Killer Cruise: a Jaine Austen Mystery

by: Laura Levine

Published by: Kensington Books

Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann

Number 8 in the Jaine Austen series, this one finds Jaine on a free seven-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera from her home in Los Angeles, where she works as an advertising copywriter. All she has to do is teach a class each day on “Writing your life story.” How hard could that be?

Nothing is ever easy for poor Jaine. Her crazy cat Prozac sneaks into her car trunk as she is leaving, and she has to smuggle him aboard. Her steward Samoa finds Prozac, and vows to keep her secret if she will edit his great handwritten work of fiction, Do Not Distub. Her companions for dinner every night are the family of sweet Emily Pritchard, a wealthy older woman who loves cruises and who has brought her family along: nephews Kyle and Robbie, Kyle’s wife Maggie, and Emily’s companion, the sour and cantankerous Leona Nesbitt.

Jaine finds herself attracted to the dishy Robbie, and tries her best to keep from melting every time he looks at her. She is also attracted to the 24-hour buffets, where she is able to snag snacks for Prozac, along with the odd brownie for herself. Emily seems to be developing a real relationship with Graham, one of the ship’s gentleman escorts, much to the disgust of her family. Jaine is concerned as she knows that Graham is deeply involved with her next-door cabin neighbor Cookie, a singer on the ship. Cookie finds out about Graham’s proposal to Emily, and attacks him in public.

Later, when Graham is found dead, stabbed with an ice pick (from the tools of the goofy and obnoxious ice sculptor), Cookie is arrested by the ship’s security. Jaine vows to help investigate. She is convinced that the murderer is one of Emily Pritchard’s disgruntled and kooky heirs. What sort of dangerous situations will she find herself in? Will the killer come after her next?

Laura Levine is a former sit-com writer, and advertising copywriter, and her humor is out full force in this outing. There should be a new subgenre- humorous mysteries.

Armchair Interview says: Levine even tops author Evanovich.