Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Set For Murder

When is a cruise ship like a movie set or a theatre stage?  When you set sail with Jolie Beaumont in her fun mystery novel, Set For Murder.  What a fun, light, entertaining mystery.  Sailing on a cruise ship bound for England during the 1920s.  At the beginning of the depression we set sail from New York headed for England.  The author mixes the rich and famous of American society with the royal society of England.  Actors and dukes socialize on the transatlantic journey as Inspector Travers is along for the ride to guard the famous Tarrington pearl necklace.

All the style and glamour of the wealthy society.  You are along of the ride as people are murdered while the members of this cast stroll the decks of the ship and enjoy the life at sea.  Inspector Travers unravels the crime as you learn about all the interwoven relationships of the passengers.  What at first seems like a random group of travelers soon becomes a web of deceptive passengers who are somehow all connected.  Inspector Travers spends his time interviewing the suspects and radioing back to the United States to try and find out who had motive to murder.

Beaumont does a splendid job of writing this detective plot in a colorful, period style.  You enjoy following the characters around on the ship, through lavish meals, tennis matches and bridge games. The relationships between characters are well created, though sometimes it is confusing who is related to who and is married to who.

Life is glamorous traveling first class on a transatlantic ocean liner.  Keep your jewels locked in the safe and beware the jealous traveler.

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