Death by Water by Kerry Greenwood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've been on a cruising cozies reading thread for a while, and this one at least went to places I've never been. Phryne is hired by the cruise line to see if she can figure out who is stealing jewelry from the passengers. Wearing a magnificent sapphire as bait, she and her assistant Dot move among the First Class and third class and staff respectively. With unexpected help from a ship's cat, they set up a trap for the thief, but before they can catch him, there is a murder on board.

I found this book a bit confusing between the time setting (1920s) and the area (Australia/New Zealand), but it is loaded with information about local flora, fauna, and native peoples. The mystery itself was not hard to guess, but the motive was somewhat unexpected. At the end of each chapter there is a note from a passenger on the Titanic, but there was no explanation as to if they were real or made up.


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