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Caribbean Cruise Cozy #2

Dead in the Water

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Nothing stops a party faster than a dead body!
A cozy mystery from International Bestselling Author Susan Harper

Hope and the crew of the Caribbean Honey have put ashore for little bit of well-deserved R&R. And nothing says rest and relaxation like a beach party. At least until things turn deadly. Can Hope find a killer or will her mystery-solving career be dead in the water?

Dead in the Water is part of the Caribbean Cruise Cozy Mystery series. If you like fast paced mysteries with interesting characters, exotic locations, and unexpected twists, you’re going to love the Caribbean Cruise Cozy Mystery series.

Download Dead in the Water and start solving your next mystery today!

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110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

250 people are currently reading
159 people want to read

About the author

Susan Harper

163 books108 followers

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5 stars
161 (42%)
4 stars
118 (31%)
3 stars
86 (22%)
2 stars
10 (2%)
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5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Louie the Mustache Matos.
1,427 reviews142 followers
November 6, 2023
Dead in the Water is the second novella in the Caribbean Cruise Cozy mystery series by Susan Harper. When Hope and her crewmates from the Caribbean Honey are invited onshore for a company party, one of the partiers gets shot by what appears to be another one of her crewmates. Not believing that her friend is capable of murder, she jumps to his defense and begins to unofficially investigate the incident.

Although I find the novellas interesting, I still have my doubts about Hope as a protagonist. She continues to be short with the man that received what she believed to be her promotion, essentially he has become her superior, despite being new and unfamiliar with policy and procedure. He seems to take her nastiness in stride, but this can get pretty annoying very quickly. Check that, I am already annoyed. A protagonist should not be shrewish and IMHO she is getting there.
Profile Image for Tari.
3,719 reviews103 followers
February 15, 2020
I'm really enjoying this new series about a cruise ship. This time the ship employees were on a two-day break between cruises, and Hope had no idea she'd be spending her time off chasing down a killer, literally. When her good friend and co-worker Daniel was accused of killing his cousin Martina's boyfriend and the police weren't looking any farther than Daniel, Hope sprang into action.

She and Felix did a little sleuthing together, but they were more about bantering and arguing back and forth in this book. Her friends told her that she was still bitter about him getting the promotion over her, and she didn't disagree with that. They seem to be a good fit, so maybe Hope will mature a little as the series unfolds and realize that. She's got a good thinking head on her shoulders though and managed to get a recorded confession from the killer. It definitely came in handy to have grown up with a dad as a police chief and an investigative reporter for a mom. I'm looking forward to the third book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book proved by the publisher via BookSprout, and my opinions are my own. This new title publishes February 18, 2020.

Profile Image for Carol.
1,643 reviews67 followers
February 25, 2020
Resentment, revenge, prejudice all work
their way into this intriguing adventure.
The Caribbean Cruise Ship is in port for
a two day hiatus. The home port is in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida where the crew
lives in apartments provided by the cruise
line. The cruise line is providing a beach
party for the whole crew.
Hope Harper has worked on the Caribbean
Honey cruise ship for four years. She
expected a promotion but it went to an
outsider. She is still angry over this but has
accepted a date with the man to go to the
beach party.
There is a tiki bar and an area for open
mic performances. All seems to be going
well until a gunshot rings through the air.
The victim was a white male. The gun was
found in a bag of a Latino whose Latino
cousin was the victim’s date. Several officers
made inappropriate, racist remarks at the
scene of the crime.
Hope knows the arrested is innocent but
will an investigation even occur after the
racist attitudes of the police? So Hope sets
out to investigate. Since the ship is only In
port for those two days, a speedy resolve
needs to be made.
Interesting, intriguing, colorful characters
involved in a fast paced murder mystery
with several twists and turns.
This is book # 2 in the Caribbean Cruise
Cozy Mystery series. It can be read as a
stand alone.
I volunteered to read Dead in the Water.
Thanks to the author via Booksprout for
the opportunity. My opinion is voluntary
and my own.
Profile Image for Bev.
3,276 reviews98 followers
February 23, 2020
Hope and the crew have a short, two days off of the cruise ship. The company is having a beach party for the crew and everything is going great until someone is shot and killed. It is the boyfriend of one of the crew members. Why would anyone want to kill him? There is an underlying reason for this, but I am not going to tell you. You will have to read the book to find out who did it and why. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Booksprout.
12.7k reviews191 followers
February 22, 2020
An intriguing, suspenseful story. A cruise with a dead body , is definitely not a pleasure. Don’t miss out.
Profile Image for Donna.
1,626 reviews35 followers
June 8, 2020
This is your typical cozy murder mystery. You have your typical nosy MC and the stuffy detective that is lacking. The characters were ok and so was the story. There was nothing out of the ordinary. It is an ok read when you just want to relax with a book.
2,404 reviews
June 7, 2024
solid read

