This was a typical cozy mystery. The plot was good and kept me reading, I wasn’t a fan of how much Cyd talks about and worries about the latest fashions and “label drops” for lack of a bette term. Every other paragraph. There was a Tasmanian tiger (which my daughter loves thanks to the Wild Kratts). So she thought it was cool that mommy was reading a book that had one! Even with the eye rolling I did during this book I would read more adventures of Cyd Redondo, Redondo Travel.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the second book in the 'Cyd Redondo Mystery' series and I was not disappointed! It was a fast-paced story with plenty of twists that kept Cyd on her toes as she tried to uncover exactly what was happening.

There was a strong comedy element that kept me laughing, although some events and Cyd herself kept me grounded. The characters were a little bizarre but that made them a perfect fit for this madcap story. I enjoyed the setting of the story – this book was mostly set off the coast of Australia.

All in all, this was a highly amusing, fun read, so if you're in the mood for a few laughs and enjoy cozy mysteries, you should enjoy "Drowned Under"!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

It’s holiday time, and travel agent Cyd Redondo is not looking forward to it at all. Her community of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn believes she helped land her uncle in a minimum-security prison…and that doesn’t exactly help with family relationships either. So, when the opportunity to go on a cruise in Australia to help locate her missing ex in-laws the Mazonis, she jumps at the chance.

Travel complications mean a dramatic arrival on the cruise ship Tasmanian Dream.
Once aboard, she discovers her friend Harriet, who helped coordinate Cyd’s last-minute booking on the cruise ship and who’d started the local legwork on the Mazonis’ last known location, dead in a pool of blood in their cabin. When the ship’s doctor declares it an accident, Cyd isn’t convinced, just as she isn’t convinced Harriet’s death isn’t linked to her ex in-laws’ disappearance.

Along with a murder and a disappearance, Cyd is roped into trying to prevent the theft of the world’s last known male Tasmanian tiger, all without losing her prized Balenciaga tote bag.

Head out on an Aussie adventure with Cyd and discover a quirky, smart, loving heroine who takes on the bad guys in laugh-out-loud scenarios, never giving up on figuring out the answers she needs.

Great book! Cyd is an awesome character, I would go traveling with her anytime and learned some great travel tips for cruising from this story. Speaking of the story, it was nonstop and definitely thrill packed. Plus her heart couldn’t be any bigger, super family member, friend, and animal lover all wrapped into one classy lady. I was certainly glad to see that there was a little romance on the high seas as well as a little murder and mayhem. I will definitely go back and read the first book so I can see who this Roger Claymore is before the next adventure is released.

Glücklicherweise kann man den Wortwitz im Original genießen, übersetzt würde das Buch an so mancher Stelle einfach nicht funktionieren.
Mit viel Tempo und Charme bietet dieses Buch eine etwas andere Art von Unterhaltung. Macht Lust auf mehr!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Sometimes I like my mysteries to have a patina of reality about them. I either want the characters or the events to resemble life as we know it. Other times, I truly enjoy the ones that go over the top with wild and crazy characters and unbelievable plots. It is seldom I find one that manages to skirt both and to do it effectively. This one did.
Our heroine is asked by her ex to find his parents who have disappeared from a cruise ship in Australia. As a travel agent she has connections and so she flies out and boards the ship in search of her ex-in-laws. The story line certainly mocks some of the cruise line traditions and characters. As someone familiar with that world, some of it is spot on.
Cyd’s adventure really begins when she finds the body of her friend and room-mate in the cabin as the ship embarks. Her friend has been making enquires and when the ship tries to convince her murder was an accident, her suspicions climb. In the midst of her search she discovers several conspiracies from out and out cons to endangered species to jealous hearts.
It’s a wild and entertaining romp. If you are a fan of Laura Levine you will like this one.
Give it four purrs and two paws up.

Great travel adventure mystery. I really enjoyed this mystery. The story was well written and the characters were believable. I look forward to reading more by this author. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for giving me a review copy of this eBook. The comments below are my own.

What would you do if you learned that your former mother-in-law and father-in-law are missing from a cruise ship off the Australian coast? If you are Cyd Redondo of Brooklyn's Redondo Travel you'd drop everything and head to the ship to investigate. That's the premise of this lively tale. The action begins when Cyd makes a spectacular, but humiliating, entrance to the cruise ship by being lowered (with all of her luggage) from a police helicopter to the top deck. Then, she finds a body in her stateroom. From that point on, it's a continuous romp of over-the-top silliness of the good kind. There is a clever storyline and an interesting mystery or two for Cyd to solve. There's even a neat hook at the end which can be carried through to a Cyd Redondo sequel.

