Book: Death in the Middle Watch

This was my first book in this series, subtitled A Carolus Deene Mystery. Leo Bruce presents an interesting mystery, though I think some elements of the plot and some of the clues are a bit overdone. I also think that the probabilities are pushed a bit on what a cruise ship can get by with.

The characterizations are quite clear, although the book is largely populated by stereotypes, and a good portion of the actions are a bit predictable.

The story is set on a cruise ship. There was a passenger death the year before and the company has been getting threatening letters. An extraordinarily stupid company president and a rather poor excuse for a ship’s captain make the trip more interesting. Mr. Deene’s apparent love of drama makes the finale a bit more exciting than it realistically would have to be.

I rate this a 2 out of 5. I finished reading it, but I’m not in urgent search of another volume.