Jaine Austen can't wait to begin her cruising adventure. She's only able to afford the trip because it's free for instructors and Jaine is going to teach a class on writing. Jaine is anxiously anticipating the free twenty-four hour buffet and some deck chair relaxing, but it's not to be. Unfortunately, an unexpected guest accompanies Jaine. Her cat Prozac is a car trunk stowaway and Jaine doesn't have time to return her guest home before boarding. And so her troubles begin. After spotting the stowaway, Jaine's steward Samoa, agrees to keep her secret if Jaine edits his hand-written novel, Do Not Disturb about a cruise ship steward foiling an international terrorist plot . If it were only the forbidden cat and oddball novel, things could still have worked, but Jaine's not allowed to order the nicer dinner entrees, her dining companions aren't a happy group, her sparsely attended class may have caused a couple to divorce, and her new friend the lounge singer is accused of murder. Thank goodness for the always available buffet dessert.

Jaine is lucky in her unluckiness. She just happens to befriend the woman who will be accused of murder, her table companions are intimately involved with the victim, and the one guy she has a crush on might just be the one. Her parents, who were going to cat sit, are causing trouble for Jaine on the home front but that too might be lucky for her best friend and his love life. The bumbling and confusion that surrounds Jaine doesn't take away from her accidental sleuthing abilities, making Jaine a great underdog heroine. There's more than one story going on in this book, but they all get a satisfying resolution and the murderer is a good surprise. The eight book in the series, KILLER CRUISE can be read by itself but you might find yourself going back to share more time with a new friend, Jaine Austen.

Book Summary

When Jaine takes a teaching gig on a fancy cruise ship heading for the Mexican Riviera, she’s hoping for a week of fun in the sun and hanging out at the all-day buffet. On her first night at dinner, she’s seated beside Emily Pritchard, a sweet, wealthy 70-year-old whose financially dependent relatives don’t take kindly to Emily’s blossoming relationship with the ship’s smooth-talking British dancer, Graham.

Within days, Emily announces her engagement — but next morning, Graham is found dead on deck. The captain is quick to accuse Graham’s former girlfriend, but Jaine suspects there are more sharks lurking about. And with Jaine’s flirtation with Emily’s handsome nephew further more complicating matters, her relaxing cruise is about to encounter some very treacherous waters…