“Man Overboard!”That’s not what you want to hear when you’re a week into a 10-day South Sea Island honeymoon. Georgie Shaw and Detective Jack Wheeler are living it up on Marvelous Marley World’s luxurious cruise ship, the MMW Fantasy of the Sea when trouble strikes. The deluxe accommodations, 5-star cuisine, legendary Marley World entertainment, and exotic locale comes with something extra–a … extra–a boatload of mystery!
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A man overboard? Murder at sea? What a set-up! It had me salivating and rubbing my hands together with juicy anticipation of a supremely entertaining page-turner–and I was not disappointed!
The glamorous setting, the witty dialogue, the flashy character line-up of suspects and the charming chic couple to solve the murder–and jewel theft–at sea put me in mind of a cross between The Orient Express and The Thin Man. A home-run combination if there ever was one in my book!
Anna Celeste Burke has created irresistibly charming characters on a whirl-wind mission, without skimping on the sumptuous cruise food fest, to solve the mystery against great odds–or else!
Loved the book, loved the ending –which I won’t give away–and loved the recipes.
Georgie and her new husband are on a honeymoon cruise, venturing from island to island during their ten days at sea, when their romantic adventure takes an unexpected turn at the sound of screams, a splash, and shouts of ‘man overboard.’
Some clues can be obtained from the automated Man Overboard Detection system, other clues from a witness, Wendy Cutler, who claims to have seen three men fighting a few decks down below. Problem is, the ship is not missing any passengers on its list, so besides looking for a killer, there are more questions to be solved. Who is the murdered person?
Written with humor and warmth in Georgie’s voice, this is more than a regular who done it. There is a fascinating bond forming with her new husband. “You’re safe,” he says. “Please don’t kick me. Your one-week-husband is no spring chicken!”
It’s simply a joy to feel her presence and see things from her point of view, because of her delightfully sensual descriptions: “A Cacophony of clinking, clanging, scraping, and chopping sounds issued from every corner of the kitchen. It was music to my ears!”
Highly recommended. Five stars.
Murder at Sea of Passenger X is a colorful, cozy mystery set on a cruise ship deep in tropical waters featuring female lead Georgie Shaw and her brand-new husband, Detective Jack Wheeler. Along with her two adorable Siamese cats, Miles and Ella, all four members of the new family are situated in a luxurious stateroom with a balcony overlooking the sea.
It doesn’t take long for this sumptuous honeymoon to go bad, and when someone is tossed overboard, the scene is set and both Georgie (who works for the cruise line) and Detective Wheeler are drawn into the investigation. The bodies pile up, multiple villains become even more brazen, and on top of the murders, a very pricey necklace goes missing.
While trying to figure out “who dunnit,” was fun, my favorite parts of this book were the flamboyant characters and the luscious descriptions of food. Georgie is a magnetic leading lady, her husband is not only a very smart detective, but supremely romantic, and her two cats are delightful. To top it off, Ms. Burke includes some tempting recipes in the back of the book.
Also referenced were many “vintage” Hollywood movies and actors, which lent great color to the dialog.
The best quote from the book actually came in the last chapter, and I loved it. “Is that what love is—a string of small transcendent moments bound together by the ups and downs of ordinary life? If so, I’ll take it.”
This was my first Georgie Shaw mystery, and it stood alone very nicely without having to read the previous editions.
Well-Developed Mystery, Superb Romance & Laugh Out Loud Humor
Murder at Sea of Passenger X is a fantastic cozy mystery set on a cruise ship traveling through tropical waters. Only married for a week, Georgie Shaw and Detective Jack Wheeler are on their honeymoon.
But as usual, it doesn’t take long for trouble to catch up with Georgie, who’s working for the cruise line. After someone is thrown overboard, the investigation begins, and Jack and Georgie are immediately drawn into the mystery when more murders occur, and a piece of expensive jewelry goes missing.
This is not the first book I’ve read by author Anna Celeste Burke. and it definitely won’t be my last. If you enjoy mystery with all the charm of vintage Hollywood (namely a more romantic version of the Thin Man Series, with the addition of two precocious Siamese cats) you’ll love this excellent story and series by this wonderfully talented author!
With well-developed mystery, superb romance and laugh out loud humor, this story has it all!
I’ve enjoyed reading the Georgie Shaw mystery series and am sad that this is the last one (for now). Georgie and her hunky new husband are gifted a honeymoon cruise that turns out to be anything but relaxing when a murder occurs on board. However, it isn’t long until Georgie can put the pieces together to figure out the killers.
Once again, Anna Celeste Burke has written another great book. I love the Georgie Shaw Mysteries. They are full of humor, drama, interesting and quirky characters as well as interesting, and often unique, settings. Oh, and love. Georgie and Jack are mature and I love romances involving mature characters.
I had some of the crooks figured out before it was revealed. However, the revelation of one of the crooks took me by surprise. It made perfect sense and added a lot to the story.
There are 2 quotes from the book that are such beautiful sentiments:
The shiny things we love so often become symbols of the more intangible objects of our desire—love, safety, security, esteem, escape from the drudgery and uncertainty of everyday life. How many lose their lives, I wonder, searching for the intangible in the tangible?
Is that what love is—a string of small transcendent moments bound together by the ups and downs of ordinary life? If so, I’ll take it.
