Danger on the Atlantic (A Jane Wunderly Mystery)
What better place to stage a mystery than on an ocean liner sailing from post-WWI England to America! The third of Neubauer’s mystery series features Jane Wunderly and Redvers Dibble, a man Jane is very attracted to but finds frustratingly enigmatic at times. Their relationship is an integral part of the story as they pose as a married couple, venturing through the many decks of the ship in search of a German spy Redvers has been tasked, by his employers, to root out. Jane’s accidental involvement with a wealthy heiress, whose husband has gone missing aboard ship, complicates matters when she’s supposed to be engaging chief suspect Heinz Naumann in pointed conversation. Meanwhile, jack-of-all-trades Redvers breaks into rooms using a set of nifty lock picks, disguises himself as a crew member, interrogates everyone in sight, and, for the most part, manages to remain unnoticed. The ship is chock full of proverbial red herrings, and everyone is lying and prevaricating, from the lowliest maid to the captain himself. As the puzzle gets more complex, Jane and Redvers have only a few days to untangle a web of murder and deceit.
This is an engaging, fast-paced read, with a diverse range of characters who are all hiding something or making a pretence of being someone they are not. The opulence of shipboard life for the privileged makes for interesting reading, although why passengers spend so much time in deck chairs huddled under blankets against the biting cold is strange. The novel stands alone, and this reader would have enjoyed more background on Jane and Redvers, whose romance blossoms aboard ship, but here’s hoping Mrs. Wunderly finds a new adventure to pique her interest, and Redvers will be at her side.
