This book is written by Edward Marston who writes the Railway Detective series. The style of writing is very similar, plenty of dialogue driving the plot strongly forwards like the engines of the Mauretania as it powers across the Atlantic Ocean in the November weather.
I enjoyed the book immensely and will read another in this series, probably the one set on the Lusitania
George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield are the detectives on the Mauretania as it heads from Liverpool via Queenstown to New York. The ship is carrying gold bullion and quite a few would-be thieves of differing professionalism, including one who steals silver. Dillman spots this thief almost at once, however the thief disappears and has to be searched for. Two Welsh ex-miners decide to break into the strongroom where the gold is kept only to find some cleverer thieves got there ahead of them.
Bobo the ship’s black cat also plays a significant role in apprehending the bullion thieves and this is a pleasant distraction from the serious business of murder on the high seas. There are well developed characters including Genevieve’s circle of friends, a courtesan who is pretending to be a loving wife, and a investigative reporter determined to show that the Cunard company is exploiting the members of the crew of the Mauretania.
Julian Worker Fiction Writing 