America’s Queen of Suspense—Mary Higgins Clark—joins forces with her daughter Carol—bestselling author of the Regan Reilly mysteries—in this fast-paced novel set on a special holiday cruise that sets sail from Miami the day after Christmas.Alvirah Meehan, lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, and private investigator Regan Reilly are guests, along with their spouses, on the “Santa Cruise.” The cruise is a gift from Commodore Randolph Weed to a select group that “has made the world a better place.” His largesse is prompted by the desire to create a buzz about his new cruise ship, the Royal Mermaid, as she sets out on her maiden voyage. Alvirah, Regan, and her new husband Jack—head of the NYPD Major Case Squad—are joined as guests on the cruise by a mystery fan convention, celebrating “a ghost of honor,” as well as ten men who donated time playing Santa Claus, now hoping for a restful post-season. That tranquility vanishes when two Santa suits disappear from a locked room, a storm develops, and an attempt is made on a passenger’s life. As the Royal Mermaid sails through troubled waters, Alvirah, Regan, and Jack uncover clues that lead them to dangerous criminals not on the original guest list…
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"This book was a pleasant surprise. I am glad that I got my holiday book in this year and that I picked this one. Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite writers. It was a fun read and you could really visualize the characters running around the ship." — Audra (4 out of 5 stars)
"This book was a pleasant surprise. I am glad that I got my holiday book in this year and that I picked this one. Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite writers. It was a fun read and you could really visualize the characters running around the ship."
“Full of mystery-lite cheer.”
“If you want a frothy, holiday-themed whodunit starring the affable PI Regan Reilly, her DA husband, and mystery-writing mother—all aboard a luxury liner’s three-day maiden cruise—then this is your ticket.”
" I enjoyed this fun and quick read..especially at Christmas time. "
" This book was a bit hokey, but it was entertaining as a holiday mystery. It's supposed to be a Christmas novel, but ironically it takes place after Christmas. Hmmmm. "
" While I like Mary Higgins Clark, I don't like her books written with her daughter at all. Started this months ago, and I was pretty bored last night when I finished it off. Better than nothing, but not much better. "
" Struggling with this book. I think I've outgrown MHC books. Too many characters to keep track of, and just no real depth or care for the characters in this book. "
" Slow first few chapters but then could not put down. "
" This was not even worthy of my time. I couldn't get through it, I have to admit. "
" Another very good book by Mary Higgins Clark. "
" Another great Christmas mystery by the mother & daughter writers Carol & Mary Higgins-Clark "
" I just enjoy reading her books. "
" This was a fun novel to read around the holiday time. It is a mystery with a surprising ending. "
" This was a nice book, but too wholesome for me. "
" This was a fun and funny Mary Higgins Clark. "
" Typical Mary Higgins Clark fare, read it in a couple of hours, good junk food literature. "
" Mary Higgins Clark writes a good, clean mystery. I like to read her Christmas books around that time each year. "
" It was a nice mindless read. I enjoyed her writing but her adverbs get on my nerves. "
" I love Mary Higgins Clark's books because they keep you on your toes. I love to read Christmas books more than anything and this books setting on the ship was very interesting "
" Very light hearted, fun and fast read. "
" This one was fun! I am really enjoying this series. "
" I really enjoyed this book. I really love all of Mary Higgins Clark books she is such a great writer. "
" Not one of my favorites. Usually I enjoy her books, but I found this one boring and predictable. I would not recommend this one. "
" Good, easy read. I bought the book at the airport to get me through all of the layovers. Fun holiday mystery...don't need a lot of brainpower to get through it. "
" I enjoyed this booky Avaliah is so funny and Regan joing the fun just made me laugh more "
" Easy read, good vacation book. "
" This was a good mindless read for a quick vacation. "
" This would make a fun movie. "
" Childish. To be honest, I really don't like Clark's team-up with her daughter. The stories are just too safe and too sedate. I found myself actually falling asleep... since I have severe insomnia I shouldn't be complaining.. but I will anyway. BOO! "
" I thought I'd try out a book by Mary Higgins Clark, but it is also by her daughter, Carol, so I don't know if it is typical. It was an enjoyable enough silly mystery. "
" Very easy to read. Too see-through, no suspense. Almost childishly written. Sleuths figured out each mystery immediately. "
" Nice easy read, loved the book. "
" I read it on our holiday cruise this year, it was kind of slow and predictable. "
" Cute, always fun for the holidays... Even a couple of days after... "
" Poorly written, predictable, and lame. I was looking for an easy read and this was just cheesy. "
" I usually like Mary Higgins Clark but found this to be a bit boring and I didn't really like the characters ....it just seemed not as interesting as her other books. I was disappointed with this one. "
" When writing in tandem with daughter Carol, the Higgins plots seem less refined and are less engaging than books written by Mary; as though written for a younger audience. "
" I'm not usually not a big mystery fan, but this book was a fun, fast read. "
" I'm not quite done, but this book is killing me. It just drags and is very predictable. "
Mary Higgins Clark (1927–2020) was the author of worldwide bestsellers that sold more than one hundred million copies in the United States alone. Twenty-one of her books reached the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. She was chosen by Mystery Writers of America as Grand Master of the 2000 Edgar Awards. An annual Mary Higgins Clark Award sponsored by Simon & Schuster, to be given to authors of suspense fiction writing in the Mary Higgins Clark tradition, was launched by Mystery Writers of America in 2001. She was the 1987 president of Mystery Writers of America and, for many years, served on their board of directors. In 1988, she served as chairperson of the International Crime Congress.
Carol Higgins Clark (1956-2023) wrote the bestselling Regan Reilly mysteries and coauthored a bestselling series of holiday mysteries with her mother, Mary Higgins Clark. Also an actress, she studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and recorded several of her mother’s works. In 2002, she received an AudioFile Earphones Award for her narration of Jinxed.
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