This is the second novel I read by this author and after having been impressed with her debut novel The Chalet I couldn’t resist this new mystery set in another secluded location. I’ve not been on a cruise ship yet but the author seemed to know the ins and outs of life on a cruise ship so well and described it so vividly that I almost feel as if I’ve been on one after reading this novel. After this tragic event the ship is laid up (out of service) for two months, with just a skeleton staff. The staff are doing their best to move on - but when other deaths begin to occur they start to wonder more about Lola. Was she murdered? And why? There’s a possible death on the ship, a definite death and a missing person to get to grips with and like I said a revelation later in the book.

I had no idea where this story was going to lead me! No idea! What a journey it was! Jeez! Mind Blown! I love the twists and turns, and I did guess who one character was but not the one you think. I also find it interesting that while cruising is of course one of the safest forms of travel, every year several people go missing from cruise ships, and quite often, no one really gets to the bottom of what happened. Again, wonderful and engaging writing, the author is clearly very well at what she does, but the book simply wasn’t for me. Two weeks later, the ship is out of service, laid up far from land with no more than a skeleton crew on board. And then more people start disappearing… I added the Chalet and The Chateau to my TBR but never got around to reading them, so this is my first Catherine Cooper read. And Wow I am not sure what I just read. As the title indicates, the story starts on a cruise but then jumps to a seemingly unrelated story about a teenage girl found after being abducted years ago. Of course in a twisty thriller, no theory is ever off the table, but I must say if you figure this one out, you should probably be writing the thrillers instead of reading them.During a New Year’s Eve party on a large cruise ship in the Caribbean, the ship’s dancer, Lola, disappears. The ship is searched and the coastguard is called, but there is no sign of her, either dead or alive. Yes – readers seem to enjoy the luxury elements of my books, plus I love inventing and writing about luxury suites, Michelin-starred food etc. My other cruise was with a lovely group of ramblers on Fred Olsen’s Boudicca where instead of getting the coaches to go sightseeing we would do walking tours on the stops – a much smaller ship and a very different experience. Both good though!

I LOVED this fun, fast-paced murder mystery. Luxurious surroundings, great characters and dark secrets’ SUZY K QUINN In terms of the plot, I really did enjoy the plot with the idea that someone has gone overboard and is assumed dead. Soon, the ship is on a layover in the Caribbean and there is only essentials/useful staff allowed. Then another death occurs and one of the characters POV was very dodgy and poorly written in how their thought process is portrayed. This novel to its credit really did start strongly, the details of the luxury cruise liner and immediate murder really drew me in.The story begins with a dancer off a cruise named Lola going missing, there is speculation that she committed suicide by jumping overboard. The outcome was thrilling and highly unexpected. More crew members end up going missing and the way in which the crimes unfold will have you captivated. This book taps heavily into mental health, so bear this in mind if this is a trigger for you. Now I know most modern psychological thrillers have dual timelines, but it still seems jarring when the narrative switches to the Scottish Highlands.

I’ve said this every time I’ve read one of Catherine Cooper’s novels, but yet again she proves that she is one of the 21st Century’s answers to Agatha Christie! The Cruise is a wonderfully plotted and beautifully executed mystery that is so stunningly plausible, so therefore has all the hallmarks of a classic Christie endeavour. I was immediately drawn into the narrative and found myself hooked to discovering the truth. As with all good mysteries, I was eagerly detecting away myself, trying to piece together the various strands and work out what was occurring. I managed to work out snippets of the truth, but Cooper is such an accomplished writer that I couldn’t see the full picture until I reached the point she wanted me to!

A cleverly plotted thriller set almost entirely in the French Alps. The descriptions of the snow made me feel like I was there’ ALLIE REYNOLDS