Monday, March 18, 2019

Drowned Under by Wendall Thomas


First Line: December 2006. It was Tiki Night at Chadwick's.

Due to some fallout that occurred after Cyd Redondo's trip to Africa (Lost Luggage), she isn't the most popular person in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn-- and that's tough to deal with at Christmas. In order for the rest of her family to enjoy the holidays, Cyd decides to help her ex-husband whose parents have disappeared on an Australian cruise.

She wastes no time-- enlisting the help of travel liaison and friend Harriet Archer to get a room aboard the cruise ship. When she arrives on board ship, she finds Harriet dead in the cabin they were supposed to share. Now Cyd's got to find her ex's missing parents and identify a killer. It's not going to be easy: the cruise ship is busy covering up the "unfortunate event" and sanitizing the crime scene, but if anyone can get the job done, it's Cyd Redondo of Redondo Travel armed with her Balenciaga bag.

Once again, Wendall Thomas has crafted a laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will have readers learning things along the way. There always seems to be a wildlife angle for Cyd-- by the way I liked finding out what happened to Barry the chameleon from Lost Luggage-- and this time it involves her former teacher, Sister Ellery Magdalene Malcomb, in addition to an international fugitive with more wigs and costume changes than a Las Vegas showgirl, and a Tasmanian Tiger. Never heard of a Tasmanian Tiger? Neither had I. See what I mean about learning stuff?

That's one of the things I like the most about Thomas' writing. Yes, I have a blast laughing my head off, but I also like to learn. In Drowned Under, I not only learned about those tigers, I learned quite a bit about the cruise ship industry, and although I can't say I want to board one any time soon, at least I understand them and the people who frequent them much better.

If you're in the mood to laugh, pick up Drowned Under, and if you haven't had the pleasure of reading Lost Luggage, get your hands on that one, too. And you're not just reading these books to laugh. In both, Thomas has crafted intriguing mysteries to solve with a main character who has to be related to MacGyver. Now all I have wonder about is what my husband is going to say when I tell him that I want a Balenciaga bag personally packed by Cyd Redondo herself?


Drowned Under by Wendall Thomas
eISBN: 9781464210631
Poisoned Pen Press © 2019
eBook, 288 pages

Humorous Mystery, #2 Cyd Redondo mystery
Rating: A
Source: NetGalley


 

10 comments:

  1. Cyd, Barry, and Howard thank you, Cathy!

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    Replies
    1. Let me know when Cyd starts selling her Balenciaga MacGyver bags!

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    2. Happily, I kept all the merchandising and tie-in rights, though I might start with Tupperware...

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    3. Probably a good idea to start small.

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  2. Cathy, I love the sound of this book. So, what you're saying is that that Balenciaga bag is full of 'useful' things? Ha! I own LOST LUGGAGE and want to read it soon so I can also read this one.

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    Replies
    1. That bag has every survival tool you'll ever need, Kay!

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  3. Laughter mixed in with a mystery where you learn, too? Sounds great, Cathy! And I do like the travel context. Glad you enjoyed this one.

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  4. Since I'm a library user, I put Lost Luggage on reserve, should get it soon. Love to laugh while I'm reading.

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    Replies
    1. I hope you enjoy it, Kathy. Humor is so subjective, it's difficult to predict whether or not someone else is going to like it.

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