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.

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.