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

What a clever story at first you wonder who these people are then it comes together which I thought was brilliant. It starts on a cruise ship on New Years Eve where Lola a dancer is seen going overboard but everything is not as it seems as bodies start building up and they think a murderer is on board I loved the back story aswell which made it very tense., definitely recommend you won’t be able to put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC

An enjoyable read of a dual narrative. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the cruise ship. The author has certainly done her research!

I loved The Chalet and The Chateau so I had super high hopes for The Cruise. Unfortunately, for me, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

Easy to follow, though part one was slow to get going. I really enjoyed the secondary storyline and how it was woven into the cruise. However, the ending I found a bit too convenient and far-fetched.

I loved this book. Its suspenseful, twisty, atmospheric storytelling will keep you glued to the page.

An eye catching cover. Catherine has woven a tale of intrigue, bed hopping and drugs.
Secrets and lies will be revealed and there are red herrings aplenty.
Without giving away any of the story, I think this would make a good choice for a book club discussion ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Having read The Chalet, I was very excited to read this.
Dual timeline with no clue to the connection for a good while, I like the unpredictability of this in the novel.
Once you see the connection I could see the link between Rick and the main protagonist.
Very much a book of revenge.
Characters are a mixed bag. I liked Alice but did not find Lola likeable, Antonio was weak.
Look forward to reading The Chalet and following Catherine Cooper for her new books.

A whirlwind of a story. A story of life at sea from the staffs level. The guests enjoy the luxury and open spaces. Meanwhile below the staff toll and live in small spaces. A staff member disappears and from then on death follows. A really gripping, twisty story.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Catherine Cooper’s previous two books and so was excited to be sent an advance review copy of her new book – still at C in the alphabet, this time The Cruise! Here’s the blurb:

“A glamorous ship
During a New Year’s Eve party on a large, luxurious cruise ship in the Caribbean, the ship’s dancer, Lola, goes missing.
Everyone on board has something to hide
Two weeks later, the ship is out of service, laid up far from land with no more than a skeleton crew on board. And then more people start disappearing…
No one is safe
Why are the crew being harmed? Who is responsible? And who will be next?”

The book starts off on a luxury cruise ship in the Caribbean – so far so swanky. Then it flips to a remote Scottish location – and I have to admit I must have read it after wine / when really tired – as when I opened my Kindle the next day to continue reading I was completely confused as to where the cruise ship was and what had happened – and wondered if I’d opened a totally different book! After a bit of ‘rewinding’ (not sure what the technical term is?!) I worked out what had happened. At first read these two storylines appear completely unrelated – but you know from previous Catherine Cooper books that it’s not going to stay that way! Having been caught completely off guard with her previous books’ twists and turns I was much more alert this time (well, when sober / awake enough, clearly!).

On the cruise ship, one of the dancers, Lola has gone missing – and her dance partner Antonio is distraught. A guest thought she saw someone fall overboard during the New Year’s Eve celebrations – and it’s assumed that Lola has taken her own life. But then other crew members start dying…

The cruise ship setting is described really well and you got a real feel for the boat – however as it’s basically moored up for maintenance work, the setting of the Caribbean isn’t really explored at all.

The geographical location of Laura and her father in Scotland is the other initial setting – and again, you get a real feel for the oppressive and reclusive setting he enforces they live in.

The storylines eventually intertwine – but I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoilers!

I loved the fact that the book tied up all of the loose ends – even if some seemed a *little* far fetched – but that often happens in ‘whodunnits’ I guess.

The book has an incredibly similar vibe to Catherine Cooper’s previous novels – but why mess with a format that has worked so well. And even though I was on my toes looking for clues throughout – and did pick up on some – I most definitely didn’t guess the whole storyline. Enough to be smug – but without being bored – perfect!

The Cruise is out later this month on Kindle, and early next month as a hardback.

A big thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for my ARC.

This is another great read from Catherine Cooper but not at all what I expected. There’s a clutch of books just now which are really whodunnits set on holiday etc. This has a different twist on that theme and to be honest gets a bit mad but thoroughly enjoyable.

Absolutely brilliant book. Loved the story. Thought it was woven together really well. Interesting location for the story as well.

Dark and twisty! The cruise is a brilliantly concocted thriller that will keep your heart racing and your mind whirring!

The story is told from multiple points of view and jumps back and forth across several timelines.

Slowly the connections between each part become clear and yet the twists keep on coming right to the end.

A twisted tale of love, family, abduction, reunion and of course murder! A brilliant read that I raced through.

Loved loved this one!! Gripping and exciting and as always a fab read and can't wait to see what this author does next :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller which initially appears to be two separate stories which merge very cleverly.

When Lola goes missing from the cruise ship she dances on, it is believed she took her own life and jumped into the sea. The ship is turned round and lifeboats sent out to search for her but they have to give up. Her dance partner, Antonio, is distraught at losing her.

There are some very interesting characters on board. Stuart, the ship’s doctor with a secret past. Alice, chief chef, who was close friends with Lola. Rick, said to be one of Lola’s many partners. She had quite a reputation.

We are taken back a few years from Lola’s apparent suicide to what appears to be a completely different storyline. 15 year old Laura lives a very sheltered life with her very controlling dad in a remote house. She is not allowed out of the house, she is home schooled, not allowed to speak to anyone and is definitely not allowed to start a relationship with the young man who repaired the washing machine.