This was a solid cozy mystery. It was interesting and fun. The characters were really good. I really likes the vibes. Overall it was a good time all around
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bryna.
107 reviews
November 13, 2022
Another comfortable quick read - love the Cozy's that may seem predictable but have a slight twist. Easy and fun :)
Profile Image for Joan.
972 reviews
June 7, 2020
Once again, I am reading this book only for the cruise background, even though this book actually took place on land.

The crew is on a two day shore leave and there is a team development party held on the beach. When Thomas is murdered, the police immediately arrest Hope's friend Daniel. This book is all about racism and Hope believes that Daniel has been unfairly arrested because he is Mexican. The arresting officer even casts racial slurs at Hope, who has been adopted and raised in Washington DC by an Anglo family, but is obviously of Hispanic origin.

I don't know anything about Susan Harper, but I keep getting the feeling that she is actually a teenager. Hope is incredibly immature and can be petulant. No one ever smiles in this series, it is always a sneer. That word is used far too many times, as it also was in Book #1.

Our protagonist is also unbelievably rude to Felix Fitter, who will become her boss when the current even planner retires. She is upset with him when he goes to the police with evidence they have found. She thinks they should first approach the suspect and talk it out!

After Thomas is shot on the beach, Hope goes into a shop asking to see their cameras. The employee says sure, but he will have to get them from the manager. Of course the police have not thought of doing this and they sure are lucky to have Hope running around detecting. The manager does not hesitate to show Hope the tapes.

Hope ridicules Felix for being overly polite. What a fault! Imagine, she says, he even drives politely and signals turns! She complains that he is "Awfully punctual". She even gets in a dig at Abuela Catalina for keeping her car "ridiculously clean". How old is Hope anyway? At one point during a minor argument she shove Felix and knocks him over.

While we were initially told that Hope is hard working and a ray of sunshine at her job, this is not the image we are seeing. She thinks and acts more like a highschool mean girl.

Why do I continue to read this series? I love to feel myself immersed in the cruise ship atmosphere, although i do wish that the characters would grow up. I wish that cozy mysteries, with their gentle escapism, were intelligently written for adults.
2,371 reviews12 followers
July 26, 2021
Review:
4 Stars
I purchased a copy of the Florida based Dead in the Water Boxed Set: Caribbean Cruise Cozy Mystery Books 1 – 3: Drugged on Deck, Dead in the Water, and Stolen at Sea by Susan Harper and this review was given freely. All three books are fast paced covering a few days to a week and contain a murder, the rendition of college student Hope’s constantly changing schedule, Hope’s investigative skills and a diverse group of interesting characters. They can be read singularly as there is a portion of recap but, are best read in series order as they are linked together chronologically.

Drugged on Deck:
Realistic characters, drama and a murder.
Part time college student and Jack of All Trades Hope begins the Caribbean Honey’s season’s initial cruise with high hopes only to become frustrated when the abrasive and vindictive London born Felix is given the promotion she was expecting and seems to be always underfoot but then she teams up with him to solve a murder.
Dark theme of female directed prejudice.

Dead in the Water:
A hate –Like relationship, a savvy Hope and a murder.
Hope accompanies Felix to the FT. Lauderdale’s cruise company’s season opening party where her Hispanic friend Catalina’s large ship and non-ship based family is present. Contains strife in the form of Felix’s intrusive personal questions and the murder of one of Catalina’s granddaughter’s boyfriend
Dark themes of racial/female directed prejudice.

