Okay this one was better than the last, more on par with the first in the series than the volume immediately preceding. ( )

This is the eighth book in a series featuring shipboard detectives George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield, who criss-cross the Atlantic on various vessels owned by the White Star Line and solve crimes. In this book, they're travelling on the RMS Celtic from New York to Liverpool and they have some august company indeed: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his wife, Lady Doyle, returning from a lecture series in the US. Dillman and Masefield hope they will have lighter duties on this voyage, perhaps nothing more taxing than saving ACD from crowds of overzealous fans, but then there are thefts, and a murder...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it cover to cover in a single morning. The concept of the series appealed to me as an aficionado of all things nautical, and a married couple solving mysteries together in that time period was an interesting hook. And having ACD on board was a nice bonus. The writing is light and frothy, with only occasional awkward bits (usually when people are talking to ACD about his works and they get a bit info-dumpy, such as "I wrote that in my book The Mystery of Cloomber"). I liked George and Genevieve as a couple, and I admired Genevieve in particular for her coolness and resourcefulness (especially when fending off the attentions of those two icky guys who were betting on how long it would take to get one of them to "bag" her).

Overall I enjoyed this look at life aboard a steamship during the glamour days of transatlantic travel and will definitely be picking up the rest of the series! ( )

A good who dunnit mystery, entertaining and easy to read. It follows the formula for the series. ( )

As of today, Murder on the Celtic is the last of the George Porter Dillman/Genevieve Masefield mysteries. To my great delight, the author finally managed to break through the formulaic stranglehold of his previous mysteries to offer a fun read. The same elements are there (thefts, a death on board) as in the past books, but this time he's jazzed it up a bit with an addition to the basic plot. I am one tough cookie when it comes to mystery novels, because I've been reading them since I was about 12, so I was quite pleased after having finished this one.

basic synopis (no spoilers): Once again, Dillman and Masefield are on board an ocean liner in their capacity as ship's detectives. Also on board is distinguished guest Arthur Conan Doyle and his wife Jean. Conan Doyle wants nothing more but to remain anonymous among the passengers, and wants George to run interference if need be. However, the theft of a priceless volume from his stateroom, along with some other petty thefts and a murder at sea keep both of the detectives very busy. Plus, they have one added problem: a known criminal and murderer is on the ship, but he has come under an assumed name. The detectives definitely have their hands full on this voyage of the White Star line's Celtic.

Overall, a fun read (which, if you've read my reviews on the other books in this series I've never said) which will definitely provide you with a couple of hours of reading enjoyment and escape. Fans of historical mysteries may like this one, as well as people who are following the series. ( )

I felt like I had read this book before. The plot was extremely similar to another book I must have read in the past. The author has several books in this series (Murder on the .....), but I don't believe I'd read them before. Anyway, still a good murder mystery with the main characters a married couple acting as undercover detectives on an ocean liner making the crossing between America and England. ( )