Experience a thrilling adventure on the high seas with Olivia and her talking parrot Chico. Olivia’s glamorous life as an entertainer on a cruise ship takes a hard turn when the ship’s youth counselor goes missing and she and her friends Hayley and Rachel must spend their cruise corralling kiddos instead of sipping cocktails by the pool.
When a staff member is found dead, Olivia and her talkative parrot Chico must use their quick wits and sharp detective skills to solve the case.
With danger lurking around every corner and plenty of twists and turns, Olivia must stay one step ahead and solve the mystery before it's too late.
Come on a Cruise Ship Adventure with Olivia and Her Parrot Chico and Help Them Unravel the Mystery!
Wendy Neugent spent close to a decade as part of an award-winning act performing on cruise ships all over the world. She traveled from Alaska to Venezuela, Bermuda to Tahiti, and many exotic ports of call in between.
Now, Wendy uses her insider knowledge of cruise ship life to write fun and entertaining cozy mystery books set on cruise ships.
Wendy’s Cruise Ship Mysteries are the perfect books to read while taking a cruise or when you wish you were on a cruise.
Join my reader group, Wendy Neugent's Clue Crew and find an engaged and welcoming community of other readers to talk all things mystery, plus see photos of adorable pets, funny book memes, and get a free activity book! https://www.facebook.com/groups/wendy...
I was very happy to receive an advanced copy of this book, as I was looking forward to spending more time on a cruise ship with Olivia and Chico the parrot. The descriptions of the sunrises alone had me yearning to be back on board a ship.
The ship's youth counsellor has gone missing and Tristan, the Cruise Director, has asked Olivia, Hayley, and Rachel to fill in. A couple of the children are challenging (or at least their parents are) but Olivia finds the position to be more rewarding than expected. Having spent more than enough time in the past with children, Hayley does not, but feels she cannot refuse to help because she is seeing the CD.
This book has a few problems, which I hope can be corrected before it is formally released. One moment Olivia and friends are having a wonderful time river rafting in Jamaica, in the next sentence they are back in the Kids' Club on the ship and Olivia is wondering why there is a pillow lying on the floor mat. Later she is talking to Joseph, the room steward, in the corridor and then suddenly she is back in the Kids' Club talking to Hayley.
Time spent on board a ship is always enjoyable, even if we have to do it through fictional characters!
And please, Wendy, let's see lots more of Chico. He is an absolutely hoot!
I enjoyed this book a lot. I received this book as an ARC from the author to read and review as an honest and unbiased opinion.
This was my first book in the series and it was a fun read. It’s very quick-paced and takes place during one cruise. Being a former cruise ship crew member Wendy has an excellent take on how cruise ships run. Due to Covid we have canceled several cruises and this was a wonderful reminder of what we’re missing and has me aching to get back to cruising. The story was delightful and I could feel the ship’s entertainers dismay at having to take on a second job for that particular cruise. I’m not one for spoilers but the main protagonist, Olivia Morgan, is a delightful sleuth and the story includes, romance, murder and mayhem, both from adults and children. Lots of laugh-a-loud scenes. There were a few spots where story lines changed with no space between but that is an editorial issue, rather than the author’s mistake.
I look forward to going back and reading the previous books to understand the full story. Anyone, especially a cruiser, should enjoy this story.
I worked as an entertainer on cruise ships in my 20s and early 30s. While I was learning the magic show, I worked as a youth counselor on The Big Red Boat for my first contract on a cruise ship. I used many of my experiences as youth staff in this book. (but with more murders!)
With each of my books, I use inspiration from things I did in my decade of working on cruise ships as an entertainer, but so many of the things that happen to Olivia in Afraid Knot are super similar to things that happened to me when I worked on The Atlantic. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent....and the guilty!)
Can you guess which parts of the book really happened? Which characters are based on real people I ran into during my time as a youth counselor?
I'm so excited for you to read Afraid Knot. I really hope you enjoy this peek into behind-the-scenes cruise ship life.
