First published 2018
Christine Thorne boards the Queen Isabella expecting a nostalgic journey back to 1950s luxury. The vintage ocean liner offers everything from its golden age: fine dining, string quartets, sophisticated jazz, and classic cocktails. No cell phones allowed, no children permitted. Just two weeks of decadent cruising from Long Beach to Hawaii and back. But the ship carries more than passengers seeking escape from the modern world. In the galley, executive sous-chef Mick Szabo watches crew tensions boil over. Elderly violinist Miriam Koslow notices troubling signs that the cruise company has cut dangerous corners on safety. The Queen Isabella herself shows her age in ways that threaten everyone aboard. When crisis strikes, Christine finds herself thrown together with Mick and Miriam. The three strangers must navigate not just the failing ship but their own fears and limitations. Their survival depends on discovering reserves of courage they never knew they possessed.
Genres: fiction, mystery, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, survival
Setting: Hawaii, Long Beach
Period: 1950s
304 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday