I read The Busy Body by this author and loved it. So I was super excited to start this second novel in the ghostwriter series featuring Belle Currer. When she is asked to come on a “Get Lit Cruise” as an instructor, Belle isn’t thrilled but still can’t refuse the opportunity. Once aboard, she is reconnected with Payton Garret, a popular author and the organizer of the cruise. On the all female voyage, Belle soon finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation. She makes fast friends with the ship’s doctor, Joan Chen and the two do their best to solve the case before another murder is committed. This was a fun read. I really love the way Donovan writes. His novels are full of snarky comments and inside jokes. Although I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first in this series, it was still an enjoyable story with several twists at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

This is not this books fault, but I didn't know this was a sequel in a series, and every so often wondered to myself if there was information I was missing in the story. Now that I know there is a book #1 some of those holes make a lot of sense, but I haven't decided if I'll go back and read it. This was a cool device for what is essentially a murder mystery. Its Murder on the Orient Express but a boat instead of a train. I love a good feminist moment but having only women on the boat except for three other men felt like a strange exception to me.
I will say everyone on this boat can jump right off if they want. There wasn't one character I thought I would've been devastated to find was a victim of the murderer. Which if that's your thing,cool, but I need someone to root for, and I felt really far away from all these characters and their motivations.

Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach. So goes the adage, but sometimes, even a first-rate ghostwriter and successful mystery author needs to make a buck. Even if that means setting foot on a cruise ship, something she vowed she’d never do. To top it off, the “Get Lit Cruise” is being organized by Payton Garrett, a very popular, bestselling author—and the ghostwriter’s long-time frenemy from back in their MFA days.
Over the years, Payton has reinvented herself. She gained a wife while ditching her journalist husband—who is also on board. And she’s acquired a rabid following who eagerly snapped up the invitations sent to a select few of her newsletter subscribers. The guests, all female, will receive personalized instruction from experts in five different writing genres, while basking in Payton’s reflected glow.
Between mentoring guests, flirting with Payton’s ex, and taking bets on how long before someone performs a reenactment of Titanic’s “I’m flying!” scene (answer: not long enough), there’s plenty to keep a ghostwriter occupied. But there’s one activity nobody expected: solving a murder.
When an attendee is found dead under suspicious circumstances and several others suffer symptoms of poisoning, there are numerous motives and suspects to choose from. But could it be that the victim wasn’t even the intended target? As the body count rises along with onboard tensions, no one is safe—except, perhaps, for a killer whose scruples have long abandoned ship. And of course, like every well-plotted mystery, this one has an extra twist . . .

Thanks for the ARC! This was a fun Agatha Christie style murder on a boat story. I had a pretty good idea who the killer was pretty early in the book, which was unfortunate, but there were enough twists and turns to make me doubt myself a few times and enjoy the journey. As well as some Christie influence, there's certainly some comparisons to be made to Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect, and The Word Is Murder. Fun read, and will have to check out the first book in the series!

Our nameless ghostwriter and mystery author is back again, this time on an (almost) all-ladies' writers' cruise organized by the ghostwriter's college friend and successful author, Payton Garrett. When an attendee dies and several others become ill from what seems like a poisoning, the ghostwriter and the ship's doctor become determined to find the killer.

This book is a fun, twisty romp that's peppered with references to well-known mystery writers and books. The dialogue is snappy and the main character enjoyably snarky [example: " lobsters, crabs, squids, and crayfish (aka crawdads, just please God don't let them sing)"]. The cruise ship setting makes it feel like a large-scale locked-room mystery, and the pace is brisk without being frantic. I liked this second book from Donovan even better than the first and hope to see the ghostwriter in future titles. Recommended for readers who like Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, and Richard Osman.

Tremendous..
A literary cruise turns fatal in this tremendously entertaining and perfectly penned mystery bubbling over with eclectic and eccentric characters populating a frenetic and frothy plot. Undertones of the Golden Age and Christiesque inferences abound as our delightfully irreverent mystery writer protagonist finds herself in deep water, in more ways than one. The second in the Ghostwriter series of mysteries from Kemper Donovan, host of the wildly enjoyable ‘All About Agatha’ podcast, and is equally as immersive as the first in the series. Just tremendous.

The ghostwriter using Belle as a pen name has published the first book in her mystery series and is teaching a mystery writing workshop on a woman-only cruise. An old school friend has organized it, and Belle is suffering a little from relationship hangovers from her school days, and a little more from being an introvert in quite a bit of forced human interaction. Her angst, along with her incisive observations, make the start of the cruise interesting for the reader.

But then the murders begin. The characters are well drawn, quirky, and endearing. The setting doesn't reduce the number of suspects as much as a country house party would, but adds spice to the story. The plot is deft and complex. The book is well written, showcasing the heroine's prickly charm and introducing more of her backstory to the reader.

An enjoyable read!

This is the second book in a series and readers will love the smart plotting and character development. This is a must read!

*Loose Lips* by Kemper Donovan is a fun, twisty ride that will pull you into the world of a whodunit on the high seas. The story centers on a successful ghostwriter who reluctantly joins a literary-themed cruise, only to find herself tangled in a web of murder and mystery. The quirky, well-drawn characters and the cleverly constructed plot make it feel like a literary version of *Knives Out*—so if you're a fan of that film, this book is definitely for you.

The tension on the ship builds as secrets are revealed, alliances shift, and the body count rises, all leading to a surprising twist that keeps you guessing until the very end. Donovan's witty writing and sharp observations on the literary world add a layer of depth and humor to the mystery, making *Loose Lips* a thoroughly enjoyable read for fans of both cozy mysteries and thrillers.
#LooseLips #NetGalley

This second book about the ghostwriter finds her on a writing cruise her frenemy is putting on. Meeting old friends and new acquaintances keeps her busy until there is a murder on board. Then a second. Than a third. Now, along with the ships doctor, her new friend, she is trying to figure out who the murderer is before there is another death.