Why is it that mystery writers seem to love to set their stories on crise ships? Maybe it’s the fact that all of the suspects are gathered in one place. Maybe it’s the fact that there is such a potentially large pool of suspects. Maybe it’s the fact that the killer can’t get away very easily.

All of these reasons could be true, but whatever the reason, a cruise ship seems to be a favorite location for a murder mystery. At least, our Cozy Cat Press authors seem to favor this location. With the upcoming release of prolific writer Diane Weiner’s new cruise-ship situated mystery THE STORMY COURSE, let’s take a look at other authors who set their story on a cruise liner.

Let’s start with Linda Clayton’s A KILLER OF A CRUISE. Julia Greene and her best friend Olivia are having their second adventure together. Just like their first trip to Iceland, this Alaska cruise starts out with an apparent homicide––and Julia immediately puts on her amateur sleuth hat. Don’t ask why a cupcake baker from North Carolina thinks she can ferret out the cause of one dead body and the possible location of missing passenger––that’s just Julia. As she investigates a strange array of fellow passengers––a suspicious ship art director, a nature expert, a seemingly fake fortune teller, and a newly-widowed mother who speaks only Italian––Julia is balancing alibis and background checks. When a recent love interest of hers arrives on the scene, Julia enlists his help to solve the strange cases. Will she figure it all out before the ship docks, or is the cunning mind behind the strange occurrences, two––or even three––steps ahead of Julia on this KILLER OF A CRUISE?

Then we have Sally Carpenter’s A CUNNING CRUISE SHIP CAPER. It’s been years since Sandy Fairfax was a teen idol and starred in his hit ‘70s television series Buddy Brave, Boy Sleuth, but he still has his fans. Now it’s 1993 and many of his grown-up fans see a leisurely cruise as the ideal vacation. So, when Sandy’s agent finds him a pleasant gig aboard the SS Zodiac, he jumps at the chance. And, when the offer includes a spot for his musician sister, Celeste, who is blind, Sandy sees an opportunity to re-engage with his estranged sibling. However, the brother-sister duo are barely aboard the ship, when Sandy finds a singer from another shipboard show murdered in his dressing room. When the ship’s security officer does little to investigate, Sandy feels obligated to jump in, even though he isn’t a detective––he just used to play one on TV. Soon he’s grilling potential suspects, including a burnt-out piano bar player, a Southern-fried magician, a blackmail victim, a ventriloquist with a sassy dummy and even a former flame. Will Sandy unmask the killer before the cruise ends? Will he connect with the girl of his dreams? Will he have time to enjoy the sights of Nassau? Or will he end up sleeping with the fishes in the Atlantic Ocean, another victim in this killer’s CUNNING CRUISE SHIP CAPER?

Steve Kaminski brings us MURDER, SHE FLOATS. A suicide note found in a locked room. A shard of glass buried in a scoop of whipped potatoes. A pickle jar filled with poisonous spiders. Precious jewels yanked off of a woman’s neck but left at her feet. It’s just a week in the life of Damon Lassard when he boards The Vitamin of the Seas with his charismatic mother for a ‘relaxing’ Caribbean cruise. After Damon’s acerbic dining companion is found floating alongside the ship and local police rule the death a suicide, the loveable amateur sleuth is left to find the killer himself. He encounters seductive sirens, cunning con artists, and fascinating family members en route to solving not only the murder but a handful of clever capers as well.

Laura Nield pens ALASKAN ASSASSINS which is another cruise ship mystery. Olive Reader and her sister Jean and friend Maggie are leaving Queens, New York, for an adventure-filled cruise from Vancouver, Canada, to ports of call in Alaska. Being pampered on board ship and experiencing some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, what could go wrong? Finding herself in the middle of deaths on shore and on the ship, Olive puts her own safety on the line in an attempt to solve the mysteries.

Finally, out soon will be Diane Weiner’s new cruise ship mystery THE STORMY COURSE. Turquoise water, rum punch, and fun in the sun. What better way to celebrate 35 years of marriage? Emily and Henry Fox go on an anniversary cruise to the Caribbean expecting nothing less, but when Henry’s old med school buddy turns up dead in his cabin, it’s anything but smooth sailing. The captain chalks it up to an unfortunate accident but Emily and Henry know better. The deadly tarantula didn’t crawl from the Puerto Rico rainforest to the ship on its own furry legs. With the help of a retired detective, they search for the killer. Why did the victim and his wife have separated cabins? Who is the elusive girl in the fuchsia bikini? Was cheating at the casino the motive for murder? When crew members turn up missing and dead, the Foxes discover the ship itself is harboring secrets deeper than the sea. Secrets worthy of murder.

Cruise Mysteries