This is the second novel I read by this author and after having been impressed with her debut novel The Chalet I couldn’t resist this new mystery set in another secluded location. I’ve not been on a cruise ship yet but the author seemed to know the ins and outs of life on a cruise ship so well and described it so vividly that I almost feel as if I’ve been on one after reading this novel.

The Cruise didn’t let me down, just like last time I was completely engrossed in the chapters set in the past, while the present was puzzling and addictive.

There’s the story of a 15 year old girl named Laura raised by her father. She’s not held captive literally but she has no contact at all with the outside world. This already heartwrenching background of this teenage girl pulled on my heartstrings even more when the consequences of such a life manifest themselves.

Then on New Year’s Eve on the ship there’s one of the staff members missing but reported seen falling overboard, and when the ship is docked for two months before going on their next tour in the Carribean with only a skeleton crew aboard, there’s a murder. The ship’s doctor Stuart, chef Alice and one of the cleaners slash the other part of the trapeze dancer duo, Antonio provide the necessary intrigue in alternating chapters and it seems they all have some secrets they keep close to their hearts. There’s plenty of mystery and secrets which are ultimately unearthed in the last part of the novel so that kept me well on my toes.

The two plotlines were so far removed from each other but it is exactly that contrast that I love, especially when the pieces start to fall into place. There is a connection between the stories and I really enjoyed getting so much background into one of the characters. It wasn’t the biggest surprise though, the biggest twists were ones that made my loyalties change quite a bit in the end and the fact that an author can change my feelings towards characters is another thing that scores high on my reader satisfaction list :-). I can’t say more but there’s quite a few things happening in the last part and someone is being quite devious!

Overall a very enjoyable murder mystery that kept me well entertained and definitely ticked my boxes. If you enjoyed her previous novels you’re guaranteed to enjoy this one too.

[Will be published on my blog on November 9]

A quick read but a page turner blending two main timelines that eventually reveal who is killing who and why. Cleverly plotted and although the characters are not particularly warming the story moves along at pace taking the reader with it. Without revealing too much, The Cruise is set on a cruise liner - top of the line - although for most of the book the ship in at rest as repairs are carried out to the CCTV system.
The descriptions of the most expensive suites, restaurants and bars on the ship are sumptuous and beyond anything I can really imagine, whilst down below in the crew quarters the setting is dark and somewhat claustrophobic.
A few plot points stretch the imagination a little but be prepared to be swept along in the story, and accept that, pretty much like the glamorous first class suites on the ship, none of it something that is likely to intrude on your real life.
An easy and enjoyable read.
With thanks to Netgalley, Harper Fiction and Harper Collins for an arc copy in return to for an honest review.

I loved Catherine Cooper’s first two books, and she’s an excellent writer. The Cruise had me turning the pages quickly, and I liked all the different character POV’s and the setting onboard the cruise ship. The air of mystery interwoven through this story also worked well.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like this as much as the first two books, as it didn’t feel like the link between the modern day storyline and flashbacks was established well enough. I’m not sure why. I also didn’t really like the main character - I’m not sure if this was purposeful or not on behalf of the author. Despite what happened to her as a child and the reasons for doing what she did, I found her selfish and unsympathetic.

It also felt like much more of the book could have been set onboard the cruise ship, really capitalising on the unique setting and making the most of the tensions and dynamics between the main characters, and building the suspense.

I’ll definitely read Catherine Cooper’s next book, this one just wasn’t my favourite.

With thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC.

The synopsis gives the basics for part of this novel, there is however another side to it that isn't mentioned. So, I am going to focus on the part of the story that is mentioned in the synopsis.

The story has a brief intro with the death of a man, then there is a prologue then the story starts. The death of Lola a dancer on a large cruise ship is a shock. When she was last seen she was visibly upset, when she was last heard she was arguing. Why was she upset and who did she argue with?

The author has given a story that had me addicted as I discovered this was one that had a split timeline. The now part deals with Lola, the past is something else entirely. I didn't work out the connections, yes not A connection, but several connections, until the author dropped the literal bombshells.

The idea of working on a cruise ship is one that has never appealed to me. Being close to people you work with and never having a moment to yourself, always being on call just never appeals to me. The author does give some great info about living aboard a cruise ship and also drops in some really interesting facts that I hadn't even considered.

The story is one that flits between the timelines and it gradually builds up a picture but one that is not complete until much later in the book. There is a sense of distrust and when a certain few seem to be suspect in the death of Lola the suspicion and suspense of the story builds.

There was a lot I didn't see coming in this story, it is one that took me by surprise and had me eagerly turning the pages to discover the full truth. It soon became obvious to me that this would be a one-sitting read as I needed to know the answers to all the questions.

This is a fabulous story that I adored, full of mystery and intrigue, tension and suspense. It is one I would definitely recommend.

Set over multiple timelines, this is a murder mystery full of twists and turns which left me slightly confused.. A number of characters also had different aliases so at times I felt like I needed a diagram of who was who.

Set on a luxurious cruise ship, a passenger spots a person falling past their window into the ocean. When a role call is conducted it appears that Lola, an aerial artist, is missing , presumed dead. But Lola is just the first crew member to die…


.