Stolen at Sea:
Contains action, danger and suspense with a fair amount of family drama and a murder.
Hope and her friends’ second cruise of the season is complicated by an art theft, murder, and the arrival of Felix’s abusive and controlling father.
Dark themes of racial bias and abuse.
Profile Image for Merry Chapman.
2,634 reviews25 followers
February 21, 2020
The second book in the Caribbean Cruise mystery series and it is just as much fun as the first book in this series! The cruise is on a 2 day hiatus which is rare so the company devised a working beach party for the entire crew. With Hope still angry that Felix took what should have been her promotion, but agreed with the prodding of her friends Ansh and Da-eun to go to the beach party with him. After all, they tell her, you have to get along with him and he is also a "hunk." In the first book we have a very snarky Hope trading jibes with Felix. This second book offered more of the same which makes you laugh out loud. When at the party there are gun shots and someone killed Thomas, the boyfriend of one of Hope's friend's (Catalina) family. And when Catalina's grandson Daniel is accused of the murder, Hope finds she has to find the real killer since it couldn't have been Daniel! And because Felix helped her once before find a murderer, he decides he wants to work with her on this one too. Can they work together to find a murderer who sadly might be one of Catalina's family? Or was he disliked by someone else. With only two days to find a murderer and free Daniel from jail in time to do the next cruise, can Hope solve this in time? Will the prejudiced police officer assigned to the case listen to Hope? Will Felix get in the way? This is a fast paced read that once you begin you will not be able to put it down until the end. I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
20.8k reviews367 followers
February 22, 2020
The crew of the Caribbean Honey has gone ashore during their two-day R&R break. They get together for a beach party, but someone shoots Thomas, boyfriend of Martina, one of Hope Harper's friends. A crew member, Catalina’s grandson Daniel, is accused of the murder when the lazy police don’t seem inclined to look any further into the matter, having found a gun in Daniel’s beach bag that he denies is his! That means Hope will have to find the real killer and prove her friend innocent – and all before the two days of their break expire and they would have to leave him behind!

Because he had helped her previously in an investigation, Felix wants to assist her with this. She has been cold toward him because he got the promotion she had expected for herself. (Their snarky dialog is terrific!) Can they work together to track down the killer in time to free Daniel?

This is a fun series that the reader will enjoy. Fast-paced with delightful characters, the clues will lead the reader all over trying to find the murderer before the ship sets sail again! Grab your copy and enjoy the merry chase! (And is Hope getting a bit more mellow toward Felix?)
7 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2020
Needs work

I read the first in this series and it was ok. The author seemed less than polished, but I've read other author series in which the writing got better with each book. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those. The first was a little labored, but this second book was worse. In this one, the main character, a Hispanic woman adopted as an infant by a white family, starts throwing the racist card down- a lot! Once, she mentions she was of a different race than her parents--- news flash-hispanics are of the WHITE race but of Hispanic ethnicity. She also assumes the police are polite to a white immigrant just because he's white but don" do their 'due diligence' with Daniel because he's Hispanic. I just feel like this particular book was aimed at being 'relevant' (politically correct), rather than the author really working to bring her characters to life. I really did want to find another enjoyable cruise series like Patricia Fisher stories and AR Winters's- this isn't it. Sorry this review sounds harsh, but I'm hoping it will help this author (and others) become better writers.
Profile Image for Pete.
895 reviews7 followers
February 21, 2020
I missed the first book of this series, so have started with this one, and rather than dealing with a mystery on a ship, it is set during a two day break between cruises for the staff. Someone gets shot at a team building beach party and the lead character, Hope finds herself involved in the investigation as her friend is arrested for the murder.
I liked the interaction between Hope and Felix, who had been promoted ahead of her, there was flirting but also friction which made for an enjoyable read.
The mystery was well handled, and I thought that the culprit was well concealed until they were revealed.
This looks like it is going to be a fun series, and I am looking forward to the next one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
721 reviews5 followers
February 20, 2020
This cruise ship cozy follows the crew on land during their break before the new season starts where even two days off in a row is a luxury. It turns deadly however when during a work beach party, the new boyfriend of a fellow crew member/friend ends up shot. With so many suspects in the family alone and the arresting officer who is borderline racist to want to do his due diligence, Hope rushes to identify the killer with the help of Felix who she had been treating like a thorn in her side. Will she succeed before the ship has sailed?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Pam.
367 reviews3 followers
February 24, 2020
This is the second book in a great new series from Susan Harper. This time they are on a break for a 2 day employee beach party between cruises. Naturally things don't go as planned when her friend Daniel is accused of murder. She's got to jump in and help solve the case to get him off

She and Felix dig into it together however this a lot of arguing between them as she doesn't like him much. She doesn't think that she is put out that he got her promotion.