The children’s carer on the cruise has gone missing & so the entertainers are asked to help out. Not happy & some of the children are badly behaved. Also the parents who leave the children well after hours. Olivia owns a parrot who the children like. There is a mystery person using the playroom but that is sorted out successfully. Then the roommate of the missing girl is murdered. This gives the 3 entertainers pause for thought, and after a few odd things fall into place, the mystery is solved.
Another well written storyline, just a little different than the first few, but still and entertaining story. I can't wait to read more, I received this book as a Free ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.
Olivia's glamorous life on the cruise ship takes a hard turn when the ships youth counsellor Emerald goes missing . Olivia with her friends Rachel and Harley go around finding clues when a staff member is found dead. Olivia has the added job of being the baby sitter on the cruise too. There is a lot of danger and twist and turns as Olivia and her parrot Chico use their detective skills to solve the crime. A exciting and enjoyable read. I received this book free and leave a honest review. I recommend this book to other readers.
This is a great light-hearted read of behind the scenes on a cruise ship, with a missing person and a murder, or is that 2 murders? I love cruising and I felt like I was there with them, except you get to see behind the curtain on a ship. Although, not having kids, it is unlikely I will be spending time at the Kid's Club, it was very entertaining and fun trying to tie all the loose threads together to solve who did what. Well worth the time.
I was given an ARC copy, but no request was made to write a specific type of review. This review is of my own thoughts and feelings.
Cruise ship entertainer, Olivia Morgan, is ready to enjoy a weeklong cruise with her friends dividing their time between work and play. Life is looking pretty good for the three entertainers, until the cruise ship director seeks their help. Their youth counselor is a no show, and they have a huge group of children that need to be watched. He asked the women to fill in since they have more free time than other cruise ship employees.
Reluctantly, they agree but it’s not easy. The kids are a handful, to say the least. Things take an even bigger turn for the worst when Olivia discovers a dead body. With the help of her parrot, Chico, they search for a killer.
This series gets better and better with each book. So far, this one is my favorite. There are so many LOL moments sprinkled throughout the story.
Every time I read one of these books I feel as if I actually just disembarked from a cruise ship. I love cruising and this is a great way to experience one without leaving home.
The storyline moved along at a fast pace. I had my suspicions as to who the culprit was, but I wasn’t sure until I got closer to the end.
The characters are well-developed. I felt as if I got to know them better and better with each book. I, also, like the mix of romance with mystery. Olivia and her friends each have a romance going on with their own storyline.
Lastly, there’s Olivia’s buddy, Chico. It’s so much fun listening to Olivia converse with her parrot. It’s as if Chico totally understands what she’s saying and maybe he does. They have one of the cutest relationships. I’m always a sucker for a story with pets.
This book is a fun read, especially during the summer months. It’s also a book that kept me awake during the night as I simply couldn’t put it down. I love a book that keeps me smiling long after the last page is turned.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Wendy Neugent has a winner with this series!
When Olivia, Rachel and Hayley are asked to man the youth counselor's job because the girl whose job it was is missing, they reluctantly agree. With lots of laughs and some kids needing control, they are exhausted but have to do their regular jobs on the ship. Olivia has her magic act with her parrot, Chico. I just love the parrot and would love to see him help with the mysteries and protection of Olivia in the future. All is going along when Olivia is sure she sees a body, but nothing is there. Then she finds Nell dead in the kid's club and things start to get strange. Olivia starts to investigate and ask questions on her own, but will this get her in trouble? Head of security really likes Olivia and he wants to keep her safe. This is a fun read with lots of twists and turns, although it does need a better edit. First Olivia is with Hayley on a raft and the next sentence they are in the Kid's club. There are a few examples of this throughout the book where a break is needed between ideas or events. But all in all I can't wait to see what will happen with Hayley and Tristan and Olivia and Alex. But I also want to see more of Chico! With lots of laughs and twists and turns you will enjoy this book. I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
I felt so bad for Olivia and Hayley after they told Tristan they'd work in the kid daycare section for the week since the new youth counselor appeared to have ghosted them. But it was crazy how good Hayley was with kids even though she couldn't stand them lol. I was starting to think counselor Emerald wasn't even real for a while (you know, like Capt. Tuttle on MASH?), well until some clues started showing up. Alex as always was trying to protect Olivia from sleuthing. And with working in the daycare, she really didn't have a ton of time for sleuthing but you know Olivia. She'd do without sleep before letting a killer run around free. Working in daycare till all hours and dealing with partying parents who came late also made her do without sleep.
