Be prepared to read late into the night when you reach for this book. Catherine Cooper keeps you glued to the pages from start to end with this psychological thriller.
This book unfolds during different timelines which keep you on your toes. At times it feels as if you are reading two different stories. However, this does not make the book difficult to read – the two storylines are easy to follow and adds to the intrigue. The author brings the past and present together beautifully, leaving you loving this reading experience.
This is my second book by this author and I cannot wait to find the time to read more of her work. She is creative with her storytelling and keeps you engrossed with stunning settings and realistic characters.
When Lola, a petite dancer on a cruise ship in the Caribbean goes missing it causes a lot of upset. Lola is well-liked even if she is a little mysterious about her past. When no trace of her can be found the rumours take over. Who was she arguing with the night she disappeared and why? When more people disappear captain Leo is held accountable, but could he have done anything differently? Who is Lola? Why was she on the ship in the first place, and what is she trying to hide?
This book had me hooked from the first page. I loved the way the author combined the past and the present, jumping between different timelines as she tells this story. It was a gripping read that I found myself racing through and then it ended all too quickly.
The characters in this book perfectly reflect the people I would imagine finding on a cruise ship. The crew is a mix of people, all with a past they would rather forget. Lola and Antonio make an interesting dance duo. You can feel the dynamic between these two characters. Alice the chef is a pleasant woman who is well-liked. She keeps a lot to herself which keeps the other characters in the dark. As for Rick, this man jumps off the page. You are given such a clear picture of this guy, you feel as if you know him.
This book was a brilliant read. I am happy to add this one to my loved list for 2022 and it just might be my book of the month.
If you enjoy a gripping psychological thriller, you will not be disappointed when you reach for this one. I cannot recommend this one highly enough. Please add this one to your TBR – you will love it.

Probably a controversial and /or unpopular opinion, but I didn’t particularly enjoy this thriller.

I understand why the subplot was introduced and the ending tied everything together with an odd, lopsided and strange bow, but the book just wasn’t for me.
The pacing with the added subplot/back-in-time plot sort of felt totally plugged in and I just didn’t like it. Again, I understood why it was done, I just didn’t like that approach. Also the past plot didn’t feel like a part of a thriller book, as it was advertised.

Again, wonderful and engaging writing, the author is clearly very well at what she does, but the book simply wasn’t for me.

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

I added the Chalet and The Chateau to my TBR but never got around to reading them, so this is my first Catherine Cooper read. And Wow I am not sure what I just read. As the title indicates, the story starts on a cruise but then jumps to a seemingly unrelated story about a teenage girl found after being abducted years ago. Of course in a twisty thriller, no theory is ever off the table, but I must say if you figure this one out, you should probably be writing the thrillers instead of reading them.

This is hard to review in any depth for fear of spoiling something, but I’ll say I am not sure I really liked or connected with the characters. But I’ve found in a thriller that it doesn't matter if you want to figure out who did it or what is going on and that was the case for me. Who killed Lola and what does this have to do with the secondary plot line. There was a lot of layers to this and it never felt like too much.

You’ll just have to see for yourself what is happening on this cruise.

Where do I even begin with this book? I haven't read a book by Catherine before but I have them on my kindle and I am kicking myself that I haven't read them!! I was doing a bit of hybrid reading with this book majority by audiobook and the last 10% by kindle as I was desperate to know the ending!
A MASSIVE shout out for the audiobook, what a production, I particularly loved the narrator for Antonio - he was fab!

I had no idea where this story was going to lead me! No idea! What a journey it was! Jeez! Mind Blown! I love the twists and turns, and I did guess who one character was but not the one you think.

I am not talking anything about the plot, go in blind! Otherwise, it will all be spoilt for you. I mean some of it was a sad tale to read about when we go back in time. The present-day was quite sad for a character and the rest was life on a cruise during a layup, which I found interesting.
I didn't expect that ending, and I LOVED it!! Despite loving it, it feels wrong to love it! So bloody wrong, but right at the same time LOL

I was hooked on the writing, the production, everything and I needed to know quickly everything that was happening and what the hell was happening. It was a riveting read! I couldn't wait to get back to the book when I wasn't reading! This is how my life spiralled out of control!! Did I say I loved it?

I have Catherine's previous books to read, and I can't wait....although not sure up a cold winters mountain will be the best place for that.... oh heck, throw caution to the wind ;)

After having read and loving this authors previous two books I was super excited to read The Cruise. As soon as I’d finished reading the prologue I just knew this was going to be an absolute belter of a read. The story is told in two time lines , the past where we read about the mysterious Laura who lives with her dad in Scotland and then more current times is based onboard the cruise ship and we get to know the various characters on the ship. This is a superb read for fans of suspense thrillers. As soon as I started reading this book I was completely absorbed in this story . Everything about this book was just brilliant from the brilliant prologue to what in my opinion was a fantastic ending.

The cruise wasn’t quite what I was expecting but that’s not to say that I didn’t really enjoy it.

Catherine Cooper is the queen of the locked room thriller and this one came full circle by the end.

I kept wondering where the prologue came into the story as snippets of it were dripped into the prose throughout. I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be that 😱

A really complex story with split time lines and many points of view but all these aspects made it riveting and addictive.

If you’ve not ready anything by this author before and you like a dark chilling thriller, then I’d give this one a go.

I thoroughly enjoyed this smart, intriguing thriller set amongst the world of cruise ships.

The book begins on New Year's Eve, when Lola, a talented dancer on a luxury cruise ship, suddenly disappears. Amongst a myriad of suspects onboard, including the ship's captain, chef, doctor, and Lola's dance partner among others, who could be responsible?

