I love cases solved by Charlotte & Ingram, the entertaining distractions run by Mrs Watson and Co., the danger of the ever-looming Moriarty+minions, and the inclusion of unwanted family drama on board. On this ship, there resides a supporting cast that go from delightfully flamboyant to subtlety inconspicuous, and they all work together to spin a tantalising story; it folds over itself like an expertly crafted flakey pastry, layered with sweet buttery flavour between leaves of crust and intrigue. Plots intertwine in a race to escape the devious Moriarty by the high seas, and as they also aim to crack a dark-cosy whodunnit, Charlotte must think on a forced scant diet of steamed fish as she sits in the aromatic presence of salted chips and seared steak and glazed tarts. All the while, a slow burn romance stirs in the shadows of a sleeping ship.

Full of wit and complex drama, this is another succulent addition to the Charlotte Holmes series.

I hope Sherry Thomas plans on many more…