ALL ABOARD!
Adam and Colin are aboard The Elysian, cruising towards Italy to see Adam get hitched, and are determined to stay out of trouble…
On the first night, a priceless piece of art is stolen from an eccentric old lady. Adam and Colin offer to help recover it, and are convince the thief was one of their fellow dinner guests from earlier in the evening.
Can the amateur sleuths reunite the painting with its owner before they dock in Venice? And, with danger lurking around every porthole, will Adam even make it to the altar?
All at Sea is the sixth in the Stonebridge Mysteries series of cosy crime novellas.
It's my pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for All at Sea today. Many thanks to Chris McDonald and Sean from Red Dog Press for inviting me and for my advance digital copy of the book.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the fifth book in the Stonebridge Mysteries, Mistletoe and Crime a few months ago, I was delighted to welcome Adam and Colin back and intrigued to see how they would fare away from Stonebridge.
Quite why Colin joins Adam on a romantic cruise aboard The Elysian is explained early in the novella; Adam's fiancée, Helena is left at home and although issues instructions for him to keep out of trouble, it does seem to find them even when they're just intent on having a good time. They're definitely out of their comfort zone, however, when they attend an exclusive tasting menu on their first night. One of the most refreshing features of this series is that while a lot of cosy crime seem to be about middle-class and middle-aged or older amateur detectives who would easily fit in at such an occasion, Adam and Colin are more down-to-earth. Their awkwardness as they compare their underdressed, casual ensembles to their fellow guests is endearingly relatable.
One of their dining companions is an older woman who rather bafflingly travels with a painting which is worth millions and also has great sentimental value for her. Whilst I wouldn't want to be accused of victim-blaming, as she shows it off at the table, it's not surprising that it catches the eye of a thief. I loved that Adam and Colin are given little choice but to investigate because of their own moral codes. Colin's job working in a retirement home means he naturally forms a bond with Maggie but Adam also feels a deep sense of injustice.
They're both such likeable characters and it's clear that their development over the series is an important consideration for Chris McDonald; they're not new to investigations any more and are able to use what they have learned as they begin to question the other guests who were with them at the table. Although a contemporary story, being onboard a cruise ship evokes the Golden Age of detective fiction with a closed circle of suspects and plenty of red herrings to fool the pair and readers.
Despite the relative brevity of the plot, there are several twists and turns and Chris McDonald really makes the most of being away from Stonebridge with some beautifully vivid descriptions of The Elysian and the places they visit during their cruise – and, as it transpires, as part of their investigation. It's not clear for some time who the criminal is or whether they will evade being exposed by Adam and Colin, and the story has some darker scenes as well as more humorous moments. I read All at Sea in a single sitting and loved every word but one of my favourite moments perhaps came at the end when Helena's comment about her dress will surely resonate with every woman reading the book; I genuinely laughed out loud when I read it.
This warm, witty novella is exactly what I want from a modern cosy mystery and confirms that home or away, the Stonebridge Mysteries are a sheer delight to read.
All at Sea is published by Red Dog Press. It can be purchased from the publisher's website, bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Amazon, Kobo, Google Play and all good bookshops.
About the Author
He is the author the DI Erika Piper series A Wash of Black, Whispers In The Dark and Roses for the Dead. He has also recently dabbled in writing cosy crimes, in the shape of The Stonebridge Mysteries, as a remedy for the darkness.
He is a full time teacher, husband, father to two beautiful girls and a regular voice on The Blood Brothers Podcast. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs.
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