As Jules, her mom, and all the employees of Torte continue the expansion of the bakery, Jules receives a request from her estranged husband Carlos. It seems that the cruise ship is down a pastry chef and he really needs her help. All-expenses-paid cruises are offered to sweeten the deal so how could Jules say no?! Being around Carlos is comfortable yet discomforting but Jules’ feelings for him take a back seat when a stowaway is found floating face down in one of the pools. Helping the Professor now takes up her spare time as they try to find a murderer aboard the ship.

I liked how this story primarily took place on a cruise ship. I’ve been on cruises before and I loved being taken back to those vacations. Of course, none of my vacations included death so that’s where the similarities end. I missed the rest of the cast though, since Jules, her mom, and the Professor were the only ones on the vacation. We get snippets of those taking care of Torte but the dynamics were completely different. Doing an off-property book is wonderful and takes the story in a different direction and the author does a seamless job of bringing everything right back around.

The Bakeshop Mysteries are great and each story is different, containing not just the murder mystery but other threads. The author does a fantastic job weaving multiple stories within each book. Each thread makes sense as you move along in the book, some intersecting with the murder and others just additional everyday life. The books are descriptive and I am able to immerse myself into the town of Ashland, or in this case, the goings-on and inner workings of cruise ship crewmembers.

The world building continues as new events take shape, book settings change, and new characters are introduced. The familiar favorites are always a pleasure to see on the pages. I enjoy the characters including Jules, Jules' mom, Stephanie, Sterling, Lance, Andy, Thomas, and the Professor. I connect with all the favorites on some level and can't imagine these books without them.

The story is fast paced and engaging. I enjoyed trying to unravel the murder mystery. Every time I thought I had things all figured out, the author tossed in a complication that changed my mind. Ellie Alexander does a great job keeping everything under wraps and revealing things methodically and at the right time.

It is always nice to visit with Jules and friends and very interesting to visit with her on the cruise ship. This was another engaging book in this series. The characters are continuing to develop and still remain interesting. The writing is easy to read with enough description but not so much that it bogs down the story-line. If you've ever wanted to understand the kitchens on a cruise ship, then this one is for you!

A great summer read! I was literally dreaming of being on board.
The authors description of the luxury cruise had me feeling transported and made me wonder if she has been a part of the culinary staff of a luxury cruise ship.
This was my first introduction to the Bakeshop Mysteries by
Ellie Alexander.
Although A Crime Of Passion Fruit is #6 in the series it was
difficult to get caught up on what was going on. Each book/plot seems to stand on it's own while including previous characters and drawing this reader in to want to read more.
If your a fan of cozy little mysteries you'll enjoy this voyage with
Jules.
Attached to this post is my interview with Jule's check it out below and you'll be wanting to visit her at Torte!

I received a complimentary copy from Great Escapes Tours.
This review will appear on retail sites where available and on
Good Reads.

This book and series is missing that chemistry that most of the mysteries have that appeal too me. I can't relate to the female protagonist in any way the secondary characters are okay but this book doesn't have that umph that I need

A Crime of Passion Fruit by Ellie Alexander is the sixth book in A Bakeshop Mystery series. Jules Capshaw receives a call from her estranged husband, Carlos asking for her assistance. The pastry chef on the cruise ship quit unexpectedly and his replacement will not arrive for a week. The captain would like Jules to return and offers an incentive of an all-expense paid trip for her mother, Helen and her fiancé, Doug Curtis (the Professor). Jules and Helen leave Torte in the hands of their capable staff and Lance. Lance, Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is at loose ends and states he will “supervise” the staff while they are away (oh, dear). Jules quickly settle back into the routine of ship life, but it is inevitable that she will stumble over a body. Jules discovers a blonde woman floating in the salt water pool. The same blonde woman she noticed sneaking around the crew area of the ship. But who is the victim? No one seems to know her identity. The captain asks the Professor to investigate the crime (there goes the vacation). Jules and the Professor need to capture the killer before the ship arrives at its next port. Jules has her hands full with baking scrumptious treats for the passengers, searching for clues, Carlos and a rocky ship from a squall they are passing through. Can Jules and the Professor catch the killer or will Jules end up as fish bait?

