Sunday 7 July 2019

BLOG TOUR: Death on the Ocean - Martha Fischer


Amanda Lipton leads a fairly uneventful life as a teacher. The most she has to worry about is staffroom politics and petty quarrels among pupils and colleagues. And then she wins a million in a TV show. Life is about to change in ways she cannot possibly have anticipated.

To escape the stuffy atmosphere at school, Amanda decides to change her life and take a luxury cruise, no expense spared. Expecting a life of calm and luxury aboard the Belgravia, she is dismayed to find events rapidly spiralling out of control. Her fellow passengers, especially the man she is drawn to, are not as they seem. 

When she witnesses what looks like a cold blooded murder, Amanda realises that her own life could be in danger.


What did I think?

This was a quick fun read; not too taxing on the grey matter.  Sometimes it's nice to relax and read a book without tying your brain in knots trying to work things out too much.  That being said, I didn't work out the identity of the murderer on board until almost the big reveal so Martha Fischer succeeded in keeping me in suspense.

Amanda Lipton is a bit of a strange character; I didn't particularly like or dislike her but she just felt a bit flat so she had no overriding qualities to which I could relate.  I did like her being careful with money, at least at first, as she has just scooped the jackpot on a TV show.  I thought it was very amusing that even though she is now a millionaire, she only got a place at the VIP table as somebody mistakenly thought she had something to do with Lipton tea.  This place at the table could be very costly though, with a murderer on board targeting the first class passengers.

It felt a bit like I was reading Amanda's diary whist reading Death on the Ocean.  She is certainly attracting some male attention and it surprised me that she's the type of person who wants to sample the produce before she buys it.  Thankfully, she doesn't kiss and tell so we are spared the details and allowed to concentrate on the thriller aspect of the story.  I did enjoy the mystery/thriller story rather than the romance one; I'm not saying I don't enjoy a bit of romance now and again but it just felt a bit too diluted for me.

The cast of characters are set out like a game of Cluedo so it's great fun trying to work out who killed Mrs Peacock in the cabin with a snake bite. If you're looking for a quick easy read, then Death on the Ocean fits the bill.  It's lighthearted enough to read on holiday by the pool or on the beach but I maybe wouldn't read it if you're going on a cruise, as the thought of being stuck in the middle of the ocean with a murderer on the ship gives me the heebie jeebies. 

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:


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