I recommended it as a fun light read, nothing too serious to upset you. Readers can learn something life aboard a cruise ship for the crew and about endangered Tasmanian wildlife.

This was a quirky mystery that takes place on an Australian cruise ship at Christmas time. I thought the cover was cute when I saw it on netgalley, and I'm glad I got a chance to read it. The main character Cyd is a travel agent. At first I wasn't sure about her - she spends a LOT of time talking about her designer stuff - especially her purse and shoes. But she was light-hearted and fit the story. I liked the glimpses of Tasmania, and I thought the mystery, as well as the mysterious circumstances, were enjoyable. There are some funny characters and cruise insights too.

Although it is book two in a series, it worked just fine as a stand-alone. However, it does spoil a lot of the mystery of book 1, so you may want to read them in order.

What do you do when you dread Christmas - for a whole lot of reasons. Cyd wants to be anyplace for the holiday and, when her ex shows up asking for her help finding his missing parents, the answer drops into Cyd's lap. They have gone missing while on a cruise in Australia and since Cyd is a travel agent, she is ready to go find them. She had no plans to miss the ship, having to board said ship via helicopter and stumble upon a murder. All that follows is pure madcap.
If you are a fan of slap stick humor and travel, give this one a try. Cyd is a bit of a ditz, trouble finds her on a regular basis and you will come away with a whole new way of thinking about going on a cruise. You will want to give it a pass and stay on dry land. I enjoyed it beginning to end. Having said that, this pair (so far) should be read in order because of a spoiler.
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

It’s the week before Christmas, and Cyd is dreading the upcoming holiday filled with rumors, whispers, and awkward family moments. Then Barry Manzoni comes to her for help. Barry is a childhood friend and Cyd’s ex-husband. His parents are on an Australian cruise, and they vanished part way through. Even though they didn’t book with Redondo Travel, Cyd still begins to use her contacts to see what she can learn. In fact, she uses one of those contacts to get herself booked on the next cruise their ship is taking, which is following the same route. Okay, so she might be using the trip to avoid Christmas with her family, but she does want to help Barry.

After a whirlwind trip half way around the world, she arrives on the ship only to find a dead body. The crew want to say it is a tragic accident, but Cyd suspects foul play. Does this tie into the disappearance of the Manzonis? Can Cyd trust anyone on board?

If you haven’t read the first book in the series, a warning – this book does by necessity spoil some of the events of the first book in the series. If you have read the first book, you know exactly what to expect here, and you won’t be disappointed. We’ve got a fast-paced story with twists that keep Cyd hopping as she tries to uncover what exactly is happening. There is a strong screwball comedy element that keeps us laughing, although some events and Cyd herself keeps us grounded. I did feel the book got a bit frantic at times, but it never lasted too long. The characters are a little caricature as well, but that just makes them fit perfectly into this world. There is a smattering of foul language here. We also have a very strong sub-plot with another endangered animal, but there is no animal cruelty involved this time around. I enjoyed the different take on the Christmas setting – since the book is set mostly off the coast of Australia, we don’t have cold and snow, after all. This is a fun ride, so pick up this book and hold on tight.

Once again, Wendall Thomas has crafted a laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will have readers learning things along the way. There always seems to be a wildlife angle for Cyd-- by the way I liked finding out what happened to Barry the chameleon from Lost Luggage-- and this time it involves her former teacher, Sister Ellery Magdalene Malcomb, in addition to an international fugitive with more wigs and costume changes than a Las Vegas showgirl, and a Tasmanian Tiger. Never heard of a Tasmanian Tiger? Neither had I. See what I mean about learning stuff?

That's one of the things I like the most about Thomas' writing. Yes, I have a blast laughing my head off, but I also like to learn. In Drowned Under, I not only learned about those tigers, I learned quite a bit about the cruise ship industry, and although I can't say I want to board one any time soon, at least I understand them and the people who frequent them much better.

If you're in the mood to laugh, pick up Drowned Under, and if you haven't had the pleasure of reading Lost Luggage, get your hands on that one, too. And you're not just reading these books to laugh. In both, Thomas has crafted intriguing mysteries to solve with a main character who has to be related to MacGyver. Now all I have wonder about is what my husband is going to say when I tell him that I want a Balenciaga bag personally packed by Cyd Redondo herself?

Drowned Under by Wendall Thomas is the 2nd book in the Cyd Redondo Mystery series, and my first book by this author. I really enjoyed this book, and looking forward to going back and reading the first book in the series, Lost Luggage. Once I started reading this book I couldn't stop, I was thinking how can this all possibly work out? Cyd is a travel agent, with a very colorful family. Cyd agrees to take a complimentary Australian cruise to search for her ex in-laws. When she arrives her friend is dead in their room, and she is determined to find the truth. I found this book funny, found myself chuckling throughout the book. I recommend this book for people who love funny cozy mysteries.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press . Thank you.