A Crime of Passion Fruit is easy to read and has a nice steady pace. I thought A Crime of Passion Fruit had more of the cozy element than mystery. There are numerous food descriptions in the book. The whodunit is in the background in this story and can easily be solved. The suspect pool is limited. I identified the culprit early in the story. The cruise ship was a nice change of pace and I appreciated how the author included the characters from Ashland into the story. A Crime of Passion Fruit can easily be read alone. All the necessary background details are provided. My rating for A Crime of Passion Fruit if 3 out of 5 stars. I did find it unbelievable that Jules would have time to run around the ship hunting down the Professor and looking for clues. She is running a large pastry kitchen (that works virtually around the clock as we are told more than once) that would command her full attention (I know it is fiction, but it needs to be slightly realistic). Also, a cruise ship has their own security to conduct investigations (and there are laws and regulations to follow when a crime is committed on a ship). A Crime of Passion Fruit reminds me of the Love Boat. I can see Captain Stubbing asking the Professor for his assistance and Jules reminds me of a female version of Gopher with her sleuthing. There is a repetition of information (seems a common theme lately in cozy mysteries). I wish I could say the Carlos and Jules situation was resolved, but it was not (sigh). I am not a fan of Carlos (#TeamThomas). He does not support Jules in her investigations (he wanted to promise “you will bake and stay in kitchen”). I do not feel the love between Jules and Carlos. There is lust, but that it is not love. At the end of A Crime of Passion Fruit, we are left with a little cliffhanger (which means I will be reading the next book in A Bakeshop Mystery series to find out what happens).

Rating 4.5 Stars

“Five days in paradise. What could possibly go wrong.” Famous last words.

Ellie Alexander continues her Bakeshop Mystery series with A Crime of Passion Fruit. While this is the sixth book in the series, it is a standalone read. A Crime of Passion Fruit finds Jules Capshaw back on the seas, sailing with her estranged husband Carlos on board the Amour of the Seas. But this trip is going to be different than any of the trips Jules and Carlos have ever been on.

Immediately, Jules becomes suspicious of a young woman she sees in the crew section of the ship. Thinking the woman took a wrong turn, she dismisses it. Later, Jules is horrified to discover the woman’s dead body. Good thing her mother Helen and the Professor aka Doug Curtis, Detective for Ashland PD has accompanied her on this trip. When the Professor and the ship’s doctor determine the young woman was murdered, he asks Jules to help him investigate. Initially, no one claims to know who the woman is or how she got on the ship, but Jules uses her sweet caring charm to get answers.

As if churning out pastries for a ship full of hundreds of people and attempting to solve a murder isn’t enough, Jules finds herself at a crossroad in her life. It’s been a year since she left Carlos and the sea life she loved after his heartbreaking revelation. While Jules has rediscovered her love for her hometown of Ashland, Oregon, her friends there, and the bakeshop, she finds that her heart also still belongs to Carlos. But Jules knows that her two worlds will never fit together.

I loved that Ellie has allowed readers to see the internal conflicts Jules has going on. I also loved that my own sleuthing skills figured out the killer a few pages before all was revealed to Jules. Alas, being aboard a ship called Amour of the Seas means romance is definitely in the air, even with murder. While happiness and love is in the air, something is off with Lance, the Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and this situation sets up the next book. I can’t wait to read Another One Bites the Crust.

Ellie Alexander is one of my absolute favorite mystery authors. This series is my in my top three of all time reads and I am always eager to highlight a book by her on the blog. It was a treat to go back to Jules’ pastry roots on the cruise ship, her friends and life on a ship was delightful to see.

I wasn’t very far into A Crime of Passion Fruit before realizing that Ellie Alexander’s bakeshop series would become a favorite of mine. The story is well written, intelligent, creative, entertaining, and just plain fun. Rather than being suspenseful, the focus is on logical crime deduction, a style that I love. Although this is #6 in the series – and I’ve not read the previous stories – it easily stands alone. I could pretty much figure out what had gone on with recurring characters. And kudos to Ms. Alexander for giving us a clean story with no profanity or graphic scenes.

The series centers around Torte, a small-town bakeshop in Ashland, Oregon – famous for its Shakespeare theater. A Crime of Passion Fruit, however, takes place on a cruise ship where Jules, at the request of her estranged husband, temporarily fills in as pastry chef. The vivid descriptions pulled me right into the setting and I enjoyed seeing a lot of the action from the crew’s perspective. Shipboard activities and themes were fun and imaginative. I confess to skimming over some of the food prep descriptions, but cooking fans will find these very interesting and informative.