I started suspecting the killer (yep of two this time) at one point possibly before Olivia had completely caught on, but she didn't disappoint and barged in on a showdown where she was actually helpful and not on the receiving end. The usual fun departure ended the book and even the little brat who'd been such a holy terror in daycare came and hugged Olivia before leaving. I liked that she and Alex were in a pretty good place at the end in their more-than-a-friendship. Can't wait to borrow the next in KU when it's out!
This is a great light-hearted read of behind the scenes on a cruise ship, with a missing person and a murder, or is that 2 murders? I love cruising and I felt like I was there with them, except you get to see behind the curtain on a ship. Although, not having kids, it is unlikely I will be spending time at the Kid's Club, it was very entertaining and fun trying to tie all the loose threads together to solve who did what. Well worth the time.
I was given an ARC copy, but no request was made to write a specific type of review. This review is of my own thoughts and feelings.
What another great story. Have loved following Olivia on her adventures/misadventures during her cruise times. If there is trouble brewing, you can be sure that she will turn up somewhere, as security agent Alex has found out. And she doesn’t follow orders to stay out of trouble very well. But her nose for ferreting out details is second to none and she leads the right people to the right conclusions every time. Looking forward to her next adventure.
It's A lovely ,scenic cruise through the islands of the Caribbean. Unfortunately, the youth counselor,/babysitter didn't report for duty. Hayley, Rachael, and Olivia get talked into taking over the kiddie entertainment. Chaos reins at first. Then, unfortunately, because of negligent parents, Olivia stumbles upon a body. Alex thinks she's dreaming because of exhaustion. After a few missteps, Olivia figures it out. There's an action packed conclusion.
Cute mystery that does not involve blood, gore, Dirty words et cetera. I truly felt like I was on a cruise With Olivia and her friends. Then there is Chico but a sweet bird and she describes him so well you wanna hold him and give him hugs. I feel this book Look in Wendy's series so far. But I love them all. Hope she keeps writing about Olivia and her ship board activities.
I really highly enjoyed this cozy mystery book. Although it is labeled as a cozy mystery, I found it to be a humorous reading of Olivia's interaction with Jimmy, a 7 year old devious child from Kid's Club. Shows us the steps behind the scenes with the cruise ship crew. I look forward to read more of the adventures of Olivia and Chico. I highly recommend this writer.
I received an advance copy of this book and my review is in my own words and voluntary.. Great! What a fun read , character descriptions are good as are the surroundings and plot . Can’t wait for the next book already . So glad I found this author
Really enjoyable cosy mystery. This is the 4th book in the series, and for me they are getting better and better as you get to know the characters more. A lovely easy read, I'd recommend for some cruise based escapism.
I really enjoyed this book. Although a mystery, I found it humorous reading of Olivia's interaction with Jimmy, a 7 year old child from Kid's Club, I look forward to read more of the adventures of Olivia and Chiico. I highly recommend this writer.
Another well written storyline, just a little different than the first few, but still and entertaining story. I can't wait to read more, I received this book as a Free ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.
Another amazing little story. Romance abounds. Keep writing! Reading these stories is so relaxing. Still love my little parrot! I look forward to more of these books.
Another brilliant book in the Cruise Ship Mystery series. A cozy mystery that makes you feel like you are on the cruise ship living the story with Olivia and Chico the parrot. This book is a real page turner that kept me wanting to read on to find out what was going to happen next. I have read and loved all the books in this series and can't wait to read the next one. This series is perfect for those who enjoy a light hearted cozy mystery that you can't put down. Highly recommend!