Stephen Murray created believable dialogue that enthralled me from the first page. The characters were so colorful, multidimensional and flawed. I loved Sylvia and her refined etiquette, and indulged in Denise Parker's bravado and manipulations. The pace was fast and the tension was perfect. The backdrop of a cruise ship was ideal. Although the plot is classic, it has a modern twist. The detailed imagery of this affluent family's lifestyle swept me away and into their elite world. Murder Aboard the Queen Elizabeth II is highly recommended.
While a mystery like Murder Aboard the Queen Elizabeth II may be described as an emotional rollercoaster, I found it to be, both literally and figuratively, more like a cruise with countless emotional ports of call. From the beginning, two primary questions are obvious: 1 Who is murdered? 2 Who commits the murder? On the contrary, the answers to these questions are so skillfully woven into the text by the author that the reader is never quite certain of which direction the turn of events may take. This, however, is exactly what keeps you turning page after page, gleefully outwitted by the author’s intricate plot until you arrive at the surprisingly unexpected outcome. This same element of unpredictability is also why I recommend Stephen Murray’s Murder Aboard the Queen Elizabeth II to anyone ready to embark on a truly mysterious and thrilling adventure.
Stephen Murray, award-winning author of The Chapel of Eternal Love, shifts his focus from crafting memorable Vegas romance stories to exploring the mystery genre in Murder Aboard the Queen Elizabeth II. This is a light and satisfying mystery that can aptly draw comparisons to the iconic Murder, She Wrote television series and the books coinciding with the show. In skillful fashion, Murray develops a well-rounded cast of characters around Brian Sinclair, music mogul of Sinclair Records, and his loyal wife of twenty-five years, Sylvia. They plan their wedding anniversary on the QEII, and to celebrate they invite their children and closest friends. When a member of the party dies on the cruise, it is clear that past conflicts and differences of opinion may lend evidence of possible motives for anyone as the suspect. The shrewd insight and experience of private investigator Richard Manning is required in order to assemble the subtle clues and expose the assailant. Murray does a nice job of maintaining the suspense as the plot builds. The story accelerates to a new gear when Manning begins filtering through the many scenarios to arrive at the truth. With plenty of witty dialogue, heated trysts, and the right amount of sympathy, Murray delivers a page-turning murder investigation that will keep you guessing until the final twist reveals the culprit.
The Sinclair’s are a couple you love to hate. Brian is a pompous womanizer and wife Sylvia is so caught up in being “proper” she forgets how to feel. When they decide to take a cruise aboard the QEII to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, all hell breaks loose and all not only do their true colors come out, but so do those of their guests. Dirty little secrets are revealed and that’s what makes it so much fun. Murray’s depiction of these people speaks of a knowledge of the proper English socialite and of high brow society. His descriptive writing wraps you into the lifestyle of these characters and leaves you wondering how you got there. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to hearing more from this gifted author.