A series is only as strong as its lead character, and I was immediately drawn to Jules – a natural leader who enjoys working with her mom and cares about people. She loved being a chef … “The kitchen is the great equalizer. People of all walks of life connect over food.” Secondary characters add even more depth to the story.

I especially enjoyed the romantic themes. Apparently two men are interested in Jules – Thomas, an Ashland police deputy, and Carlos, the estranged husband – and I don’t know who to pull for at this point. Thomas isn’t personally featured in this story, so I don’t know anything about him. But Carlos … Wow! At first, I thought their relationship was mainly based on surface-level attraction, but we see much more depth as the story unfolds. Carlos and Jules love each other, but have different life goals. This story ends in a tantalizing way for them and I’m eager to see what develops.

A Crime of Passion Fruit concludes with the hint of much more to come in the bakeshop series – Torte’s basement renovation, expansion, and the wedding of Jules’s mom. I eagerly await the release of book #7, Another One Bites the Crust, on January 2, 2018.

Highly recommended.

I was provided a free copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Warning: This book will cause cravings for Monte Cristo sandwiches, gooey cinnamon rolls, crepe cakes, lemon jelly roll, peach coffee cake, and more delectable desserts and pastries. You have been duly cautioned.

While A Crime of Passion Fruit isn’t like one of those ‘special mid-season episodes’ of your favorite TV show, where everyone heads to the vacation destination, Alexander does a fantastic job of including all the beloved characters anyway. Through emails back and forth with her friends and employees, Jules stays up to date with the goings-on back home, and we as readers are still treated to these great characters even in absentia. The cruise ship aspect to this novel was also well-done and in fact fascinated me. I enjoyed learning about what goes into making sure a cruise runs smoothly, particularly in the kitchens or during rough seas.

The murder mystery in A Crime of Passion Fruit has a bit of a twist in that it’s not just about ‘whodunit’ but also about who it was done to. No one knows (or admits to knowing) the victim, and so it’s as much about figuring out who she is and where she came from as it is about solving the crime itself. Being on a cruise ship – and being rather on Jules’ home turf – allows the Professor (whom I love) and Juliet to work together rather than him being in charge and her sneaking around to sneak around, so to speak.

Bottom Line: Juliet, her mother, and the Professor work just as well together as characters on a cruise ship as they do at Torte, and it was nice to keep up with the other characters back home too. The mystery is well-crafted (though I had the whodunit aspect pegged early on), and the continuing situation with Carlos vs. Thomas adds a dose of romance as well as emotion. The Bakeshop Mystery series is a great choice for cozy mystery fans with sweet tooths (sweet teeth?), and this installment in particular makes the perfect vacation read!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

My first introduction to this series was book number 5, Caught Bread-Handed, and to say I was instantly hooked is an understatement! I was giddy when I received the chance to grab an ARC of this book to review. I have found from the start that all of the characters in this series are believable, endearing, lovable and many times laugh out loud funny!
This story was fun, as it was taken out of the walls of Torte and whisked onto a ship, with lots of Carlos interactions (what could be better, really?). The story was well developed and packed full of suspense and mystery, making it fun as I made it almost to the end of the story before I figured out the who-dun-it.

I can't wait to sink my teeth into the next in this series! Oh, and don't forget to sink your teeth into the recipes in the back of the book, especially the Lemon Jelly Roll!

In an Oyster Shell – Another great installment of the series and is even a nice change of pace being set on a cruise ship.

The Pearls – I really liked this book in the series. It was a nice change of pace to be set on a cruise ship. Made me want to take a cruise. The descriptions of the boat and the food made you feel like you were there. It made me want to be there. The author really knew what she was talking about. You can tell she does her homework.

The mystery was intriguing. I felt like this was more of a stumper than in other books. They didn’t even know who the girl was for part of the investigation. Usually, they know the victim but not this time. Jules had a lot more to figure out and made for a more interesting read.

You can’t talk about these books and not talk about the romance. Carlos wants Jules back and spent her time on the ship showing her that. Jules knows her heart is in Ashland and she doesn’t know if Carlos would be happy there. Of course, Thomas is back on land worrying about Jules. It’s still a mystery who Jules will end up with. There is another part to the romance and that’s between her mom and the professor. You don’t want to miss what happens in this book!