If you like well-written, entertaining cozy mysteries, I strongly urge you to read Murder at Sea of Passenger X. In fact, read all the books in the series! I am eagerly looking forward to Book 6 in the Georgie Shaw Mysteries.
Murder at Sea of Passenger X by Anna Celeste Burke is the best one yet in the series. Georgie and Jack are on their honeymoon, a 10 day luxury cruise given to them by Max Marley, when tragedy strikes. The plot raced along with mystery passengers, jewelry thefts, wonderful food and so many twists that I never got close to figuring out who was behind it all until the reveal. I’m already waiting impatiently for the next book in the series.
I adore the recurring characters in the Georgie Shaw mysteries. This is another win for Anna Celeste Burke. It is a well crafted story set on a luxurious ocean vessel. Even the cats got to travel. As always there are too many suspects. But Anna and Jack get it all sorted out. I highly recommend this book. Be prepared to settle in for a good mystery!
Georgie and Jack are on their honeymoon on board Max’s newest cruise ship. Early morning and there’s a scream “ Man overboard“ leaving one man dead, another who ran off, with a third in the water. The story gets complicated as Georgie and Jack are drawn into not only the murder but also the jewelry thefts on board. Our dynamic duo are smart and figure it all out but slowly like peeling an onion. Ms Burke does not disappoint, she’s a talented writer with a great imagination. I love the banter between husband and wife, The details of running an onboard kitchen, and the personalities of the two cats. This is a great book, I am so impressed and can’t wait for the next great read!!
This story was exciting and romantic. I loved the banter between the sleuths and the ending was unpredictable.
What could go wrong when the owner of a cruise line gifts a honeymoon cruise to his executive employee, Georgie Shaw, and her new husband (a detective)? You’ll find out in Anna Celeste Burke’s cozy mystery, Murder at Sea of Passenger X.
Georgie wanted what we all dream of, ten days on an uninterrupted cruise and lots of chocolate. When a woman begins screaming about a man pushed overboard, the honeymoon suddenly becomes a race against time to discover who the murderer might be. The couple soon finds that some valuable jewelry is also missing, including a gift Jack has given Anna on the cruise. Also, no one can figure out who this mystery Passenger X might be.
How much do Chef Gerard and Sous Chef Paolo know about the murder and the mystery surrounding the thefts? Will the evidence collected by the onboard doctor be enough to tie the clues together? What is it with the guy in the parrot suit who targets Georgie on one of the decks? Or, what about the cryptic message sent to Chef Gerard?
You will delight in the clues, and the path Georgie and Jack take to unravel the clues for the benefit of “Mad” Max Marley. Just remember to stay away from “Monster Marston” if you want to go to the fitness center. Murder at Sea of Passenger X is a delightful and fun/easy read with a cast of dubious characters and far too many seemingly unrelated clues. Plus, you’ll love the recipes at the end of the book!
This is the fifth book in Anna Celeste Burke’s Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series and is a wonderful read. Ms. Burke is a very talented author and her descriptive writing made me feel like I was there, feeling the ocean breezes, tasting the wonderful food, enjoying the antics of her fur babies, and participating in the action as the mystery unfolded. The mystery is well plotted, the characters well rounded and relatable, and the book has enough suspects, twists, and turns to make it hard to put the book down and difficult to figure out whom the killer is. Murder at Sea of Passenger X is a perfect combination of mystery, sweet romance, humor, and action. This is a clean cozy mystery featuring no gratuitous sex, violence, or foul language. Ms. Burke provides enough background information that this book can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a well-crafted cozy mystery.
Georgie Shaw and Detective Jack Wheeler are enjoying the first portion of their honeymoon sailing for ten days on Marvelous Marley World’s Fantasy of the Sea. Georgie’s boss, Max Marley’s, wedding gift to the couple, along with ten days on Maui after the cruise, and he even arranged for Miles and Ella, Georgie’s Siamese cats, to go with them. Sadly, the honeymoon is placed on the back burner when Max offers their assistance to head of security, Bill Tate, because a man overboard alert is announced, a man is murdered, another passenger is missing, a murder loose on the ship, and multiple jewelry thefts onboard may be related to the murder. Georgie and Jack are upset about the disruption but neither of them complains as they work together to solve the mysteries. Their investigation reveals multiple suspects, lies, and conspiracy. Passengers are upset with the change in plans and not being able to disembark in Bora Bora, the last port of the cruise but the ship’s staff and crew work hard to make the remainder of the cruise enjoyable. And, as if all of this isn’t enough, Max Marley will be joining them shortly and expects a full accounting of what’s been going on when he arrives.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
“Murder at Sea of Passenger X” earns 5/5 Cruisin’ Complications!
“Man overboard!” rings through the corridors putting a temporary change in direction for Georgia and Jack’s honeymoon cruise. Detective Jack is roped in to facilitate a lockdown of the crime scene, and of course, an investigation ensues. Absolute fun! Along with a questionable overboard victim, a dead body, nosy crew, rumors of a theft ring on board, and ship of 1000 suspects, this delightful duo is challenged to uncover the truth. I really like Georgia’s character, but it’s the humor, Georgia’s and Jack’s relationship, and descriptions bringing everything to life that makes this quickly becoming a favorite series
Too wordy, author likes to document every word said in every conversation. Not great writing but an OK read.