by Amy Vansant

a Book Review by Jackie Houchin

PINEAPPLE CRUISE, A Pineapple Port Mystery by Amy Vansant is a scary-fun mystery set on the maiden voyage of a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike the Titanic, it doesn’t sink, but people die anyway!

What is it about Table 12 in the dining room?  Why are the vacationers assigned there being bumped off?  And what’s with the pretty pink greeting cards (with ominous inscriptions) and the tiny vase of rose buds in each of their staterooms?

Charlotte, a newbie private detective in Pineapple Port is asked to investigate the seemingly doomed 3- day cruise. She and her two elderly friends – who traded a winning Bingo prize for the cruise tickets – dig in, but nothing makes sense, until it finally does.

And then it’s almost too late.

The author has created a cast of funny but believable characters and put them into one hilarious situation after another, such as the pickpocket scene, the floor of the bathroom stall scene, and the vengeance killing of a monster flying insect scene!  Eccentric or slimy, calculating or clueless, you will guffaw or gag at the variety of cruise ship characters, And with the puzzling, murderous things happening on the Voyager, you won’t be able to put this book down.

Oh yeah, then there are the flashbacks to Charlotte’s home back in Pineapple Port, where her boyfriend Declan is house and dog-sitting while she’s away. He has a riotous mystery to solve as well, after one very strange little old lady – who claims she’s being stalked – appears and settles into Charlotte’s house with him!  The catching of the stalker is one big belly laugh.  Oh, my!

4.5 STARS