The Sand – It’s a well-rounded good book.

There's nothing like jumping right into a mystery series when you haven't even read the first five books! Well, I did it again, but I have to say that I never felt like I was missing anything! The characters were so well developed that the story flowed without any loss of continuity from the previous books. I really enjoyed this and look forward to eventually starting the series from the beginning!

This is the perfect summer read, especially given that it takes place on a cruise ship! My husband and I absolutely LOVE cruising and our last one was in 2010 to the Mediterranean during our mid-tour leave from Iraq. Since then, our schedules with jobs, school, and the addition of children, we have not had a vacation, so surprisingly, it was a lot of fun to read this book and nostalgically remember the days when we could just pack up and take off on a cruise.

While obviously, the primary focus of the story is on the crime, I loved the balance the author created in showcasing the inner workings of being a crew member in the kitchen of a cruise ship, while also crafting an intriguing and puzzling murder mystery. This was a very fast-paced and fun story that had me trying to figure out whodunit right along with Jules. Although given the frenetic workload of running a kitchen on a cruise ship, there were many times where I had to simply suspend my disbelief that Jules would actually have had as much time on her hands as she did to try and solve the case. Additionally, I found it laughable that there wasn't even a security element on board to take over the investigation when even within the cozy world, the amateur sleuth is always butting heads with a questionable if not highly incompetent law enforcement team. Fortunately for the captain and the cruise line, Jules' mother's boyfriend, the lead detective in their hometown, just happened to be there as well to provide the much needed assistance the ship didn't have so that working together, he and Jules could figure everything out. Sometimes you just gotta let it go and believe the unbelievable.

A huge highlight of this book was reading all of the descriptions of the food and beverage provided to passengers on board, which sounded so delectable, so you'll definitely want to have some snacks nearby while reading this to keep your stomach from grumbling too much! And this foodie definitely appreciated the provided recipes featured at the end of the book. Perhaps I'll find some time to try some of them out and report back on how successful the recreation turned out to be.

Overall, I highly recommend this one if you're a fan of cozy culinary mysteries. I look forward to returning to shore to experience more adventures with Jules and her bakeshop.

I was transported to a tropical paradise from the moment I saw the cover until the very last page. Jules, owner of Torte, a bakeshop in Ashland, Oregon, has a strong sense of community and treats her employees like family. This theme is carried throughout the series and extends to her temporary stay on board a cruise ship. When her estranged husband, Carlos (and yes, I am #teamcarlos!), asks her to return to his cruise ship for a short time to work as a pastry chef, she agrees. Jules is especially happy when she finds out that her mother and beau will get an all expense paid trip as well if she helps out. I loved the description of working in the ship’s kitchen and feeding vast numbers of people 24 hours a day. It certainly takes a certain kind of person to live and work in such tight quarters and I find it amazing there aren’t more real life murders taking place on cruise ships!

When Jules finds the body of an unknown young woman floating in the pool, she feels a certain responsibility to find the murderer. Her mother’s beau, a detective known as Professor, quickly becomes involved and he asks Jules to assist him. Given that the murder takes place on the ship while out at sea, there is a limited number of suspects. The author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing with some twists thrown in. She also touches on the frightening issue of stalking and ties it into the story. The pace of the plot moves along nicely while interwoven with life on the ship and Jules coming to terms with her relationship with Carlos.

Of course with Jules working in the ship’s pastry kitchen there are all sorts of delectable dishes mentioned in the book. I felt like I gained 5 pounds on Jule’s tropical cruise just reading the descriptions! Ellie Alexander provides several delicious recipes at the back of the book. I tried her recipe for Lemon Jelly Roll Cake... easy to follow directions and the results were stunning. An easy way to impress family and guests alike!

I've been reading this series since the beginning and have completely enjoyed every single mystery. This one might just be my favorite. The bulk of this book takes place on Jules' former cruise ship when she takes over as temporary pastry chef. Working on cruise ships has always been a big part of Jules' story so to see her actually at work there was really fun as well as getting a peek at what ship life is like for the crew on a cruise ship. Typically in the out of Ashland books I've really missed the Torte setting and the characters there but my enjoyment of the cruise ship more than made up for it.

