by J. A. Jance
Part of J.P. Beaumont, book 15
First published 2002
J.P. Beaumont boards an Alaska cruise ship with his grandmother and her new husband, expecting a peaceful family vacation. The trip takes a deadly turn when a middle-aged divorced woman is murdered aboard the vessel. Beaumont finds himself drawn into the investigation despite being off duty. The case presents a unique challenge: the crime's sole witness suffers from Alzheimer's disease, making their testimony unreliable and fragmentary. As the ship continues its journey through Alaskan waters, Beaumont must piece together clues while navigating the confined space of the cruise vessel. He faces the difficulty of conducting a murder investigation in an isolated environment where the killer remains trapped alongside potential victims. The detective struggles to extract useful information from a witness whose memory fails at crucial moments, forcing him to rely on other methods to uncover the truth behind the woman's death.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: isolated-environment, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Alaska
421 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Avon