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linnaboobooks's review against another edition
5.0
If you're looking for a whodunit, this may be a good one to consider picking up. It lets you know right away what it is, not to expect any thriller elements, but a casual closed space whodunit kind of akin to vibes of Murder, She Wrote. That same kind of slight campy but not really.
There is a handful of characters we follow, which can be a little hard to keep track of in the beginning, even I struggled with it at times. But once you get it on lock, it gets easier to follow.
There is a handful of characters we follow, which can be a little hard to keep track of in the beginning, even I struggled with it at times. But once you get it on lock, it gets easier to follow.
paulabrandon's review against another edition
2.0
These days, the best thing you can say about a Mary Higgins Clark book is that at least it wasn't her worst! The days of gripping thrillers like A Cry In The Night, I'll Be Seeing You or Remember Me are long gone. These days they're weak mysteries, with far too many characters, view points changing within the same paragraph, stilted dialogue, too much repetition, and too many useless facts that have nothing to do with the plot. That's all in abundance here, but she has at least kept a lid on the too many characters issue, with everybody within these pages at least having something important to do.
The story has Lady Emily Haywood on board an exclusive cruise, in which she plans to wear a priceless necklace originally meant for Cleopatra. It should be no surprise when she winds up dead! We know from the get-go it's the work of the elusive Man With A Thousand Faces, so all those endless chapters of characters ruminating on who the culprit could be were a bit tedious! Celia Kilbride is a gemologist on board as a special guest lecturer (on a cruise?!?) and she gets drawn into danger when Lady Em asks her to check out the value of some of her jewellery, under the belief that her assistant Brenda has been switching them out for inferior copies. Also on board are Lady Em's investment banker, Roger Pearson and his wife Yvonne. Roger has been cooking her books. Then there is Devon Michaelson from Interpol, dedicated to catching the Man With A Thousand Faces. And Willy and Alvirah Meehan, regular characters from other books by Clark.
As I said, it's not Clark's worst, but that's not saying much! The short chapters make it a quick, easy read, but it's terribly written and relentlessly stupid. Check these out:
Several characters tell Celia they don't believe she killed Lady Em or that she stole the necklace, despite it not being public knowledge that Lady Em was even murdered or that the necklace had been stolen.
Despite knowing she could be a killer's target, Celia refuses to let anyone stay in her room, or bunk with anybody else, OR tell freaking security. Of course, a killer breaks into her room and tries to murder her. Stupid bint deserved to be thrown overboard!
I am honestly surprised anybody could give this 4 or 5 stars. They either got one of those advance copies and don't want to miss out on future ones by leaving a bad review, or have never read a book above middle grade level! I read this for free from the library, and was still severely underwhelmed!
The story has Lady Emily Haywood on board an exclusive cruise, in which she plans to wear a priceless necklace originally meant for Cleopatra. It should be no surprise when she winds up dead! We know from the get-go it's the work of the elusive Man With A Thousand Faces, so all those endless chapters of characters ruminating on who the culprit could be were a bit tedious! Celia Kilbride is a gemologist on board as a special guest lecturer (on a cruise?!?) and she gets drawn into danger when Lady Em asks her to check out the value of some of her jewellery, under the belief that her assistant Brenda has been switching them out for inferior copies. Also on board are Lady Em's investment banker, Roger Pearson and his wife Yvonne. Roger has been cooking her books. Then there is Devon Michaelson from Interpol, dedicated to catching the Man With A Thousand Faces. And Willy and Alvirah Meehan, regular characters from other books by Clark.
As I said, it's not Clark's worst, but that's not saying much! The short chapters make it a quick, easy read, but it's terribly written and relentlessly stupid. Check these out:
Spoiler
The cruise liner must have LOTS of insurance to pay out all the potential lawsuits, considering how easy it is to fall off the balcony of your private room into the sea below!Several characters tell Celia they don't believe she killed Lady Em or that she stole the necklace, despite it not being public knowledge that Lady Em was even murdered or that the necklace had been stolen.
Despite knowing she could be a killer's target, Celia refuses to let anyone stay in her room, or bunk with anybody else, OR tell freaking security. Of course, a killer breaks into her room and tries to murder her. Stupid bint deserved to be thrown overboard!
I am honestly surprised anybody could give this 4 or 5 stars. They either got one of those advance copies and don't want to miss out on future ones by leaving a bad review, or have never read a book above middle grade level! I read this for free from the library, and was still severely underwhelmed!
lovememybooks's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dina_b's review against another edition
4.0
Mais uma historia ao estilo de Mary Higgins Clark, mesmo que tenha descoberto o culpado bastante cedo foi uma leitura bastante agradável. Gostei do enredo se passar num barco do estilo Titanic, gostei das personagens e foi um prazer rever Alvirah e Willie.
ali_enza's review
5.0
I haven't read a Mary Higgins Clark book in a while but this was very entertaining. I enjoyed the twists and turns even though I suspected the killer from pretty early on.
I very much enjoyed the characters and their development.
Although, it was pretty simple, I enjoyed this story a lot.
I very much enjoyed the characters and their development.
Although, it was pretty simple, I enjoyed this story a lot.
kit_kat006's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I listened to the audio book and it was a bad story. Just hope you are not on this cruise ship with the worse management team. I hate everything about this book, the story,the writing, the good /bad caracter...I pushed through to finish it and I do not recommend it.
melissasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Another fun, no-brainer, cozy Mary Higgins Clark mystery! Alvirah and Willy are back in this book. This time they are on a cruise ship billed as opulent as the Titanic to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary. The cruise is catered to celebrities and the wealthiest in society. One of the wealthiest, Lady Em, is on board to show off her never worn in public emeralds that belonged to Cleopatra. After the cruise, she plans to donate them to the Smithsonian. Surrounding the gems is a curse that whoever wears the gems across the sea will not make it to port. There are all sorts of suspects who want to do Lady Em in. Ms. Clark sets them all up nicely with different motives. Sort of like reading a game of Clue! While I guessed the suspect fairly early on, I wasn't quite sure until the end. Fun read for a rainy day!