The mystery as expected from this solid series was well done and I enjoyed the not just whodunnit part but the who exactly is the victim aspect. Jules role in the investigation is a little more official in this one as the Professor asks her to help him navigate the politics and personnel of the ship. I do love when an amateur sleuth has a reason to poke around!

And then there's the food... Jules is a pastry chef and the descriptions of her creations make my mouth water. There's peach coffee cake, crepe cakes (stacks of super thin cakes with pastry cream in between), lemon jelly rolls, cupcakes, and all kinds delicious and decadent sounding desserts. Luckily, the back has several of the recipes that are mentioned throughout the book (I'm most excited about the lemon jelly roll) and for when you're feeling a little desserted out you can try Asian Noodle Salad or make a Monte Christo Sandwich, All will pair well with a Mai Chai - one of Torte's top barista's creations - full of chai spices and tasty tropical accents.

If you enjoy mysteries and love foodie books this is one of the best combinations I've found. The mystery is solid, the characters are interesting and likable, and the food descriptions are enough to make me want to get into the kitchen and start whipping up my own creations. This is a series I always enjoy and always look forward to the next book though I don't recommend reading on an empty stomach!

A Crime of Passion Fruit by Ellie Alexander is a really good book, y'all.

I love the cover of A Crime of Passion Fruit. It's so colorful and detailed, and sets the scene for the book. Most of the action is aboard the Amour of the Sea cruise ship, where Juliet is filling in as Pastry Chef for five days. This imaginative situation makes for an interesting and entertaining plot.

Juliet and the supporting characters are engaging and easy to like. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the Torte staff — barista Andy, sous chef Sterling, and baker Stephanie — which was enhanced by the addition of Bethany (introduced in Fudge and Jury). I love the "something special" that occurred for two characters at the end of the book.

A Crime of Passion Fruit is fun and fast-paced, with a mystery which kept me guessing. The Bakeshop Mystery series is one I will definitely continue to read. I'm looking forward to Book #7, Another One Bites the Crust.

I recommend A Crime of Passion Fruit to all cozy mystery fans, especially those who are also theater buffs, Shakespeare fans, cruisers, Oregonians, and/or fans of the Pacific Northwest Mysteries by Kate Dyer-Seeley.

I really enjoyed A Crime of Passion Fruit by Ellie Alexander, and hereby grant it Four Stars!


Note: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of A Crime of Passion Fruit. All opinions shared are 100% my own.

Originally published on my blog Jane Reads.

Three and a half stars: An entertaining cozy mystery, but I missed the coziness of the bake shop, and the murder mystery was a little too unrealistic.

Jules is busy as ever at Torte. Between baking and the development of the basement property, she has her hands full. When Carlos calls out of the blue begging for her help on the cruise ship, Jules is hesitant to go, but when he includes a vacation for her mom and the Professor, Jules agrees. It is only five days, what could happen in five days? Once Jules is back on the ship, she realizes how busy and stressful it is to manage the pastry kitchen. Then things get worse when someone is found dead in the pool, and the ship is headed into a dangerous storm. Will Jules survive the high seas?
What I Liked:
*I am always ready to dive back into this fun cozy mystery series. Even though I missed the cozy confines of the Torte bake shop in this one, I still enjoyed the cruise ship setting. This book delivered something different in the series, and I like that the author decided to shake it up a bit.
*I have never been on a cruise, so I enjoyed my vicarious cruise with Juliet. I loved all the decadent food descriptions, as usual. The food served on the cruise ship sounded amazing, and it made me want to book a cruise. I also liked the busy hustle bustle of the ship, and all the work the staff did behind the scenes to make sure all the food is served on time and that it was delicious. This book was a fun escape.
*I liked the added suspense of the impending storm on top of the murder. Then when the storm hit, things got scary. I liked the extra layer of danger on top of the murder mystery.
*The romance has been a bit of a sticking point in the series. Even though there was still not a firm outcome in this one, I liked that Jules listened to her heart and made a decision. I so loved Carlos and the way he reacted. I have my fingers crossed that things will work out the way I want them to.
*Even though Jules was away from Torte and Oregon, she still got funny email updates from Lance and the rest of the gang at Torte, I liked that they all still remained in the story even though they were left on shore.
*The ending was satisfactory. The murder mystery was solved, and the major loose ends done up. I am excited to continue following up on the romance and the expansion of Torte.
*As always, there are yummy recipes included at the end from a Peach Pound Cake to Tropical Cookies. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes.
And The Not So Much:
*I know reading cozy mysteries that the reader has to go along with certain things even though they are often unrealistic. This one strained believability time and time again. First, Juliet is extremely busy running the pastry kitchen. The work is endless and often frenetic, so I found it completely ridiculous that she constantly had time to ditch her duties to chase around the ship looking endlessly for the Professor, and questioning suspects. In reality, she probably would barely have time to leave the kitchen.
*I also didn’t like the fact that the ship didn’t have any type of law enforcement on board so the Professor was called upon for police work. I am sure a cruise ship would have some type of law enforcement in place. As it was, Juliet and the Professor were the ones solving the murder.
*The murder mystery itself wasn’t very suspenseful, nor was it particularly hard to figure out the culprit. I had the killer pegged early on.
A Crime of Passion Fruit wasn’t my favorite book in this series, but I still enjoyed the setting, the characters and all the food. I love picking up a book in this series as I know I will get a fun mystery, a cozy setting, scrumptious food and a bit of romance. I am eager to see where the next book will take the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Another sweet mystery treat from author Ellie Alexander!