The story moves around back between a few timelines as we learn about Lola and what brought her to this point. All very easy to follow I didn’t need to make any notes.

Lola is not the only crew member to go missing on the cruise ship, which only has a skeleton crew of staff on board as it is currently out of service.

What secrets are being hidden by the staff?
Why was Laura being so fiercely protected by her dad?

This was such an engrossing read, one which grabbed me from the first page and had me hooked until the very end.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the last two books by this author, I jumped at the chance to request this one via NetGalley and I thank the publisher for granting me early access.

Catherine Cooper’s first two thrillers were amazing and devoured by me in mere days, so I was delighted to be granted an ARC of her third novel to review. The setting of this tense, taut thriller is a luxury cruise ship on its New Year’s Eve itinerary. At the heart of the story are aerial cruise show dancers Lola and Antonio, but their destinies are soon interwoven with those of other crew members and a young girl who may suffer from locked-in syndrome. A terrible accident, a person overboard and further murders keep the mystery moving along at a racing pace and the revelations about the different characters keep coming thick and fast as we make sense of their backstories. At least as good as its two predecessors, The Cruise is a thriller not to be missed!

Can Catherine Cooper put a foot wrong? Her third offering in the thriller genre, The Cruise, really has got it all. What's not to love? A glamorous backdrop, snappy (not to mention sharp and funny) dialogue, strong characters and ... murder. As usual Cooper weaves together the lives of a group of glam, if questionable, characters thrown together by circumstance (or are they) this time with a dazzlingly seductive backdrop of a luxury cruise ship. Who is Lola and why has she gone missing overboard? No spoilers from me but I thoroughly enjoyed the backstory of this this thriller and learning about Lola's life. It's as consistently good as her previous offerings The Chalet and The Chateau. The Cruise is an excellent offering from this very clever writer - looking forward to her next offering.

🛳 BOOK REVIEW 🛳
⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheCruise by #CatherineCooper

⏩for synopsis

As a massive fan of the authors previous two books, I was hoping for more of the same here, but unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

I found it easy to read and follow; I liked the initial set up and exciting location of the cruise ship in the Caribbean, the plot is a decent one overall with a split narrative which I liked, but it just didn’t quite deliver on its promises for me.
world.

I found the plot towards the end of the book very far fetched edging on the unbelievable - it lost all it shock factor changing into ok what now then? I think the narrative was spilt for far too long; it was like you had started reading a different book and began forgetting the other story. I think going back and forth in shorter bursts would have worked much better and really aided the total effect of the book.

Overall, the book lacked any real depth for me, the plot felt flaky, OTT and flat times it just didn’t get my bookish heart beating enough - as always this is my opinion guys this one is doing well on other reviews platforms so 🤷🏻‍♀️

With thanks to the author, #harpercollins and @netgalley for allowing us to read this one early.

OUT: October 30th

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

📚BOOK REVIEW📚

The Cruise @catherinecooperjournalist

A big thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for an early copy of this book.

Publication date for the kindle is 30 October 2022 and it will be 10th November for paperback.

When I saw this book on @netgalley I knew I had to request it and was delighted when I was approved. I've been a big fan of @catherinecooperjournalist other two books #thechauteau and #thechalet and so I couldn't wait to dive into #thecruise

I love the way Catherine writes and love the the format of her books. They are short snappy chapters that always leave you wanting more and before you know it you've read half the book. Her books are always hard to put down and love the mystery who done it type vibes she writes about. I think this book is my favourite so far.

The book starts with a New Year Party which is on one of the most glamorous cruiseships Heracles. One of the cruises dancers, Lola goes missing and it soon becomes apparent that everyone on board has something to hide. When the ship becomes out of action 2 weeks later, more bodies start to go missing. Is anyone safe? Who is responsible?

This is a fab read that needs to be added to your wishlists now! One of my favourites of the year!

#netgalley #harpercollinsuk #thecruise #mystery #whodoneit #thriller #crackingread #lovedit #kindlereads #lovereading #loveherbooks #lovetoread #booksaremyescape #booksmakemehappy #Bookstagram

The New Year’s party on the luxury cruise The Immanis is in full swing when a passenger thinks that she has seen a body plummet into the sea. The ship is stopped and a search begins when it is discovered that one of the dancers has disappeared. Her death is presumed to be suicide and the ship continues to its destination in the Caribbean where it will be laid up for two weeks. During those two weeks the ship is manned by a skeleton crew but another death happens. Surely they can’t be linked?
The story is told through multiple viewpoints including the ship’s doctor and Alice, a Michelin chef. We also have a dual time line about a young girl Laura. At first her story and the ship seem to have nothing in common but gradually the threads begin to be revealed. The multiple points of view and short chapters keep the pace moving and I found myself eager to turn the pages to find out what was coming next.
I loved the mystery and the way apparently completely unrelated incidents and characters are all revealed to be part of the same story in the end.
I did feel that the title was slightly misleading. The story mainly takes place on a cruise ship but very little of it is during the actual cruise. Most of the action takes place while the ship is being prepared for its next voyage so anyone looking for an exotic cruise setting might be disappointed.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.