It's New Year's Eve aboard a cruise ship and one of the workers of the ship goes missing and is pressumed that she's gone overboard. Along with the cruise ship story there is a backstory of Laura who was abducted when she was little. At first you a are wondering how these two stories are connected but it all comes together in the end. It was a fast easy read with some twists and turns along the way. The only issues I had was that it was hard to warm to any of the charecters and some of the plot points seemed a little far fetched and some twists where easy to guess.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.

3.5 stars!
This is another whirlwind of a thriller/mystery from Catherine Cooper, following The Chalet and The Chateau (definitely a theme going on!). It was an absolute page-turner that I raced through.

The story flits between the present day - where crew on a cruise ship are shocked when dancer Lola appears to throw herself overboard on New Year’s Eve - and the past, where teenager Laura is coping with an overprotective father and falling in love with a young man who comes to the house one day.

On the ship, Lola’s dance partner Antonio is devastated and it seems that everyone has secrets and things in their past they want to keep to themselves.

And when Laura wakes up after an accident and can’t remember anything about who she is, things start to get very interesting and intriguing!

I loved the first half of this book - more so the chapters about Laura in the past as the scenes on the ship felt a bit dry (no pun intended!) in comparison. I couldn’t wait to find out how the stories linked together, and whilst I guessed a small part of it, there were twists that surprised and delighted right up to the last page!

Where it has lost stars for me is that the second half began to get a bit silly and the characters got more and more unlikeable. But that aside, I devoured the first half and it is another triumph for Catherine that her writing and storytelling is so very hard to stop reading!

Woman (staff) overboard on a massive, expensive cruise ship. Nothing amiss found Ship then on layover for maintenance and more mysteries occur - food goes missing, more deaths. This is all told against someone's back story of child abuse and we have to assume that this is someone on board today. Each chapter told by different crew members - cook, sorry chef, doctor, entertainer, none of whom was especially likeable and, of course, all of whom had stories they wanted kept secret. Well-written, twisty and a somewhat surprising ending but overall it just didn't grab my attention that way that I like a book to grab. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Compulsive reading with an intriguing plot.

If this book were made into a film, I’d definitely watch it but from behind the safety of the sofa.

The prologue is an attention grabber when a passenger on ship meets a grizzly end. Electricity and water don't mix. His murder remained a mystery, the significance of his death is only explained in the final chapter.

On New Year's Eve, a member of the entertainment staff of the cruise liner Immanis disappears, presumably missing overboard. Did she jump or was she pushed?

The cruise finishes two weeks later, 6,000 passengers and the majority of the 2,000 crew disembark, leaving behind a skeleton staff of 100 whilst the ship is out of service. More deaths and disappearances occur, on board no-one can escape.

The multiple POVs and many timelines are clear but any reader who considers themselves an amateur sleuth will need to concentrate to pick up the clues.

Excellent reading and recommended.

To be released later this month as an e-book, followed on 10th November as a paperback.

ARC generously supplied by Harper Collins UK and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion

The Immanis is a magnificent cruise ship one of the largest of it's kind. Owned by Heracles. It is out in the caribbean. The passengers have twenty five restaurants to choose from, twenty two bars, six pools, a water park, a surf simulator and a zip wire between the two funnels.
The main ship's personnel are captain Leo, ship doctor Stuart, safety officer Bill and head of catering Alice. Entertainment wise Antonio and his sister Lola provide death defying moves in harnesses, far above their audience. It is new year's eve 2021.
There had been an unexplained death in a suite jacuzzi a few months ago. There are usually very few deaths on board except for the usual age related ones.
When Lola goes missing a passenger says she saw someone fall overboard. Lola is an extrovert but highly strung and the verdict is suicide. Her body is never found.
The ship once it docks and it's passengers disembark, is taken out of service for refurbishing. There is a skeleton crew which includes the main personnel. Antonio grieving for his sister continues on board in a cleaning role.
When other mysterious deaths happen, Heracles's CEO Nico is understandably very angry and blames Leo as the person in charge! Is there a killer on board?
There is a back story eight years earlier about Laura/.Anna which whilst it is necessary it is not as interesting imo as the cruise ship part.
This is the author's third book and continues the good standard of the previous two. I love cruising since 2000 I have done approximately 30 cruises which came to an end for the time being with the pandemic.
This book you have to suspend belief in parts but it is a roller coaster of a read. Do not miss it!

A tale of relationships and revenge. The book started really well, set on a cruise ship where someone has gone overboard, allegedly, and the staff are on lay over while the ship is maintained. They are bored, but when another member of staff is killed, they become fearful.

Flash back to someone being kept by a man in total seclusion from the real world.

Flash back further to a child being abducted.

All elements potentially for a great tale. Except, for me, it just didn't work. We were leaping around the timelines, the author kept trying to keep characters anonymous, which meant the reader was bemused whose points of view we were following. It felt clunky and totally unbelievable.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollinsUK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It’s from the perspective of a few different characters and honestly I wasn’t quite sure why so many were involved, but I was just happy to go along with the ride and see where the story was going. It is split between the past and the present and it took me awhile to see the connection but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I don’t think I have encountered a book with so many parts or chapters before but the ending was good and I would recommend this to other readers. Thank you #netgalley

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book I have read from this author. I enjoyed this book and I will now go back and read more of Catherine's books. Well-written, intriguing plenty of tension.