When I saw the first book in the Bakeshop Mysteries, MEET YOUR BAKER, I fell in love with the cover. When I read the back of the book, I bought it. Before I even finished reading the book, I knew I had found a new series to add to my top favorite cozy mysteries list!

I’m not a big fan of stories where the main characters visit another location for most of the book. To me, the main town of a series is as much a character as the people. I miss the familiar setting of the characters’ homes and businesses when the story is set elsewhere. When I learned that A CRIME OF PASSION FRUIT would be taking place on a cruise ship, I was a bit nervous about how I would like it. However, despite the location, like the five books before, I absolutely became engrossed in this book! (How could I doubt it?)

Author Alexander had me so caught up in the goings on at Torte pre-cruise, then the preparations for the trip, and the excitement of getting underway and being on the ship, I forgot I was reading a mystery. When the discovery of the body came, I “gasped” right along with Jules it caught me that off guard! From that point, the mystery was on big time!

A CRIME OF PASSION FRUIT was a fantastic, fast paced story that had me flying through the pages. Not only was it a compelling mystery that had more twists than waves in the ocean, it was a feel good cozy that made me smile (and shed a few tears). To top it all off, stomach growling recipes that you are going to want to make soon as you close the book!

A delectable cozy mystery feast, A CRIME OF PASSION FRUIT was the perfect story to send the Bakeshop Mysteries to the half dozen mark!

Jules is trying to transform their small family bakery Torte, into a larger bakery and restaurant. Her husband Carlos wants her to join him back on the cruise ship all expenses paid. But of course a dead body turns up. A fun filled mystery series that is so enjoyable to read.

Ellie Alexander's prose has a lyrical quality to it with beautiful, rolling, descriptive passages. Very fitting for a novel set on a stormy sea cruise. Add in some quotes from The Bard and this is a word lover's dream cozy. More like a nightmare vacation for the Professor, who has a dreamier vision for this chance to get away with Helen, chef Jules Capshaw's mother. When Jules stumbles upon a floating body, it becomes a working vacation for the Professor.
It was already a working assignment for Jules, who joins her estranged husband,Carlos, preparing food on a mid-sized tour ship, the Amour of the Seas. She struggles to keep her focus on her job and off the mystery of the unknown victim.

Don't read this book while you are hungry! The food descriptions are so enticing you will drool.
I doubt real cruise ships offer fare as delicious and creative. There are recipes included at the end of this book. Having never been on a cruise, I found the behind the scenes descriptions fascinating.

I read this book as a stand alone, so may have missed some of the wonderful connections to interesting characters left behind to run Torte and oversee renovations for the expansion, but I enjoyed it as a complete mystery. I know I want to visit these people again.

This is another new-to-me author and I'm glad to say that I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the previous books in this series.

I enjoyed the characters and the setting was great. I liked that the majority of it took place on a cruise ship. That always makes for an interesting read. The mystery kept my attention and I was stumped about who the killer was.

Things moved a little too slowly for my taste at times but I still enjoyed the book and will check out the others in this series sometime.