Sail Away Patsy

Meg Butler Cruise Cozy Mysteries #1

by Leena Clover

A summer cruise. Horseplay and hijinks. And DEATH on the high seas!

Starry eyed intern Meg Butler has embarked on her dream job, only to be thwarted at the first step. No, she didn't mean to poison the guests at the Sail Away party. Her boss thinks otherwise and is ready to send her back home.

When a healthy young man is found dead in his cabin, Meg thinks its murder! But who will believe her?

Flanked by a motley group of interns and crew members, Meg stumbles her way across Alaska, separating the clues from the red herrings, determined to find the guilty passenger.

Meanwhile, things are going wrong across the ship and Meg is blamed for them. Can she save her own neck while hunting down a cold blooded killer?

Sail Away Patsy is the first in a humorous, action packed cruise ship cozy mystery series featuring a daredevil amateur sleuth. She speaks before she thinks and can be a bit too smug at times but she gets the job done. Get ready to travel the world with Meg Butler.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

213 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2023

About the author

Leena Clover is a popular, bestselling author of cozy mysteries with heart.

You can expect fearless heroines, small town drama, quirky characters and friendships that last a lifetime in her books. Yummy food and a murder or two are guaranteed!

Visit her website at leenaclover.com to learn more.

Reviews

[VICTORIA STEWART · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn’t care for this book. I’m sure it’s a great read for some but it just wasn’t for me. The main character couldn’t seem to figure who she was. Sometimes she was dim witted and other times she tried to act like she was a mature adult, then suddenly she’s a super sleuth? Small tidbits are thrown in about her grandmother and her mom. But they are thrown in so randomly that it’s leaves the reader wondering why it was put in at all.
There are so many characters to keep up with and the flow of the story felt scattered. So many of the characters seemed to have mood disorders. One minute people are getting along like lifelong friends and the next they are snapping at each other.
I found this so hard to get through. It’s a great idea for the story but the way it’s written it didn’t capture my attention or real interest. I feel like it should have been developed more before going to print. But I don’t like to leave books unfinished so I read it to the end.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable new series

I selected this book bc I love to travel. so any time I can combine reading with “travel” I do. I was pleased to find out this is a crossover from another series. I look forward to reading more from both.

[Courtney · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I normally love supporting indie authors, and I can give a lot for grace for slightly amateurish writing. This was not good. It needed several more rounds of edits. The characterization was so all over the place that I had a hard time following the story. The premise of the story was good. It could work as a re-release after some major changes.

[CheyAnn]

Dnf... I couldn't stand the main character.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a spin-off from the Dolphin Bay mystery series about Meg, the youngest in the Butler family. It presents Meg in a totally different situation as she begins a summer internship on a cruise ship bound for Alaska. Don't worry, you really don't need to have read that series to enjoy this one, but for those of you who have, this is the first time we really get to know Meg. No longer the meek granddaughter who works hard and stays out of sticky situations, cruise ship Meg begins her new journey with an auspicious beginning. I wasn't too sure about this Meg. She seemed to think she was on the cruise, not working. The brains and good old fashioned hard work ethic seemed to be missing as she made poor decisions starting from being late to report, acting like a guest, and being more worried about her comforts than the actual job she came to do. However once she understood the protocol, things began to improve. Hard-working Meg and fun-time Meg merged and soon became detective-Meg as many odd things followed her on board including a sudden death.
Life on a cruise ship was authentically created by the author. From cramped quarters to below deck activities, long working conditions, unrelenting criticism, and terrific details about the ship, the activities, the food, the people, and Alaska, this reader felt like she was part of the book. Quickly I was submerged in a world I had seen from a different perspective. It was a fascinating book, a good mystery, and a conclusion that could lead us to more fun with Meg in the future. Question is, where will she go next?

[Elizabeth Thornton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book feels better suited for a younger teen audience, despite the main character being a 22-year-old woman who lands an internship on a cruise ship. The beginning is cluttered with a large cast of characters who are introduced quickly and without meaningful development, making it difficult to keep track of who’s who. I finished the book just minutes ago, and I honestly can’t recall any of the characters’ names, personalities, or even what they looked like.

Although a murder does occur, the story isn’t really centered around solving it. Instead, it focuses more on a petty campaign to sabotage the new girl at work—a storyline that feels more like a “new kid at school” drama than a mystery. Unfortunately, the plot lacks suspense or surprise. There are no real twists or turns, and overall, the story just falls flat.

[Emmalynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a spin off from the Dolphin Bay series and follows Meg, the daughter/granddaughter from that series as she embarks on a world tour via an internship on a cruise ship. In the prior series Meg was a self reliant, ambitious young woman, however, in this book the author couldn’t decide if she was a clone of her mother from the prior series, (behaving as an airhead, selfish, dumb, inconsiderate person) or an smart investigator ready to jump in and solve mysteries. Meg came across as weak, she ignored clues, didn’t speak up when she knew the culprit playing pranks on her, etc etc. overall, while the mystery could have been a good one it ended up just irritating me just as the main character.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I wonder if I think differently than people a generation or two, younger. Some of these books appeal strongly and others not so much. This was the latter for me. However you need to realize I am 70, so perhaps my opinion doesn't matter all that much. Read the book! It is worth the money and time you spend on it. Make you own decision about the book. You might just love it and wonder where I am coming from.

[Christina Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining read.

These cosy mysteries are always an enjoyable read, with interesting characters and intriguing storylines.

I look forward to reading the next book in the Meg Butler Cruise Cozy Mysteries.

[Shelia Pulliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sail away

Enjoyed the easy read and since I have been on a cruise before, could relate to the activities and places mentioned.

[Karen Geurts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Meg's story of job as intern on cruise ship. A lot of mystery, a death, plenty of pranks. Good characters.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Read

Fantastic start to a new series. A lot is happening in this book but it’s easy to follow. Hard to put down. I am looking forward to reading the next one.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read

Follow Meg as she experiences an internship on a cruise ship which travels Alaska. She solves a few crimes along the way, with some twists and turns.
Enjoy!

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick fluff read. Beach read.