A recommended read.

What could possibly go wrong on a Cruise? A lot.
This story involves chapters from different peoples point of views. However it is back and forth and usually a novel is consistent in one way or another when it comes to multiple POVs and going back in time. However it was very inconsistent in this matter which started putting me off this one as consistency is a big thing to stay on top of.

In terms of the plot, I really did enjoy the plot with the idea that someone has gone overboard and is assumed dead. Soon, the ship is on a layover in the Caribbean and there is only essentials/useful staff allowed. Then another death occurs and one of the characters POV was very dodgy and poorly written in how their thought process is portrayed.

Alongside this, there is a backstory of a missing person. You begin to wonder how the two things are connected. It feels as if it takes forever to move along with this story until it eventually did.
Overall it did feel like two different novels mushed together however it didn’t suit. There are ways to mash two story lines together however these two where very out of it.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Set across different timelines, this is a story of revenge and retribution.

The book starts off with an unexpected death, and then continues with life onboard a luxury cruise ship, interspersed with a running story of a recluse and his teenage daughter.

I’m a bit mixed about whether I liked this book or not, as parts were good if a little slow, but some of the actions and especially the denouement left me a little flat. Up to Chapter 61 the book rolled along at a slow and steady pace, but then the plot became totally unbelievable and silly.

The ending tied everything up as far as Laura/Anna/Lola/Danielle was concerned, but still too many unfinished threads. A rushed ending that needed work.

Might be suitable as a holiday read.

2.5* rounded up to 3*.

Thank you NetGalley.

Do I like Catherine Cooper’s books………I honestly don’t know this answer. I think I do but then the main characters are never very likeable or endearing. Even ‘Laura’ was not really very warming. The backstory was quite interesting but the link to present day felt a bit untenable. And yet the second half of the book I flew through and was looking forward to seeing how the story ended. Overall, I’m still likely to read Follow on books by this author but I wouldn’t say they’re a favourite. Curious where we go next…the caravan? The condo? Who knows but I’ll be keeping an eye out.

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved The Chalet so I was looking forward to The Cruise. I enjoyed the dual narrative and the description of the cruise. It was easy to follow, slow at one part but also kept you second guessing, with suspenseful and twisty storyline. Great atmosphere throughout book. Keeps you wanting to read more. Looking forward to more from Catherine's books.

Passengers on the Immanis cruise ship are celebrating New Year's Eve when they witness body falling from the balcony above. A search concludes that one of the employees, Lola, a dancer, is missing. Two weeks later a skeleton crew are on a layover preparing the ship for its next voyage. There is still no sign of Lola and then there is a suspicious death.

Crisply written with plenty of mystery and intrigue this was a gripping read. The characters are totally unreliable with secretive backstories. The plot is clever and all its strands are brought together with mastery. The strong element of human psychology and emotional drivers add a depth to this thrilling novel.

Many thanks for NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 2.2/5

I thoroughly enjoyed Catherine Cooper's first two novels, "The Chalet" and "The Chateau", so I was looking forward to reading "The Cruise" too. Unfortunately, although it has some creditworthy aspects, it is not up to the standard of the author's previous books.

The premise is appealing and the novel starts promisingly with a neat, blindsiding opening section. The set-up is quite a traditional one for the genre, with multiple suspects having something to hide, who may have had good reason to do the deed. The early chapters are quite glossy, with the glamorous setting, etc., which is quite common for Catherine Cooper's mysteries. So far, so good and it was providing the engaging, fun read that I have come to expect from this author.

However, not too much further down the track I began to find the confessional insights becoming a touch too melodramatic and had my first doubts as to whether the writer would strike the right balance rather than simply start to annoy me. At around this point there is a shift in the narrative and we are introduced to a much darker thread. I was suitably intrigued at this stage and looking forward to seeing how Catherine Cooper would weave the starkly contrasting strands of the story together. It really did have a good deal of promise at this juncture.

Sadly, the rest of the novel didn't live up to its potential. The plot has plenty of twists, but they tend to be either blatantly obvious or else ludicrously contrived. I enjoy neatly plotted twists as much as anyone, but in "The Cruise" they are clumsy rather than clever. Of course, this is fiction and the reader needs to grant the writer some dramatic licence, but the author also needs to exercise this whilst remaining within acceptable parameters and without stretching credulity too far. Catherine Cooper was guilty of overstepping that mark on this occasion. This, combined with the fact that the characterisation was too often flat and disappointingly simplistic, meant that "The Cruise" fell short of the standard of the author's previous two novels.

"The Cruise" could have very good, but there are just too many shortcomings that should have been picked up and reworked prior to publication. That said, I am sure I will be back for book four and hoping for a return to the form displayed in the first two books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Absolutely loved the authors first 2 books,enjoyed the ship descriptions as love cruising but found it hard to follow the storyline right from the beginning, I look forward to the authors next book