Loose Lips

Mystery and intrigue on the high seas.

What a fun book! I came into this second installment without reading the first in the series, but I was able to quickly become absorbed without the benefit of a lot of backstory. The premise involves the concept of bringing a large group of women together for a short ocean cruise focusing on different genres of books. Organized by a prolific author, the main character, Belle, is invited to be a guest instructor in the mystery group. Not everyone in attendance is there to enjoy talking about books, eating the fabulous food, or enjoying the free bar drinks. One person, in particular, is bent on murder.

I loved Belle (not her real name) with her snarky personality and antisocial tendencies. Her clever banter and the many astute references to literature and other forms of entertainment were spot on and relevant and added to the narrative. I had to really work to figure out who and why with the motive, means, and opportunity. The denouement was quite the revelation and very well done.

I always enjoy a book that has some humor in it along with a clever main character. It is also a lot more interesting if the person who did "it" is not immediately identifiable. I'm not a huge fan of psychological thrillers where the female MC is all up in her head, so I appreciate a nice straight forward mystery. Is this really a cozy? Even though it contains some grisly murder I think it tends to be more that than not. Also contemporary as well as more women's fiction since all the action centers mostly around the female characters who are on this ship. I wonder how male readers will relate to the title. I thought there was a bit of political correctness in this title as well that I don't think was necessary.