I am looking forward to the third book in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Teresa Collins.
1,143 reviews21 followers
February 25, 2020
This is a good, light, cozy mystery and a quick read. Looking for deep, psychological drama? Don't look here. Looking for something light-hearted to keep your interest for several hours? This is the book for you. The characters are relatable, the story is told well, and there are few typos-everything I want in my light mysteries. I will be sure to check out the next book in the series.
I received a review copy from Bookspout and this is my honest opinion. I want to thank them and Ms. Harper for allowing me to read the book. I enjoyed it very much.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author 1 book69 followers
August 8, 2020
Hope and the crew of the Caribbean Honey have put ashore (Lauderdale, Florida) for a little bit of well-deserved R&R. The cruise line provides the crew an apartment room and a beach party. Fun, until things turn deadly.

Filled with solving a mystery. Hope believes Daniel did not kill Thomas and works to prove it. Sneaking around and spying on suspects became interesting. One of the characters is a Hispanic woman who was adopted as an infant by a white family.

Okay story. I'd like to have seen more of the Caribbean but I appreciated the "clean" element of this story- no bad language or scenes.
229 reviews5 followers
February 23, 2020
While I didn't read the first book in this new series, I didn't have any trouble figuring out the characters or their relationships. When a beach party goes wrong, the female protagonist, Hope, digs deep to solve the crime. I loved the loyalty she has for her friends and co-workers however, even though I enjoyed this book, I think I might enjoy the stories more with the mysteries taking place on the ship itself. I like the author's other series and I will definitely read the next one in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
145 reviews1 follower
February 22, 2020
This is the second book in a new series. The series has started great. Hope and Felix have know each other a week and have already been in the middle of two murder investigations. Hope was convinced her friends were not responsible for this murder. She worked hard to find the truth. Can’t wait to see how Hope and Felix continue to grow as characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,024 reviews19 followers
February 24, 2020
Great second book. This series is fun. The cruise ship setting is different and a great idea. The world building is fantastic. Hope is a kind and loving character. She really cares about her friends and shipmates and becomes involved in solving a murder when a dear friend is accused. The ongoing story keeps your interest and it is hard to put the book down. A very enjoyable reading experience you will be glad you tried.
612 reviews7 followers
March 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. A murder at a beach party should have been easily solved, but the police have the wrong person. The cast of characters are primarily “the family” of the crew members of a cruise ship. The author has brilliantly included small introspections on the subjects of interracial adoption and profiling based on a person’s nationality. There’s enough possible suspects that you will be guessing until the end.

14 reviews
June 25, 2020
Smirk

The word smirk was used so many times in this book that I found it annoying. I read for escaping from this very mad world that is our reality in 2020. I really don't need the "white cops are racist" narrative shoved down my throat in a cozy mystery. I agree with the other reviewer who said it was done for political correctness reasons. It was very off putting and although I will try one more book in this series and hope it's not turning into a theme for the series.
Profile Image for Sandy.
889 reviews15 followers
February 19, 2020
A two-day break between cruises leads to murder. The police arrest a cruise employee and Hope must rush to find the real killer before he next cruise leaves. This is the first book I’ve read in this series, but it read fine as a stand-alone. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
Profile Image for Jey Lucier grenier.
8 reviews
February 22, 2020
I am excited to have learned more about Hope & what makes her tick. The storyline continues from book 1 ‘Drugged on the Deck’ and it is interesting to see how the characters are interacting and how Hope is coming to understand her feelings. I am looking forward to reading book 3

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Dorothy  Scott.
924 reviews4 followers
February 25, 2020
Hope still has mixed feelings toward Felix, but must team up with him to clear Catalina’s family of murder. Dead in the Water is the second book in the Caribbean Cruise Mystery Series. I have read and enjoyed both books, and am looking forward to see what the characters get involved in next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3,353 reviews19 followers
February 27, 2020
This is a new author for me and a great series, now I want to go read the previous book in the series. The who dun it keeps you captivated throughout the story and keeps you turning the pages to find out the answer. The author does a great job bringing the characters to life and making them easy to like.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

250 reviews2 followers
March 2, 2020
Loved this story. Just enough plot twists to keep you interested and guessing as to who the "culprit" was. I loved the development of the recurring characters in this series. Waiting not so patiently for the next book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
57 reviews2 followers
May 25, 2020
I love Cruise Ship Mysteries

This was a fun & entertaining Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery. All of the characters were described well and interesting to learn about. If you enjoy Cruise Ship Mysteries, I highly recommend this book & series. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews

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