The Cruise by Catherine Cooper (eARC Review)

Format Read: eBook

Source: Publishers via NetGalley

Publisher: Harper Collins UK

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

Publication Date: 30th October 2022

Synopsis/Blurb (Taken from Goodreads):

“A glamorous ship. A mysterious cast of passengers. And a New Year’s Eve party that goes horribly wrong…

During a New Year’s Eve party on a large cruise ship in the Caribbean, the ship’s dancer, Lola, disappears. The ship is searched and the coastguard is called, but there is no sign of her, either dead or alive.

Lola was popular on the ship but secretive about her background, and as the mystery around her deepens, each passenger becomes a suspect. Who was she arguing with the night she vanished? Why did she come aboard the cruise in the first place? What was she running from?

Find out in the twisty new thriller from the queen of glamorous crime, Catherine Cooper.”

My Thoughts

The Cruise is a murder mystery set on a luxury cruise ship, several crew members have either been found dead or missing.

This is a well-written storyline, although a little confusing as it is told over multiple timelines, with two separate storylines. I must admit I was a little confused at first by the multiple storylines but trust me it all comes together and everything makes sense by the end. There are plenty of twists and turns in the book but again some did leave me a bit confused and some of the twists did feel a little unrealistic.

As for the characters well I have very mixed feelings about them. Quite a few of the characters have multiple names which left me slightly confused especially as their names changed depending on which timeline you are following at the time. I started off liking the characters and found them very interesting but as the book progresses and as you get to know them a little more I started to detest them and found them quite annoying. I think the only two characters I ended up liking by the end were the Captain, Leo and Chef Alice.

Although I liked the different settings during the multiple storylines I do wish we got more on the cruise ship. Based on the title I was expecting the majority of the storyline to be set on the cruise ship. This didn’t affect the storylines but is just a personal preference.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It’s a good page-turner that I flew through. Can’t wait to see what Catherine has inshore next.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins for my eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts.

My Rating