From Publishers Weekly
In the eighth in a charming series of mysteries set in 1920s England, newlyweds Daisy Dalrymple and Scotland Yard detective Alec Fletcher, headed for America aboard the Talavera, find their honeymoon disrupted by mysterious accidents and murder. Besides a nice period feel, Dunn (Rattle His Bones) provides the usual likable cast, which here includes American millionaire Caleb P. Arbuckle, his daughter Gloria and son-in-law Phillip, as well as Arbuckle's friend, wealthy Yorkshire businessman Jethro Gotobed and his flashy new wife, Wanda Fairchild, a former chorus girl. The ship has not been long underway when a man falls overboard, and a distraught young woman claims he was thrown. Though the man is rescued, the captain wants to know what happened, so Alec finds himself dragooned into service, despite his seasickness. When Gotobed witnesses a second man falling overboard, the Yorkshireman claims the victim was shot, and this time there is no rescue. Daisy and Alec have to wonder who among their acquaintances on the Talavera is a murderer and what is his or her true motive, but they're not even certain who the intended victim was. While the plot tends to be predictable, Dunn manages some good twists to keep her detecting duo proving their mettle. Fans of light historical whodunits should be well pleased. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Honeymooners Daisy Dalrymple and Scotland Yard inspector Alex Fletcher are sailing to the U.S. aboard the SS Talavera. The trip quickly becomes a busman's honeymoon when one man is pushed overboard and another is shot. Many of the passengers make good suspects, including the wealthy Jethro Gotobed and the rude young gambler Chester Riddman. As Alec battles seasickness, Daisy investigates the case, writes about the voyage for a magazine article, and guiltily tries to avoid the obnoxious Wanda Gotobed. The 1920s setting gives Dunn lots of opportunity to pepper the story with details of the times, and if she is a bit heavy-handed in the way she incorporates historical fact into her narrative, the period ambience is, on the whole, more entertaining than distracting. This is a routinely enjoyable entry in a lightweight but pleasant-enough historical series. If only Dunn could avoid giving her characters such silly names (Gotobed?). Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"The period sense remains vivid, the characterizations are excellent, and the mysteries are, if anything, more perplexing than ever." --The Oregonian on Rattle His Bones

"The Honorable Daisy Dalrymple brings her usual style and flair to this installment in Dunn's engagingly entertaining series...Dunn's witty prose shines in this lighthearted whodunit." --Publishers Weekly on Rattle His Bones

"Dunn describes 1920s London and the characters in detail and highlights the interplay between Alec and Daisy...a snug read." --Library Journal on Requiem for a Mezzo

"A satisfying mystery and accomplished rendering of English social history with a gentle but insistent message that works today." --The Register-Guard on Murder on the Flying Scotsman

"A combination of P.G. Wodehouse and Boy's Own Adventures, laced with reminders of the all-pervasive class distinctions of the era. A dauntless Daisy and good-natured fun." --Kirkus Reviews on Damsel in Distress

"Reading like an Agatha Christie thriller, Rattle His Bones is a charming look at life shortly after the first World War." --Romantic Times

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"In late 1923 the newly married Daisy Dalrymple and Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard take an ocean voyage to America for their honeymoon. Accompanied by Daisy's childhood friend Phillip Petrie, his wife, Gloria, and Gloria's father, American millionaire industrialist Caleb P. Arbuckle, Daisy and Alec are looking forward to a pleasant, uneventful trip. But at the last minute they are joined by Arbuckle's new friend, Yorkshire millionaire Jethro Gotobed, and his new wife, Wanda, a showgirl whom all but Gotobed are convinced is a gold digger of the worst sort." "Then, having barely lifted anchor, the ocean liner is beset by a series of suspicious accidents and deaths. With harsh weather and rough seas putting many - including Alec - out of commission due to seasickness, it soon falls to Daisy to figure out what connection there might be between the seemingly unrelated incidents. Convinced that there's a murderer aboard ship, Daisy must unmask the culprit or culprits before anyone else - especially herself - falls victim."--BOOK JACKET.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In the eighth in a charming series of mysteries set in 1920s England, newlyweds Daisy Dalrymple and Scotland Yard detective Alec Fletcher, headed for America aboard the Talavera, find their honeymoon disrupted by mysterious accidents and murder. Besides a nice period feel, Dunn (Rattle His Bones) provides the usual likable cast, which here includes American millionaire Caleb P. Arbuckle, his daughter Gloria and son-in-law Phillip, as well as Arbuckle's friend, wealthy Yorkshire businessman Jethro Gotobed and his flashy new wife, Wanda Fairchild, a former chorus girl. The ship has not been long underway when a man falls overboard, and a distraught young woman claims he was thrown. Though the man is rescued, the captain wants to know what happened, so Alec finds himself dragooned into service, despite his seasickness. When Gotobed witnesses a second man falling overboard, the Yorkshireman claims the victim was shot, and this time there is no rescue. Daisy and Alec have to wonder who among their acquaintances on the Talavera is a murderer and what is his or her true motive, but they're not even certain who the intended victim was. While the plot tends to be predictable, Dunn manages some good twists to keep her detecting duo proving their mettle. Fans of light historical whodunits should be well pleased. (Apr. 16) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

The eighth adventure for Dunn's 1920s busybody/heroine Daisy Dalrymple (Rattle His Bones, 2000, etc.), married at last to Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard and on a honeymoon that will take them to America aboard the Talavera, all expenses paid. Alec is to confer with the newly reorganized Justice Department in the US; Daisy will write articles about the voyage for a magazine. If the trip were really as idyllic as the set-up promised, of course, Daisy would spend it between books. So it's no surprise that her neighbor and onetime suitor, the honorable Phillip Petrie, is aboard with his own bride, Gloria Arbuckle. And her millionaire father, another passenger, is much concerned about his old friend Jethro Gotobed, still another honeymooner making the voyage with aging chorine Wanda Fairchild, the longtime object of Gotobed's infatuation. The ship is barely under way when a man falls overboard. Rescued just in time, he turns out to be unassuming farmer Albert Denton. But as he's recovering in sickbay, a second man overboard is not so lucky. While Alec struggles manfully with seasickness, it takes all of Daisy's sleuthing skills to figure out the victim's identity and the motives involved. Pretty much the mixture as before, with an interesting backdrop and a livelier cast of characters than usual. Daisy's legion of fans will be delighted.