Murder on the Salsette

As this sixth episode of the Shipboard Mystery series opens it is May 1909. George Dillman and Genevieve Masefield have been married a few months but for professional purposes they continue the charade that they are business partners only. The pair are undercover detectives for the passenger ships that are the airliners of their day. No longer working just the transatlantic routes of the Cunard Line, the pair are once again on a P & O ship, this time the Salsette which makes four day runs between Aden and Bombay. The wealth of the First and Second class passengers on these voyages has attracted thieves who attempt to divert some of it into their own pockets by various means. George and Genevieve have become quite adept at spotting card sharks, pickpockets, con artists and common thieves, they have even solved an astonishing numbers of murders. This trip proves to be no exception as they meet the usual cast of suspects, the over eager steward, the colonial colonel and his arrogant wife, an Indian mystic, a blowhard politician and his bullied family and others familiar characters from various books and films. That a murder will occur, an innocent person will be accused and our heroes will triumph before the ship arrives at its destination are foregone conclusions. As always with the cozy genre the true attraction is the ongoing backstory between George and Genevieve. Herein lies a problem for the series. Most cozies involve not only the main characters but a large cast of secondary characters, either their local village or extended family or some other group. In this series though the only recurring characters are George and Genevieve, reducing the number of ongoing subplots considerably. Still the pair are charming, and the details of this by gone age of travel is interesting. The mysteries of this series are only mildly challenging but the stories are an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

Cruise ship detectives George Dillman and Genevieve Masefield, newly married but pretending to be single as they mingle with the rich and famous on pre-World War I cruise liners, are heading from Bombay in British India toward Aden. The Salsette is a fast and beautiful ship--and the purser assures them that there should be no problems. Unfortunately, this is not the case. A passenger's cabin is burglarized, purses are lifted, and a man is murdered in his stateroom. All of a sudden, all the pressure is on Dillman and Masefield to solve the crimes. First, though, they need to determine whether there is a connection between the murder and the robberies. One thing for certain, someone did rob the dead man. But there are other motives for murder. The dead man had done his best to make enemies and, in fact, was visibly nervous before he was killed. Author Conrad Allen makes his pre-WWI world of affluent imperialists come alive. Travelers worry about class, about who is satisfactory to be seen with, and about who might be properly snubbed. As an American with egalitarian leanings, Dillman comes in for more than his share of snubs. Beautiful (and English) Masefield is more accepted by the elite--although not by the first victim of the thief--a woman who definitely prefers men. Snobbery takes a nasty turn when it comes to how the English relate to the Indians, both back in India, and those who are traveling on the Salsette. Conrad Allen provides a full serving of red herring, but I found this mystery to be a bit easy, and the social commentary to be a little repetitious. Still, it was pleasant to see Dillman and Masefield continuing to solve crimes together. The teenaged Lois Greenwood makes a charming character and the steward, Paulo Morelli adds a comic touch. Fans of the series will definitely want to see what Dillman and Masefield are up to now.

George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield are private detectives for the P & O cruise line. After working together on several cases they fell in love and were married by the captain of the Marmora as it sailed to Australia. After honeymooning in Bombay they are working on the Salsette which is sailing to the Aden Protectorate. The purser assures them they will have a quiet cruise since there is relatively no crime on the Salsette. That statement proves false almost immediately when a woman passenger has her jewels stolen from her unlocked cabin while she rendezvoused with her lover. Three more passengers have their purses stolen when they are on deck, sleeping or talking to other passengers. Genevieve is in charge of finding the thief as George concentrates on finding out who murdered Dudley Nevin, an Englishman who was sent to India after a scandal in England. In fact, the person, Dudley tried to harm is also a passenger on the ship and George is waiting for the right moment to confront him. Although the year is 1909, sea cruises have not changed much in the last ninety plus years. There are still class divisions and cliques and the crew is sometimes treated as serfs by some of the passengers. The two mysteries are well crafted, especially the theft sub-plot. Readers are going to be shocked when they discover who the thief is. The murder mystery is also well done although there are hints that reveal the identity of the killer midway through the storyline. Conrad Allen has written an entertaining and enjoyable sea cruise mystery. Harriet Klausner