Diamonds on the Danube

River Cruise Cozies #1

by Cheryl Dougan

She gladly came out of retirement. She never expected to be cruising down the Danube trying to catch a diamond thief red-handed. Adelle didn’t expect her sixties to be… boring. So when her travel-agent friend asks her to guide a cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, the born people-pleaser jumps at the chance to help four women have an unforgettable vacation. But when expensive jewelry goes missing, she fears one of her happy travelers could be the culprit. Struggling to contain an increasingly unruly group of guests, Adelle has her hands full while trying to solve the case. And with accusations flying and tempers rising fast, she’s terrified she’s sailing straight into a whirlpool of disaster. Will Adelle unmask the crook before her adventure sinks into muddy waters? Diamonds on the Danube is the enchanting first book in the River Cruise Cozies mystery series. If you like globe-trotting heroines, quirky casts, and spectacular settings, then you’ll love Cheryl Dougan’s glittering whodunit. Buy Diamonds on the Danube to piece together a puzzle of intrigue today!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Travel, Contemporary

126 pages, Paperback

Published August 19, 2022

About the author

Cheryl Dougan is the author of the River Cruise Cozies, Ocean Cruise Cozies, and Northern Lights Cozy Mysteries—heartwarming whodunits filled with friendship, gentle humor, and a sense of adventure.

Her travel-themed series whisk readers along Europe’s rivers and across the world’s oceans, while her Northern Lights Cozy Mysteries invite them into a charming lakeside town where community and curiosity intertwine.

Cheryl enjoys time with family and friends, loves to travel, and finds inspiration for her stories in the people and places she encounters along the way.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have given this book three stars since it's a typical so-so cozy, pretty light on the mystery aspect and too much travelogue, plus it's annoying to have women in their 60s and 70s refer to themselves as "girls" or "girlfriends." Is this typical? I admit I don't currently know anyone in that age group, but it's not something I've ever heard in real life.

The reason I went with two stars, though, is because of an incident that came across as casual, possibly even unintentional, homophobia. Even if there was no intent to discriminate, though, anyone writing or editing a book this century needs to be aware that certain things are just not ok. In case you missed it or haven't read the book, I'm referring to an episode where the tour guide (who's actually a horrible guide who makes herself unavailable by phone or email, even in emergencies, and also ditches her assigned tour group just because they hurt her feelings) tries to set one of the women on the tour up with a man she's met onboard. She then seems shocked and a bit put off to find out that the man has a "partner." It's soon established that the author means one of the same gender, but is she unaware that many heterosexual couples, even married ones, use the term "partner" as well? To make matters worse, the "girls" decide they should have known the man and his partner were gay because they enjoyed "specialty coffees." What the ...??? Most of the husbands mentioned in the book are described as having manly avocations like farming, so perhaps the author has some rather old-fashioned ideas about gender roles that even extend to beverage preferences. She needs to realize, though, that attitudes that might have been accepted (if not acceptable) in the 1950s have no place in contemporary fiction.

[Tess Ailshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to go check my Goodreads profile to see if I had read any Dougan before. Some of the imagery and descriptions (river cruise, Budapest) are similar to another book I'd read, but the authors are different.

This is an okay, story, but suffers from description. It's not a travelogue, and the descriptions that would be appropriate for a travelogue detract from, rather than enhance, the story that Dougan is trying to tell. It comes off as "see, I did my research" rather than lending anything to the plot.

[Jacqui Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diamonds in the Danube is a fun, and relaxing novella. Adelle is a compelling protagonist. She was leading a group of female tourists through the river cruise. There were some very funny lines in this book. It immersed me in the river cruise including Budapest, Danube, Vienna, Melk, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremburg, and more. I liked the description and the history of the various foreign places. I enjoyed the plot and the countless settings.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I liked the river cruise aspect. I liked that they went from place to place and you got to see a little taste of that. The characters were hilarious with their busybody ways. I liked the friendship that develop there. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the mystery. It was kind of law. There is no suspense to it. There really wasn’t a big focus on it. It was more about the trip and Adele finding these new friends.

