The Silent Film Star Murders (The Merry Widow Murders, 2)
Book two of The Merry Widow Murders is set in 1928, on the Victoriana, a luxury liner owned by wealthy young widow, Lucy Revelstoke, who is taking the trip to New York to chair the Empire Line board meeting. Nearing departure time, Lucy and her maid-confidante-friend-sleuth, Elf, are at the deck railing watching the crowd below, when Elf, ever an ardent movie fan, excitedly points to film star Renata Harwood, with her husband and dowdy sister Meg, ascending the gangplank. That evening in the glamour of the dining salon with the gathered hobnobs sparkling under crystal chandeliers, Meg is in absentia, supposedly with a migraine. But lo and behold, she disappears the next day. And an admirer of Meg’s materializes out of the blue and accuses Renata’s husband of dirty deeds.
Amongst other dubious talents, Elf is pretty nifty with locks, and she and Lucy stalk the corridors in search of the missing Meg, armed with a list of empty cabins from ship’s purser, Lucy’s current heartthrob, Gray. It’s amazing what turns up in unoccupied rooms! With Meg still missing, her Renata-lookalike steward is murdered, pointing to Renata being the intended victim all along.
I enjoy mysteries on ocean liners because there are so many places to hide within a relatively confined area, and you can’t help bumping into people you don’t want to see. So, if the victim hasn’t been thrown overboard, the hunt and chase make for fun reading. Details of the luxurious Victoriana are expertly woven in, putting readers amongst the silks and satins and heady Hollywood vibe, and dining upon the chef’s sumptuous creations. Campbell’s writing displays talent and wit, and her cozy mystery is an absolute delight from England to New York, along with Elf, who is quite unforgettable!
