THE RIVERBOAT MYSTERY by Faith Martin is another enjoyable entry in the Jenny Starling series. Slipping between the pages is like slipping into a comfortable outfit that is a perennial favorite. Beginning the book is like returning to an old friend, although there is no requirement that you read the first two books in the series to enjoy this one. Each book is a complete, stand alone mystery, filled with complex clues, some clever red herrings and one of the most likeable, unique heroines in detective fiction.
Jenny Starling, a “junoesque professional cook” is a complex combination of a beautiful, plus size woman, an excellent observer and a superb puzzle solver. In this novel, as in the previous two, she is hired for a temporary cooking job which takes her onto a riverboat for the weekend. Once again, her only goal is to cook excellent food, but fate intervenes in the form of a murder on board. The police are called into the case and, true to form, have heard of Jenny’s ability to solve crimes. This time it is their hope to solve it before she does.
As one might expect, the case is much more complicated than one would expect. Everyone on board the boat has a reason to wish the victim dead, with most of their reasons presented in the first few chapters leading up to the murder. The cast of characters include the riverboat owner who loves the boat more than anything he’s ever owned, it’s crew, who are also devoted to leisurely sailing on the Thames, and two couples, one a besotted young couple expecting their first child and the other a more jaded couple who married out of individual desires. It is more fun to read the initial pages and determine the victim prior to the murder than to know in advance, so no spoiler here.
In the best style of mystery novels that are like puzzles, this one is full of clues and ideas which need to be accurately interpreted. As Jenny points out when the solution becomes apparent to her, you simply have to turn the dial of the kaleidoscope so that the pieces all fall into the correct places in order to understand how to unravel the complicated facts in the case. There is an interesting twist to the case with all the information laid out in front of the reader so that they can solve it at the same time Jenny does, if they are paying attention to the right things.
This is my third read in the series, and all of them are equally enjoyable. When I opened this book, the writing felt comfortable and familiar in a way that welcomed me into the world of the book. The pacing is superb, as is the length of the book. It moves at a pace that is just fast enough to keep you engaged and provides enough new information as you progress through the book to keep you wanting to move forward.
The only change I would make would be to possibly give the two police officers in this novel a little more depth. Jenny hints at unplumbed depths, particularly on the part of the sargent, but doesn’t get the chance to explore them nor does the reader get the opportunity to experience much other than what Jenny observes. This is a minor issue, however, as you could substitute almost any officers of the law here and have the same result.
In summary, this is another excellent entry in the cozy mystery category with the added fillup of having a police presence to help with the believability of the story. As in previous novels in this series, Jenny is in no way intent on proving herself better than the police and shares her information and ideas almost as quickly as she gets them. I recommend this novel, along with the others in this series. Read them in any order you chose. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries with a believable murder, an engaging protagonist, and some interesting characters placed in unique settings, this is one for your consideration.
My thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series and I think that it improves with each book.
This one was engaging and entertaining, a very good book
I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Riverboat Mystery, the third novel to feature travelling cook and amateur sleuth Jenny Starling.

Jenny takes a working holiday catering a small weekend party on a paddle steamer but things don’t go smoothly. Tensions are running high and culminate in murder.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Riverboat Mystery which is a fun, cosy read with a well concealed perpetrator. It is not a profound novel, preferring broad brushstrokes, but it is entertaining. It is split into two almost equal parts, both seen through Jenny’s eyes, with the first half setting the scene for the murder, exploring the tensions and motives, and the second half covering the investigation where, as usual Jenny manages to outthink the police at every turn by using her practical mindset. Much of it is nonsense and seems barely believable but that hardly matters as the light hearted tone and genuine whodunnit mystery carry the reader through and hold the attention from start to finish.

Much of the fun in the novel is down to the protagonist, Jenny Starling. As with Ms Martin’s immensely popular Hillary Greene character she has a no nonsense approach tempered with good humour and a sense of the ridiculous. It is her take on events that makes the novel so enjoyable.

The Riverboat Mystery is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.