See the Mystery Review Crew’s review of Dream of a Murder by V.C. Williams.
Dream of a Murder
Author: V.C. Williams
Genre: Mystery
Kris and Rob Lawter are excited to be traveling the world on a small luxury ship, their dream vacation.
Retired from a high-stress career in government, Kris and her husband, a recently retired airline pilot, hope their good marriage will catch fire without alarm clocks in the way. But when Rob sees their neighbor tossed overboard in the dead of night, they have no choice but to get involved. Then their friend gets beaten up in Cádiz, and only the Lawters see the deadly connection.
Unless Kris finds the key to a cipher she found in the dead man’s cabin, the Lawters might be next.
*Affiliate links are used in this article. The Mystery Review Crew is an Amazon Affiliate and, as such, earns from qualifying purchases. See our privacy policy and disclosures for more information.
Add it to your reading list on Goodreads, Amazon, and BookBub.
Review of Dream of a Murder
Dream of a Murder is an exciting, slightly overwhelming, criminal enterprise tale set on a cruise ship and its ports of call. Kris and Rob Lawter are not just your average cruisers, but nosy cruisers who witness a murder and entangle themselves in the investigation.
The luxury cruise ship, The Peary Dream, has been plagued by shortages of the premium steaks, lobster, prime rib, and other delicacies that define their menu, and foul play is suspected, so an auditor has been sent to investigate. But the investigation quickly involves fraud, smuggling, and murder, and absolutely everyone is a suspect! The list of characters is seemingly endless, with crew members, cruise guests, and even FBI agents, and the Lawters are in the midst of everything!
Dream of a Murder features several casts of characters: the cruise line staff, the cruise guests, the investigators, and the criminals, whose status may fall into one or multiple categories. At times, a cast guide would have been helpful in remembering who was who and what role they were currently playing. The secondary characters are lost in the crowd, and it is difficult to care whether they are the criminals or the good guys.
The constantly changing locale and scenery, moving from days on the ship to days in different ports, visiting various cities and tourist attractions, is too fleeting to be interesting.
Dream of a Murder will likely hit the mark with readers who enjoy the feel of technical writing and a complex storyline and setting.
About V.C. Williams
VC Williams has a strong background in technical writing and is delighted to devote her life now to writing fiction. She previously worked in administrative and accounting roles in retail, government, manufacturing, and non-profits. She also served twelve years as a business administrator/minister for a large church in El Paso. Texas. VC is a second-generation Arizonan and a history enthusiast. She is married with two sons and two grandchildren. She has been blessed with opportunities to travel and has visited many beautiful places here and around the world. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Arizona Authors Association, and the Arizona Territorial Society.
