“A glamorous ship. A mysterious cast of passengers. And a New Year’s Eve party that goes horribly wrong…”
Published earlier this month, The Cruise by Catherine Cooper is set on New Year’s Eve at a luxurious party on a large cruise ship in the Caribbean, when 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?
Rating: 
Today is my stop on the Random Things Tours blog tour. Thank you to Harper Collins for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I always look forward to a new Catherine Cooper thriller at this time of year, and I was eager to find out what setting beginning with the letter C we would get to enjoy in 2022.
When I heard that it was called The Cruise, I was beyond excited to jump on board! And as always, Cooper makes fantastic use of her setting. The opening chapter is incredibly gripping, and I loved being behind the scenes on a luxury cruise, seeing how the staff lived but also feeling like a guest and getting to enjoy the luxury of a holiday on the sea.
As with Cooper’s other thrillers, there are two stories told simultaneously – one in the present and one in the past. I knew to expect a link eventually, but I had no idea how these stories were going to weave together, meaning that my anticipation for what was going on was continuously high.
When you start to understand what’s going on more, Cooper then goes back to previous events to uncover even more secrets and twists, and I love how subtly this cleverly complex unravelled. I thought everything seemed straightforward at first, but as Cooper peels away more layers, you soon begin to see how ingeniously deceived you were.
I did find Lola a little too deluded and Antonio was too much of a pushover to find either character compelling, but this only made the ending more satisfying for me.
If you’re looking for a twisty thriller this winter, look no further than The Cruise. The setting may sound bright and sunny, but these characters and cold and calculating, making a cosy murder mystery that is sure to keep you entertained.
Details:
The Cruise by Catherine Cooper
Release Date: 10th November 2022
Print Length: 400 pages
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Harper Collins
Synopsis:
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, everyone on board 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?
About The Author:
Catherine Cooper is a freelance journalist writing for many national newspapers and magazines, specialising in travel. She also makes regular appearances as a talking head on daytime TV. She lives in France with her husband and two teenage children.
Her debut thriller THE CHALET was a top five Sunday Times bestseller and spent three weeks in the Kindle top 100. THE CRUISE is her third novel.
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