I’m not categorizing this as either romcom or cozy mystery because it doesn’t quite nail either one.
Penelope (Pip) assists bestselling mystery writer Hugh, who’s part of a writer group calling themselves the Magnificent 7. They’re embarking on their first nine-day book cruise with daily guest workshops that Pip has spent months planning. Then there’s a murder. Then another. People start acting suspicious, they’re trapped on the ship, so Pip decides to solve it while Nash (handsome, hat-wearing western author) refuses to leave her side.
The whole thing is charming enough that I smiled through it. Parts are obviously bullshit, but you don’t care because you’re invested in Pip and Nash getting together.
The logistics make zero sense though. This cruise apparently has no port stops. Did they sail from the US to Europe? No idea. Ship security treats double homicides like minor inconveniences. Everyone just continues with workshops and daily activities like corpses are no big deal.
But if this becomes a Magnificent 7 series, I’ll read the next one anyway.
Leave a Reply