Dinner, drinks, and death.
A cruise they won’t forget.Boston reporter Ali Loukas hasn’t had time to legally change her name, but a week in the middle of the ocean with her shiny new husband should mean time to kick back and relax–with no dead bodies. No such luck. Ali’s reputation and penchant for coming across corpses have preceded her. Trapped on a floating city with a handful of eccentric … luck. Ali’s reputation and penchant for coming across corpses have preceded her. Trapped on a floating city with a handful of eccentric fans, she finds herself swept up in the lifestyle of the Boston Elite.
When a body turns up on the second day at sea, one fan turns to Ali, expecting her to help the ship’s security team come up with a killer. But Security’s not interested in Ali’s help and they threaten to throw her in the brig if she interferes with their investigation.
Mysterious elderly stalkers, a magic show gone bad, and a killer on board, make Ali wonder if her tropical vacation will bring her closer to her husband as intended or send her overboard.
If you’re a fan of Mary Higgins Clark mysteries, get this book today!
Content Note: PG equivalent – No swearing, no sex, and no graphic violence.
Sweet newlywed innuendo.
Other books by April Anderton
Previous Engagements – Press Pass Mysteries – Book One
Drowned at The Rat – Press Pass Mysteries – Book Two
First Night Last Rites – Press Pass Mysteries – Book Four
more
What a fun murder mystery. Love the characters, the story was great.
WARNING: Mild spoilers for Books 1 and 2.
This is my favorite book in the series so far. Anderton has upped the humor, created endearing and developed characters, and once again, kept me guessing. Ali and Ryan are on their honeymoon cruise, organized and paid for by their mothers, which means it’s bound to have issues. What should be the perfect romantic getaway becomes deadly when l one of the guests dies on board. And of course Ali and Ryan have a connection to the deceased — he was sitting at the same table as they were. The ship’s security team doesn’t want Ali poking her journalist nose in their business and do everything they can to keep her at arms’ length from the story. But being Ali, she can’t just let it go. All she’ll commit to is not reporting the story during the cruise. She honestly befriends a couple of her fellow passengers who also happen to be close to the deceased, which provides her with an edge when it comes to solving the mystery.
Plot
The story centers on the mystery surrounding the death of a cruise ship passenger. The search for answers brings Ali closer to several of her fellow passengers and throws her into the path of two mysterious passengers who seem to be following her. As Ally and Ryan sneak in as much quality alone-time as possible, the events aboard and onshore keep them torn between relaxing and solving the crime.
Characters
I love the characters. Ally is only more endearing with each book, as is Ryan. The quirky supporting cast are just as fun and delicious as I’ve come to expect from this author.
Top things I Loved About COCONUT CRUSH
1. The Setting. I’ve never been on a cruise myself, but I’ve seen enough episodes of The Love Boat in my life to appreciate the setting.
2. Backstabbing and Plotting. This story is rife with character’s plotting against one another, bringing a level of hilarity and confusion to the mystery.
3. Ali. She’s more tenacious than ever without losing that sweet, funny side of her.
4. Ryan. He seems to have reluctantly accepted his wife’s job and all of the pitfalls that accompany it.
5. Mystery Guests. They had me laughing out loud!
Bottom Line
A wonderful cozy mystery by an author coming into her own. If you love Stephanie Plum, you’ll adore Ali Loukas.
Journalist, Ali, and Ryan, a Boston police detective, are on their honeymoon. A cruise arranged by her frugal mother. When they get to the suite, it has double beds. They met some rich people who had part of their group not show up, so they offered Ali and Ryan the deluxe suite. Later that night one of their new friends dies and Ryan is asked to help but it is Ali who is the curious one. Meanwhile Ali keeps thinking she is seeing her mom.
This is a great cozy mystery set on cruise ship. The characters are full of personality, flaws and all. They seem to pop off the page, engaging you in their story. The mystery is full of surprises, unexpected turns, complicated twists and suspense. There are several side stories which add depth and humour to the story. The romance is amazing and adds a lot to the overall enjoyability of the story. The dialogue is witty, filled with humour and the narrative is well written. The storyline flows smoothly, holding the readers interest until the end. It is a fun cozy mystery.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Funny, quick read with quirky characters, with twists and turns to keep one guessing. Absolutely enjoyable
I really enjoyed this book. Give it a try
After an amazing wedding, Ryan and Ali board a ship to a Caribbean honeymoon. Of course, since the moms arranged it, they ended up in a junior cabin with bunk beds. Happily some Channel 7 News fans of Ali put them up in a prepaid suite intended for friends who literally missed the boat.
