A good, old-fashioned mystery set on the maiden voyage of the famous Lusitania from England to New York in 1907, Murder on the Lusitania certainly doesn't disappoint.In the tradition of novels by Golden Age mystery writers like Christie and Marsh, we have an interesting and varied cast of characters/suspects, mostly restricted to the first class passengers, whom we're slowly introduced to. George Porter Dillman, our protagonist, is hired by the Cunard Line as an undercover detective and finds more trouble than he had expected when an overly nosey journalist, Henry Barcroft, is found murdered.George Dillman has an easygoing manner and is polite, intelligent and resourceful. I liked him almost immediately, so following his process of gaining the other passengers' confidence, picking up the clues and solving the murders and related thefts was a great deal of fun. Genevieve Masefield is the heroine, but we know a lot less of her than we do of George; she is actually fairly cold to him at the beginning and only warms to him about halfway through, when they've had a chance to converse properly. She's a fascinating character, though, and the growing attraction between her and George promises to be an interesting aspect of the following books.The mystery is well-plotted, and like other classic mysteries, you discover most of the clues at the same time as George does, so you can "sleuth" along with him. I really enjoyed this element, particularly after having read a number of cozy mysteries recently featuring amateur detectives who stumble their way onto the truth more than using any real brain work. In contrast, George is refreshingly competent, intelligent and clearly experienced in his line of work.My only complaint is that the amazing setting of the Lusitania wasn't used to its full advantage. I adore the era and the idea of one of the greatest luxury liners being the backdrop to a murder mystery, but I simply couldn't get a feel for the atmosphere. There were some descriptions of the surroundings, but little other information filtered through. I would have expected more of that woven in subtly to allow the reader to feel like they're there.This is only a small gripe, though, and otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this classic mystery. Looking forward to more of George and Genevieve's maritime adventures!
In the tradition of classic crime novels, Murder on the Lusitania has no end of suspects. Of course, the action happens on a ship and there are separate "classes" of decks in which the "lower" passengers (sadly, this is how they are referred to here) cannot move to the upper levels, so finding the killer isn't such a tough job. First in a series of books about mayhem on board the maiden voyages of famous ships, the hero is George Porter Dillman, who goes first class on the voyage, and he can mingle with the best of them. He has dinner with the first-class passengers, drinks with them, gets caught up in their personal dramas, all the while actually doing his job....which is a secret detective of the famous Pinkerton agency. He is hired by the various cruise lines to prevent mayhem and crime, or at least to see to it that by the end of the voyage all is well. In this first installment, someone has stolen the ship's blueprints. While this may not seem earth shattering to us now, the author clearly explains how in 1907, when the "Lucy" as she is known was built, it was a time when Germany was building up her naval forces & the Lusitania was clearly not designed solely to carry passengers. In short, the Lusitania had been built as a secret antidote to the ships the Germans were building, just in case. And back then, there were rumors of wars everywhere. Anyway, George has to solve the mystery of the missing blueprints, and as he is doing so, there is a murder on the high seas. So now George has to solve that too, not to mention finding a missing Stradivarius belonging to an eccentric musician who is threatening to sue the Cunard line & make his plight public to cause the line great embarrassment. Just good old fashioned mystery featuring members of the "upper crust" and an old-fashioned detective. The story itself isn't all that exciting, but it is fun & I like those "old" crimes.
Do You like book Murder On The Lusitania (2000)?
I always enjoy murder mysteries and this was no exception. The settiing is the maiden voyage of the Lusitania from Liverpool to New York (1907).George Dillman has been hired by the ships captain to pose as a passenger - in fact he is a private detective for the Cunard Line. He expects to have a few dealings with petty criminals, but events escalate - first the murder of a journalist, then thefts of jewellery and even a favmour Stradivarius violin. There are suspects galore and the murderer/thief is not who you expected.
—Trisha
George Dillman is a Boston detective who has been hired by the Cunard Line to work undercover preventing any trouble on the first sailing of the new ship Lusitania. He mingles with the first class passengers and uncovers little more than an illicit love affair and a couple of possible card cheats. However, a couple of attractive women and one very annoying freelance reporter catch his eye, and occupy some of his time until there is a murder. Following the murder there is a rash of burglaries, including the theft of one priceless item, and Dillman has his hands full. Everything needs to be resolved before the ship docks in New York City or the reputation of the Line could be in danger. Meanwhile, Dillman himself may have unwittingly become a target.This book moves very slowly at first. The first half of the book is an introduction to the ship and the characters. However, once the murder takes place things begin moving much more quickly.
—Julie
3.5 ★ - http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...An enjoyable murder mystery. I won't go seeking future books, but I'd read them if they came my way. The dialogue was a bit stilted in places, which is surprising from such an old hand as Edward Marston (aka Conrad Allen). I daresay things improve in the following books & we get to know George Dillman & Genevieve Masefield better when they pair up in the future.
—Catsalive