Drowned Under by Wendall Thomas is the second book in Cyd Redondo series but can be read as a standalone.

Not having read first book I still had no problem getting into the story. Any previous references were clearly explained.

Cyd runs tourist agency and works at the bar part time. When her ex-husband declares that his parents have gone missing while on the cruise, book by Cyd's rival agent, she still accepts the challenge and goes to look for them soliciting help from a fellow agent.
However when she finally gets to the meeting place she finds her friend dead. All of a sudden, doctor and ship official show up and strange things start to happen,

I found this book to be almost a parody of sorts and so over the top, from her misadventures, such as landing on a ship in unbelievable manner to constant mention of designer clothes and accessories, to bizarre behavior of certain characters I felt that this was meant to be a comedy fiction rather than a mystery.
Occasionally there were funny parts and mystery was quite clever.
If you prefer your cozies to be entertaining rather than mysterious this is the great choice.

I enjoyed the first Cyd Redondo novel but even then I thought it was a bit over the top. Unfortunately, this time out, I found it less amusing and more annoying. Cyd is meant to be a madcap amateur detective/travel agent/advocate for the elderly. She's off to Australia to find her ex's parents but finds her buddy Harriet has been murdered. Once again, an endangered species- this time the Tasmansian tiger- figures in the plot. I wanted so much to like this but it was just exhausting. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

A fast paced book full of murder, mystery, mayhem and laughs. What happens when your ex finds you ad asks you for a favor? Well I guess you say ok and then find yourself in the middle of murder. Thank you NetGalley.

This is a light, humorous, entertaining tale. A wonderful few hours of escapism on a cruise. Obviously not everyone's idea of a good time, but definitely mine. A fun adventure away from reality. Kind of reminds me of Stephanie Plum and her crazy antics.

This has been a difficult book for me to get into. The concept and the premise of the mystery are interesting, but the humors and the unnecessary tidbits are distracting. These "extra" deter my forming the connections with the characters let alone enjoying the plot. I literally dragged myself to finish up the book regardless how much I wished I could fall in love with it.

The plot isn't bad to do the book justice. There are great elements to make the series standout among many other titles in the genre.

"Drowned Under" has its own charm that would mostly appeal to readers who enjoy abundance of over the top humors. Unfortunately, the author's style isn't quite my cup of tea. Overall, it is just an OK read in my opinion.

Cyd Redondo is not looking forward to the Christmas holidays since she is persona non grata with her family and the Bay Ridge, Brooklyn residents for her last adventure that led to her Uncle Ray going to prison. Then Cyd's ex-husband Barry asks for her help. His parents have vanished from an Australian cruise. With the help of her friend Harriet Archer, Cyd gets a free cabin aboard the Tasmanian Dream and makes the long distance trip. After missing the ship, Cyd hitches a helicopter ride and makes a dramatic landing on top of the gorgeous ship's doctor. Cyd's reunion with Harriet goes bad when she finds her dead in their cabin. While the cruise staff hurry to cover up the death, Cyd rushes to collect forensic evidence to prove Harriet was murdered.

The search for Barry's parents leads to the Fiuntain, a former insane asylum turned spa where several elderly cruise members have visited. And Ron Brazil, one of the ship's dancers is up to no good. The fate of the last Male Tasmanian tiger is at stake and it's to Cyd and Ron to save him.

This was a hilarious read and another enjoyable book in the Cyd Redondo mystery series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

DROWNED UNDER is the second book in the Cyd Redondo Mystery series by Wendall Thomas and is another zany, seat of your pants read! Travel agent extraordinaire, Cyd Redondo, escapes from Brooklyn just before Christmas and jets to Australia. She’s on the hunt to find her awful ex-in-laws, who seem to be missing from their cruise ship after her ex-husband begs her to locate them. She’s also trying to escape the wrath of her family and community for landing her uncle and cousin in prison. Ms. Thomas writes jaw-dropping action while inserting humor and one-line zingers at every opportunity. She’s created a great cast of supporting and entertaining characters and I especially enjoyed the elderly ex-nun on the hunt for a new man, in the form of a wig-wearing gigolo, while on the cruise ship. I appreciated the effort the author took to bring the plight of extinct or soon-to-be extinct animals into the story through her use of the Tasmanian Tiger in the plot. DROWNED UNDER is a highly entertaining story and provides a fun escape from reality. The perfect vacation read!