An indelible duo and supporting cast enliven this unassuming mystery at sea.
A murder aboard a cruise ship cramps a pair of amateur sleuths’ relaxing vacation in Westlake’s mystery novel.
Florida bartender Kalliope “Kallie” Brooks desperately needs some days off from work. She finally gets her chance when her friend Tess Russo scores a weeklong Caribbean cruise for two in a radio contest. They aim to lounge poolside, sip piña coladas, and enjoy all that the cruise has to offer. Then a dead body turns up, and the authorities respond by keeping the passengers—the potential killer among them—on board. Kallie and Tess, who’ve already investigated a murder back in Florida, decide to solve this mystery themselves, partly for the benefit of the victim’s family but also so they can get their vacation back on track. Surely, scouring the ship for clues can’t be that dangerous. A ransacked room, however, is just one sign that a killer may have eyes on the two snooping friends. Westlake’s cozy thriller boasts a colorful cast—even ostensible background characters stand out, such as the husband who rambles on about seafood-related trivia to anyone in earshot. This uncomplicated whodunit relies primarily on coincidence, with Kallie and Tess picking up a wealth of crucial details from eavesdropping while others openly discuss private matters. They likewise happen upon pieces of evidence that they just assume are connected to the victim or the murderer. Still, these charming gumshoes wisely view the crime from a variety of perspectives, never carelessly dismissing a motive or a suspect. The author ensures that readers won’t forget the serene setting: Kallie and Tess, even when investigating, continue to take advantage of the cruise ship’s diverting amenities (“‘I know this sounds insane, but I’m actually getting bored with just sitting by the pool.’ ‘That does sound insane,’ Tess replied without opening her eyes”).
An indelible duo and supporting cast enliven this unassuming mystery at sea.Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9798985642568
Page Count: 303
Publisher: Impractical Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.
A 16-year-old savant uses his Groundhog Day gift to solve his grandfather’s murder.
Nishizawa’s compulsively readable puzzle opens with the discovery of the victim, patriarch Reijiro Fuchigami, sprawled on a futon in the attic of his elegant mansion, where his family has gathered for a consequential announcement about his estate. The weapon seems to be a copper vase lying nearby. Given this setup, the novel might have proceeded as a traditional whodunit but for two delightful features. The first is the ebullient narration of Fuchigami’s youngest grandson, Hisataro, thrust into the role of an investigator with more dedication than finesse. The second is Nishizawa’s clever premise: The 16-year-old Hisataro has lived ever since birth with a condition that occasionally has him falling into a time loop that he calls "the Trap," replaying the same 24 hours of his life exactly nine times before moving on. And, of course, the murder takes place on the first day of one of these loops. Can he solve the murder before the cycle is played out? His initial strategies—never leaving his grandfather’s side, focusing on specific suspects, hiding in order to observe them all—fall frustratingly short. Hisataro’s comical anxiety rises with every failed attempt to identify the culprit. It’s only when he steps back and examines all the evidence that he discovers the solution. First published in 1995, this is the first of Nishizawa’s novels to be translated into English. As for Hisataro, he ultimately concludes that his condition is not a burden but a gift: “Time’s spiral never ends.”
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781805335436
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.
Four residents of Coopers Chase, a British retirement village, compete with the police to solve a murder in this debut novel.
The Thursday Murder Club started out with a group of septuagenarians working on old murder cases culled from the files of club founder Elizabeth Best’s friend Penny Gray, a former police officer who's now comatose in the village's nursing home. Elizabeth used to have an unspecified job, possibly as a spy, that has left her with a large network of helpful sources. Joyce Meadowcroft is a former nurse who chronicles their deeds. Psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and well-known political firebrand Ron Ritchie complete the group. They charm Police Constable Donna De Freitas, who, visiting to give a talk on safety at Coopers Chase, finds the residents sharp as tacks. Built with drug money on the grounds of a convent, Coopers Chase is a high-end development conceived by loathsome Ian Ventham and maintained by dangerous crook Tony Curran, who’s about to be fired and replaced with wary but willing Bogdan Jankowski. Ventham has big plans for the future—as soon as he’s removed the nuns' bodies from the cemetery. When Curran is murdered, DCI Chris Hudson gets the case, but Elizabeth uses her influence to get the ambitious De Freitas included, giving the Thursday Club a police source. What follows is a fascinating primer in detection as British TV personality Osman allows the members to use their diverse skills to solve a series of interconnected crimes.
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-98-488096-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Pamela Dorman/Viking
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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