).
July 14, 2020
More than ever, I believe this series is written by a teenager. She has the imagination to write a good story, but Hope, her protagonist, is immature, shallow, and somewhat petulant. She says things like, "She makes me want to puke", and "I wish she had been blown away", "with a snark". She is always snarking and sneering. Can't anyone in this series smile?
A reader would be pulling their hair out if the allowed the implausibilities to get to them. Although his wife has been arrested for murder, the police chief has not been recused and proceeds to investigate. Conflict of interest?
Instead of telling her father, the Washington DC chief of police, that XXXX is the killer and has just run out of the building, she and Felix hop into their car and chase her recklessly, hitting the killer's car to force her to stop. Hope herself expresses surprise that they did not hit anyone. She is also surprised that the killer has a gun. How did she expect to confront her once stopped?
Hope's mother, a very successful investigative journalist, is pushing her daughters to get married. Hope, the oldest, is only 22, and boasts that she wants to pursue a career first. She says that her 18 year old sister is still "somewhat" young, and has just gotten out of a serious but disastrous relationship so she is unlikely to marry soon.
Even the mother has a youthful vocabulary, saying things like, "whatever".
I would love to learn more about this author. While her books read like YA material, they are still fun and I would read the next in the series.
A reader would be pulling their hair out if the allowed the implausibilities to get to them. Although his wife has been arrested for murder, the police chief has not been recused and proceeds to investigate. Conflict of interest?
Instead of telling her father, the Washington DC chief of police, that XXXX is the killer and has just run out of the building, she and Felix hop into their car and chase her recklessly, hitting the killer's car to force her to stop. Hope herself expresses surprise that they did not hit anyone. She is also surprised that the killer has a gun. How did she expect to confront her once stopped?
Hope's mother, a very successful investigative journalist, is pushing her daughters to get married. Hope, the oldest, is only 22, and boasts that she wants to pursue a career first. She says that her 18 year old sister is still "somewhat" young, and has just gotten out of a serious but disastrous relationship so she is unlikely to marry soon.
Even the mother has a youthful vocabulary, saying things like, "whatever".
I would love to learn more about this author. While her books read like YA material, they are still fun and I would read the next in the series.
August 4, 2020
Excellent!!!!
All of the books in this series are great reading especially if you are a cruiser and want to know some of the ins and outs of the staff on cruise ships. I have enjoyed them so much that I could not wait for the next book.
Hope and Felix make a great crime solving team and I hope there will be more stories to come. I'm not going to go into detail about each story you just need to read them I order!!
Ms . S. Harper, thank you so much and keep writing !☺
All of the books in this series are great reading especially if you are a cruiser and want to know some of the ins and outs of the staff on cruise ships. I have enjoyed them so much that I could not wait for the next book.
Hope and Felix make a great crime solving team and I hope there will be more stories to come. I'm not going to go into detail about each story you just need to read them I order!!
Ms . S. Harper, thank you so much and keep writing !☺
July 12, 2020
Got a grammar downgrade
With Grammerly being a free program and easy to use I find eggregious syntax errors unacceptable.
I've read pretty much everything this author has written and, except as mentioned, enjoyed it all.
Adjective choices also need a lot of work.
With Grammerly being a free program and easy to use I find eggregious syntax errors unacceptable.
I've read pretty much everything this author has written and, except as mentioned, enjoyed it all.
Adjective choices also need a lot of work.
August 5, 2020
Too ambitious For WORDS
Good plot interesting characters Lots of secrecy intrigue and possibly
romance. Liked the car chase and the family interaction Hopper it works out
With Felix
Good plot interesting characters Lots of secrecy intrigue and possibly
romance. Liked the car chase and the family interaction Hopper it works out
With Felix
August 9, 2020
Not much of a vacation
When Hope was forced to take 2 weeks off she went home to DC. While there Felix shows up with his stepfather. Both Hopes mother and Felix's stepfather are accused of murder. Can they prove that they are innocent?
When Hope was forced to take 2 weeks off she went home to DC. While there Felix shows up with his stepfather. Both Hopes mother and Felix's stepfather are accused of murder. Can they prove that they are innocent?
July 9, 2020
A fast and fun read!
Once again Susan Harper delivers a great coz y mystery! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Once again Susan Harper delivers a great coz y mystery! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
July 12, 2020
Great Mystery
Not a dull moment. Kept my interest up and loved the way they solved the crime. It was a great book.
Not a dull moment. Kept my interest up and loved the way they solved the crime. It was a great book.
July 29, 2020
Another hit!
I loved meeting Hope's parents in this book and seeing their relationship. Felix and Hope work well together to solve the mystery. I can't wait to read the next book!
I loved meeting Hope's parents in this book and seeing their relationship. Felix and Hope work well together to solve the mystery. I can't wait to read the next book!
August 3, 2020
Love the sparks and intrigue
The story lines are wonderful. The author is terrific!
Can't hardly wait for the next one to download. I enjoy the characters in this series
The story lines are wonderful. The author is terrific!
Can't hardly wait for the next one to download. I enjoy the characters in this series
August 7, 2020
Grammar child like !!!!!!
October 5, 2020
I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was great to see Felix and Hope work together. It was surprising that his father helped out too. I believe though there is an ace up his sleeve. I believe he arrange for both of them to get together. So looking forward to the next one.
April 7, 2021
Body at the Banquet
Slow start. Not that bad. I would recommend to anyone interested. I will be looking for more novels by this author.
Slow start. Not that bad. I would recommend to anyone interested. I will be looking for more novels by this author.
May 7, 2021
Body at the Banquet
Great read! This is a very good series! I like the way every story is sooooo different. You don’t feel like you are reading the same book each time.
Great read! This is a very good series! I like the way every story is sooooo different. You don’t feel like you are reading the same book each time.
August 15, 2022
Who killed Jewel Jones and why??? AND who is setting Cynthia up for the murder??? I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.
December 1, 2022
2.5 stars
January 13, 2021
Fun short story. Too much use of the work smirked, but other than that, great read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews