Very enjoyable mystery.Drug trafficking,murder and love on the Cunard line circa 1908.I did not figure out the murder or drug smugglers! I read this particular book,the Caronia is the ship my Grandfather was shipped out on for his service in England in WWI.I have his boarding pass. I like Masefiled and Dillman,good character development. ( )

This is the 4th installment of the series featuring the shipboard detective team of Dillman and Masefield. The year is 1908, and once again the crime-solving couple are back on the Cunard line, this time on the Caronia, which is sailing back to England. The last of the passengers to board are 2 men escorting a young man and young woman onto the ship, one of the men holding a shotgun. It turns out that they are both from Scotland Yard, and they are transporting the couple back to England to stand trial for the murder of the man's wife. He is a pharmacist by trade, his now deceased wife was somewhat of a shrew. However, both of these suspects insist that they are innocent of the crime. Meanwhile, Dillman and Masefield are alerted to the fact that the Caronia is being used to smuggle drugs into the UK by someone on this particular voyage, so they must keep eyes and ears open. Once again, as in each of these mysteries, there is a wealth of suspects. Things quickly turn for the worse as there is a murder on board.

So far this mystery series tends to follow the same pattern; I was actually hoping for something a wee bit different this time, but alas. It was not to be so. I think if you enjoy formulaic mysteries throughout an entire series, then you should really like this book. Others, such as myself, who like variety within a series, may be a bit disappointed that aside from the ship name and the crimes, things tend to remain the same as they have in the prior three novels. I think I'd recommend this one more to people who enjoy the "cozy" genre of mystery rather than those who are looking for a mystery in which to sink their teeth.

Ah well, onward in the series for me! ( )