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bargainsleuth's review against another edition
5.0
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Death on Deck: First thing’s first: you do not have to have read the previous Eleanor Swift mysteries in order to read Death on Deck. Each book is written like a standalone novel. That’s one of the reasons I found myself liking this series. It doesn’t matter that I started this series on volume 12; all the information I needed was provided with a brief backstory explaining Lady Eleanor’s situation.
This volume has Eleanor, her ever-faithful butler, Clifford, her dog Gladstone, and her house staff traveling to America aboard the Celestiana, a luxury cruise ship on its maiden voyage. Eleanor was invited by the Blue Star Line’s owner because of her reputation as a fiercely independent woman who has solved many mysteries, and being a Lady doesn’t hurt, either. Also on board, unbeknownst to Eleanor at the beginning of the cruise, is her beau, Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon. Hugh had cancelled his plans to spend time with Eleanor on her birthday, which led to Eleanor accepting the invite to cruise on her birthday. Why is Hugh on the ship, and why didn’t he tell Eleanor? That’s all part of the mystery.
The first night on board the ship, Eleanor heads out for a midnight stroll and see two figures in shadow in the distance. One has a gun. The next thing she knows, the gun goes off, and one of the men goes overboard. Eleanor rushes over to the scene of the crime, only to discover a gun she recognizes as that of her boyfriend, Hugh. She finds him in second class, woefully seasick, not realizing his gun was missing.
It turns out Hugh is not on a case, not officially, anyway. His wife’s unsolved murder some years prior has always been a source of angst for him. He’s taken time off of work, spent his savings on a ticket for this cruise, following the man he thinks killed his wife. Now the problem is that the man overboard turns out to be his suspect, and his gun was used to kill the man. Someone is trying to frame Hugh, but who on the cruise knows of the connection? Lady Eleanor is on the case.
As Eleanor investigates, another man is found murdered, putting the pressure on her to find the murderer before anyone else gets hurt, and before the ship docks in New York in just a few days.
I found this book charming as a cozy mystery should be. The resourceful Clifford aids Eleanor with all things, including remedies for seasickness for Hugh, as well as making sure Lady Eleanor wants for nothing, as usual. This is my first introduction to Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon, and I have to say, he does not come off well during the first half of the book. I don’t know if it was because of the seasickness making him fairly helpless, but I couldn’t see why Eleanor was so taken with him. However, as the book progresses, I began to see what all the fuss was about. By the end, I was definitely in the team Hugh camp!
There are a few chapters that are crucial to the plot, where Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford go over the clues they’ve picked up. I found this to be rather helpful to the overall story. I do have to say I guessed the guilty party based upon a thrown-away comment that turned out to be important to solving the case, which is the sign of a good mystery writer. Usually I don’t pick up on those things, but luck was on my side this time. The journey to get to the main suspect was still a thrill ride even though I guessed correctly.
As a whole, Death on Deck is the sort of mystery I like to read. Great characterization, great time period (1923), a plot that doesn’t meander or plod along, a locked room mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie. Highly recommend!
I received a copy of this book from Bookouture, NetGalley and the authors in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Death on Deck: First thing’s first: you do not have to have read the previous Eleanor Swift mysteries in order to read Death on Deck. Each book is written like a standalone novel. That’s one of the reasons I found myself liking this series. It doesn’t matter that I started this series on volume 12; all the information I needed was provided with a brief backstory explaining Lady Eleanor’s situation.
This volume has Eleanor, her ever-faithful butler, Clifford, her dog Gladstone, and her house staff traveling to America aboard the Celestiana, a luxury cruise ship on its maiden voyage. Eleanor was invited by the Blue Star Line’s owner because of her reputation as a fiercely independent woman who has solved many mysteries, and being a Lady doesn’t hurt, either. Also on board, unbeknownst to Eleanor at the beginning of the cruise, is her beau, Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon. Hugh had cancelled his plans to spend time with Eleanor on her birthday, which led to Eleanor accepting the invite to cruise on her birthday. Why is Hugh on the ship, and why didn’t he tell Eleanor? That’s all part of the mystery.
The first night on board the ship, Eleanor heads out for a midnight stroll and see two figures in shadow in the distance. One has a gun. The next thing she knows, the gun goes off, and one of the men goes overboard. Eleanor rushes over to the scene of the crime, only to discover a gun she recognizes as that of her boyfriend, Hugh. She finds him in second class, woefully seasick, not realizing his gun was missing.
It turns out Hugh is not on a case, not officially, anyway. His wife’s unsolved murder some years prior has always been a source of angst for him. He’s taken time off of work, spent his savings on a ticket for this cruise, following the man he thinks killed his wife. Now the problem is that the man overboard turns out to be his suspect, and his gun was used to kill the man. Someone is trying to frame Hugh, but who on the cruise knows of the connection? Lady Eleanor is on the case.
As Eleanor investigates, another man is found murdered, putting the pressure on her to find the murderer before anyone else gets hurt, and before the ship docks in New York in just a few days.
I found this book charming as a cozy mystery should be. The resourceful Clifford aids Eleanor with all things, including remedies for seasickness for Hugh, as well as making sure Lady Eleanor wants for nothing, as usual. This is my first introduction to Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon, and I have to say, he does not come off well during the first half of the book. I don’t know if it was because of the seasickness making him fairly helpless, but I couldn’t see why Eleanor was so taken with him. However, as the book progresses, I began to see what all the fuss was about. By the end, I was definitely in the team Hugh camp!
There are a few chapters that are crucial to the plot, where Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford go over the clues they’ve picked up. I found this to be rather helpful to the overall story. I do have to say I guessed the guilty party based upon a thrown-away comment that turned out to be important to solving the case, which is the sign of a good mystery writer. Usually I don’t pick up on those things, but luck was on my side this time. The journey to get to the main suspect was still a thrill ride even though I guessed correctly.
As a whole, Death on Deck is the sort of mystery I like to read. Great characterization, great time period (1923), a plot that doesn’t meander or plod along, a locked room mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie. Highly recommend!
I received a copy of this book from Bookouture, NetGalley and the authors in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
kerrysj's review
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
bogumilb's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ewil6681's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
booksbybindu's review against another edition
5.0
‘Death on Deck’ sees Eleanor and the gang set sail for America! So you know how I bang on about my favourite genre being strong women who solve mysteries between the wars?! There is a sub genre to this which I love even more - the story being set on an ocean liner crossing the Atlantic! I don’t know why, maybe it’s the glamour of it all, the locked room mystery aspect or just basic jealously as I have always wanted to have experienced it. All this added up to me being very excited about this outing for Eleanor and the gang! And it did not disappoint.
When Inspector Hugh Seldon lets Lady Eleanor Swift know that he will have to miss her birthday as he has a case, she reconsiders an invitation to travel on the maiden voyage of the Celestiana to New York. Basically, she is in a bit of a huff and decides she wants adventure and off she trots with her merry band of staff and dog! She has paid for all the ladies on her staff to come along as a vacation and for them to experience the thrill of an ocean crossing! Not too long into the journey Eleanor witnesses a man being shot and pushed overboard. When she retrieves the gun she gets a shock as she recognises it as Hugh’s! Her faithful butler Clifford does some digging and finds Hugh on board, albeit cowering in his room with horrendous sea sickness. But he is also under cover as he is tracking a criminal he has been chasing for years! They come to the conclusion that Hugh is being framed for the murder and the countdown is on - they need to find the murderer before they dock in New York!
Although this is the 13th book in the series you can definitely read it on it's own as the background to the case isn't known to the reader either! This is one of my favourite series and this outing was brilliant - fast-paced, full of emotion, packed to the gunnels of twists and turns and technically it's a locked mystery as the murderer has nowhere to hide. I enjoyed learning more about Hugh and his life prior to meeting Eleanor and it certainly explains why their relationship has been progressing so slowly.
Roll on book 14 as it is set in New York! Let me know if you read this one.
When Inspector Hugh Seldon lets Lady Eleanor Swift know that he will have to miss her birthday as he has a case, she reconsiders an invitation to travel on the maiden voyage of the Celestiana to New York. Basically, she is in a bit of a huff and decides she wants adventure and off she trots with her merry band of staff and dog! She has paid for all the ladies on her staff to come along as a vacation and for them to experience the thrill of an ocean crossing! Not too long into the journey Eleanor witnesses a man being shot and pushed overboard. When she retrieves the gun she gets a shock as she recognises it as Hugh’s! Her faithful butler Clifford does some digging and finds Hugh on board, albeit cowering in his room with horrendous sea sickness. But he is also under cover as he is tracking a criminal he has been chasing for years! They come to the conclusion that Hugh is being framed for the murder and the countdown is on - they need to find the murderer before they dock in New York!
Although this is the 13th book in the series you can definitely read it on it's own as the background to the case isn't known to the reader either! This is one of my favourite series and this outing was brilliant - fast-paced, full of emotion, packed to the gunnels of twists and turns and technically it's a locked mystery as the murderer has nowhere to hide. I enjoyed learning more about Hugh and his life prior to meeting Eleanor and it certainly explains why their relationship has been progressing so slowly.
Roll on book 14 as it is set in New York! Let me know if you read this one.
vesper1931's review
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
1923 On the collapse of her birthday plans Lady Eleanor embarks on a cruise to New York. Then she witnesses a man being shot and thrown overboard, and then only to discover that Detective Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon is on board seeking the murderer of his wife from seven years ago.
An entertaining hstorical mystery with its likeable characters
An entertaining hstorical mystery with its likeable characters
the_sassy_bookworm's review
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Death on Deck by Verity Bright is an exciting murder mystery that follows Lady Eleanor Swift on her first luxury cruise. When she witnesses a man being shot and falling overboard, she discovers that the likely murder weapon belongs to her beau, Detective Hugh Seldon, who is on an undercover mission aboard the ship. Eleanor sets out to identify the real killer among a sea of suspects including European nobility, Italian opera stars and American nouveau riche, to clear Seldon’s name.
I found Death on Deck to be another solid read in this ongoing series. The book is well-written with plenty of twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. The setting of the opulent ocean liner adds to the suspenseful atmosphere of the story. The author has done an excellent job in developing likable characters and creating a “who done it” narrative that is engaging from start to finish. While I am not personally a fan of Detective Hugh Seldon, he looks like he is here to stay, so c'est la vie.
Death on Deck by Verity Bright is an exciting murder mystery that follows Lady Eleanor Swift on her first luxury cruise. When she witnesses a man being shot and falling overboard, she discovers that the likely murder weapon belongs to her beau, Detective Hugh Seldon, who is on an undercover mission aboard the ship. Eleanor sets out to identify the real killer among a sea of suspects including European nobility, Italian opera stars and American nouveau riche, to clear Seldon’s name.
I found Death on Deck to be another solid read in this ongoing series. The book is well-written with plenty of twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. The setting of the opulent ocean liner adds to the suspenseful atmosphere of the story. The author has done an excellent job in developing likable characters and creating a “who done it” narrative that is engaging from start to finish. While I am not personally a fan of Detective Hugh Seldon, he looks like he is here to stay, so c'est la vie.
bamboopanda's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Classism and Misogyny
caliblues's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
the_bookbasket's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
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