[Cora Janzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read with wonderful imagery of the different places. I loved the friendship of the women, the unique personalities, and quirks of each of them. It was a cozy mystery with strong heartwarming elements. I look forward to reading more of the characters and the next river cruise locales - it has inspired me to check out a river cruise in the future!

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit undecided on how to rate this book. I was torn between a three or four star. I went with the four because I think this author has a unique story telling ability. I felt the book could be longer, but the storyline, which takes Adelle into a mystery while on a cruise, is intriguing. Cozy mystery readers will enjoy this one.

[Jennifer Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Cheryl’s characters could be people I know with their quirks and personalities! I enjoyed learning a bit of history as well ... tied in to a storyline I couldn’t put down!

[Myrna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this first novel and look forward to more stories of these women on a river cruise. I thought the characters were interesting and well-developed.the twist at the end was unexpected.

[Deb Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diamonds of the Danube

This was a vey clean and cozy mystery. No murders just missing jewels if you like globe trotting heroines I think you'll enjoy this whodunit cozy little read.
Thank you Cheryl Dougan

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that is woven into a tour guide of the beautiful cities and sights on a cruise on the Danube. Ladies on an outing get to know one another and the mystery of missing diamonds intrigues them.
A cozy mystery to stimulate your travel genes!

[Angel Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, Easy read

I really enjoyed this fun, easy to read book. I loved the characters. Adele was so fun to get to know. She was very relatable with her quirks and personality traits.

[Katie Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Because I am contemplating talking a river cruise, this book was very informative with a side dish of mystery and fun characters.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very quick read. The mystery is actually secondary to the tour experiences and character development.

[Michelle Louise Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Adelle, Barb, Tilly, Debbie and Teresa as they cruise on the Danube. Be introduced to Danube country in a way that makes you want to see it for yourself. A fun read to escape into.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for more mystery in this cozy mystery.

[Melindeeloo]

Not bad, just didn't keep my interest. Sometimes I like rambling travels stories so it was worth a shot.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. I liked The characters the story line was different and a little to fast.

[Patriece · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun and informative

I like the different personalities.
I’d prefer a little less angst from Adelle. At 60+, perhaps a little more confidence in herself?

[Katy Cameron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I wasn't the target audience for this series. I think that would probably be elderly North American ladies who are technophobes, can't travel, and who want to read info dumps on locations around Europe. As I picked this up in a set, I hadn't realised just how short each book was too, so beware that this is a novella rather than a full length book.

For those looking for a crime element, the 'mystery' doesn't kick off until around 60% of the way through the book (the previous 60% being fairly interminable descriptions of several stops they've made on their cruise up the Danube) and even then, there's not much by way of investigation.

As for the storyline, I couldn't work out Adelle's purpose at all - supposedly she was the 'tour host' yet she didn't want to do anything with her group, didn't want to do the activities associated with the cruise and abandoned the group for 2 days because they somehow hurt her feelings by not inviting her to breakfast! Even more bizarrely she doesn't use any electronic devices because of some deal she's made with her granddaughter, but also means she's entirely unreachable by her group and employer. The author is quite clear that she hates technology (oh the irony of publishing on Kindle) and communicates this through her main character's disdain of anyone that uses a phone, tablet, laptop, camera or more, as well as through several other minor characters' behaviour.

[Anne Kavcic · Rating 4 out of 5]

No murders here, just Adelle trying to pinch-hit as tour director and wondering about puzzling behavior on the part of a few of her charges - which turns into a greater mystery. Relaxing to read, location descriptions which help you visualize all the foreign cities, friendships which develop along the way, and a healthy dose of empathy round out this enjoyable cozy.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was nothing inherently wrong w/ the story or the characters, it was just not a style that appeals to me.
Note: The mystery is very minimal in the book. Most of the book is a description of the travels, just wish it was more in line w/ the mystery.

[Karin Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who stole the diamonds and why??? A crime ring??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.24

[Susan Katz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this in preparation for my river cruise on the Danube.

[Amber]

DNF

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where is the jewelry and the missing medications??? Insurance fraud??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.