Of course, since Ali and Ryan are involved, intrigue and murder are also involved.
Fun hijinks on the high seas – well, fun for all but one suspect and two corpses.
Great KU read! I received an advance copy from Booksprout. I read this book and most of the books in this series on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
A great cozy mystery. Fun to read, entertaining and well written. The characters are great and this book will pull you in at the beginning and keep your interest until you turn the last page. This is the first book from this author that I’ve read, she has done a great job with this book and I can’t wait to read more from her.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Boston reporter Ali Loukas and her new hubby Detective Ryan McGuire are on their much-awaited honeymoon cruise. Ali’s mom has made the reservations, so of course, anything can go wrong including the celebratory suite with bunk beds. Their earlier encounter with a socialite has them landing a luxurious cabin suite on the same deck when her friends are a no show and she offers them their room.
The honeymoon, of course, has them facing another mystery when a dinner companion ends up dead and Ali and Ryan get themselves mixed up in trying to solve the case. This honeymoon cruise winds up being more than they bargained for when the ship’s security officer takes a dislike to Ali, but crushes on Ryan causing Ali to soon find herself locked up in the brig. Can these two newlyweds solve the mystery and salvage their honeymoon?
Hold onto your hats as there are lots of hilarious twists, turns, and surprises in store.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
So much for a murder free honeymoon! Things go bad the first morning at sea and the suspects pile up.
This series is fun! I like the easy bantering between the characters. The moms are so funny, busting in on the honeymoon. The story is a quick, fun read. There were some great twists that I didn’t see coming at all. Extremely enjoyable!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ali and Ryan, recently married, are embarking on their honeymoon cruise. The setting is tropical, the ship outfitted with all the amenities for what should be a spectacular getaway, but things go awry on multiple occasions. A fast, well-wrtten read that was easy to put down, but fun to pick up again. I really enjoyed it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ali and Ryan had a connecting flight to catch and then they would be boarding a ship for a week on the Caribbean for their honeymoon. But her mother had gotten the tickets and messed things up – they were assigned seats 20 rows apart! With the flight full, they couldn’t swap out seats. However, a woman recognized Ali as a reporter from Channel 7 News in Boston and invited them to sit in first-class with her and her husband. It turned out then were also going on the same Sea Queen cruise as the newlyweds!
When they entered their room on the ship, they ran into another problem. Her mother had made the arrangements and told the staff she needed a room with: “Celebration decorations, cake, and sparkling cider for two children.” The assumption made from those instructions was that the room was to be a junior cabin for two kids celebrating a birthday, and was connected to an adult’s room. But all the rooms were booked – and the beds were BUNK BEDS! This was not going to work. But once again, their new friend, Claire, arranged for a luxury room in the same area with them. They had dinner with Claire’s other friends and met George, Charlotte’s husband who was a bit rowdy. The next morning, heading for breakfast, they found Claire crying in the hall and security moving around. Apparently George had died in the night! But that didn’t mean it was a natural death. And the security people made it plain they don’t want any help from the honeymooning experts!
This was an absolutely fun book! I loved the snappy dialog and the teasing between the characters. The reader will love the surprise guests whose arrival also throws a twist into the celebration. The story line was well-paced and filled with surprises along the way. The characters were wonderfully described in sufficient detail and their personalities were easy to decipher. Keep your attention on the clues and see if you can come up with a suspect before Ali and Ryan figure it out!
Word to the wise: plan your own honeymoon. Separate seats, bunk beds, and a dead dinner companion are not what Ali and Ryan hoped for their honeymoon. However, that is just the beginning of their romantic adventure cruise. Coconut Crush is a highly enjoyable mystery with twists and hilarious surprises.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was excited to read a story about a cruise. So much fun! Of course, there has to be a murder which would spoil the fun but not in this book! This is a fun, fabulous cozy mystery, 3rd in series, that fits right in with the previous two excellent books. Love the characters and the author provides a fabulous well-written story that will pull you in from the beginning and keep you guessing.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.