What sounds like a simple premise, is anything but, as dark secrets begin to energe and no one is who or what they seem. The story also has a dual timeline, which at first appears confusing, but it soon becomes apparent how this shapes the sinister plot.

Although none of the characters were particularly likeable, they all came to life off the page and left me not knowing who I could trust or believe.

I found this to be a cleverly plotted, taut psychological thriller, which I would recommend.

Thanks to author Catherine Cooper, publishers Harper Collins UK and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Catherine Cooper's previous books, particularly the fact that their endings are never morally perfect. There's a hint of Agatha Christie in The Cruise, which, as you can tell from the title, is set on a glamorous cruise ship. During a New Year's Eve party a dancer, Lola, goes missing. As you'd expect form a Cooper novel a lot of the characters have secrets and shady pasts. There are two timelines in the novel, which at first don't seem to have anything to do with each other but cleverly come together later on. A brilliant, escapist read.

Wow this book was a real page turner. I expected to read a book about murder on a high end glamorous cruise ship which I got, but there was also the fascinating story of the young Laura growing up living a secluded life with her father. Then another twist of who Laura really was and the heartache of her coming to terms with what had happened in her life. Such an interesting and disturbing character. There were so many twists and turns in this book it left my head spinning and most of them I would have never guessed. A really thrilling read

Having read precious books from this author, I was keen to dive into The Cruise. I found I was hooked immediately and enjoyed both the main story and subplot. And whilst I did guess how the two were connected, I really enjoyed the stories. Will definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I'm a little bit conflicted on this one as it overall was a good thriller and some of it was very exciting but the sub plot threw me off a bit and made the storyline a bit disjointed as the two didn't fit together very well
Once the flashback story had stopped the conclusion was brilliant and got back to the twisty thriller I was enjoying.
Still one for thriller reads as the twists were fab and the setting perfect for this genre

Having read her two previous books, I know that if I am going to pick up a book by Catherine Cooper I had better clear some space in my calendar because I am unlikely to want to put it down. And that certainly proved to be the case with this one - with an attention grabbing prologue, its short chapters kept me thinking “just one more” and with dual timelines and multiple narrators I didn’t want to stop reading until I had figured out how everything fitted together, though of course I was kept guessing right to the end!

Life aboard a cruise ship on the Caribbean sounds glamorous - but when on New Years Eve Lola, a dancer aboard the ship goes missing, it soon becomes clear that many of her fellow workers have chosen life at sea to avoid their real lives. As the ship goes out of service and moors out to sea with only a small crew on board, the body count begins to rise - is there a killer on board? And how does that link to the story, seven years previously, of a teenage girl who wakes in hospital after an accident.

Cooper has crafted another book that keeps you turning the pages as the twists keep coming and all the strands come together as it heads to a dramatic conclusion - and I loved it. Another winner from Cooper and confirmation that she is a must-read author for me - her thrillers never fail to entertain! Where are we off to next?

Sadly I found this rather a stilted read. It had the feel of a longer version of magazine fiction. I didn't warm to the characters and their promiscuous lifestyles just annoyed me. Not one for ma all in all although the mystery was good and kept the reader guessing.

Welcome onboard of Immanis, the world’s largest cruise ship. It has everything you wish for, including murder…

It’s New Years Eve, 2021. Lola, a dancer on the ship, goes overboard. Earlier that day, her co-workers reported she was in distress. Was it a suicide? Or was she pushed?

The book is told from various points of view, including Antonio’s (who was Lola’s dance partner), Alice’s (chef on the ship), and Stuart’s (ship’s doctor). From their accounts we discover that Lola was secretive about her past and had a history of ill mental health.

Meanwhile, the reader discovers that everyone on the ship has secrets!

Then, the action goes back to 2013, where we meet a young girl called Laura who lives a secluded and sheltered life with her father in the Scottish Highlands.

How are the two storylines connected?

You’ll have to read this book for yourselves to find out.

I absolutely loved it. The prologue, where a man gets electrocuted on the ship, immediately gripped my attention.

I enjoyed the dual storyline and I was desperate to discover what happened to Laura.

The twists in this book just kept on coming – I was so impressed with the ending, I felt everything was well explained. Hats off to the author for well thought out plot.

The Cruise was a highly anticipated read and it didn’t disappoint. I definitely recommend it.

This is a thrilling read about a cruise ship and when one of the staff goes missing, presumed overboard, everyone is trying to find out the answers about what really happened. You get chapters from a few of the different people on board as you try to piece together the events of that night. Everyone seems to have their own secrets and as more is revealed it becomes a shocking book full of plot twists that i didn't see coming. There was a sub plot that randomly appears about 30% in which threw me off and didn't seem relevant in any way but it all comes together at the end for an exciting book.

I really enjoyed The Chateau by Catherine Cooper and The Cruise was equally as great. I had absolutely no idea where it was going to go. It is told through two different storylines, both past and present, that seem completely different but come together to make a hell of a book. Eventually you do start to get an idea of what is going on but there are enough twists and reveals to keep you going.

Alternating chapters between four of the characters keeps the book moving forward and also gives the reader a few different personalities. Lola was by far the best character. Not only was she pretty interesting, she had the best character development. I’m on the fence about how realistic some of it was, but I guess this is a work of fiction, after all.

A luxury cruise liner and a missing person. Believe it or not, it's not an unheard of scenario. Though not an ideal one for the Heracles company or their pride and joy, the Immanis.

When a passenger's report that someone went overboard coincides with the disappearance of one of the ship's dancers, people aren't quite sure what to make of it. There's no evidence that anything actually happened. The witness had been drinking so no one can even be sure if she did actually see someone go overboard. But Lola has gone missing, that's a fact that no one can deny. And two weeks later, another employee is dead.

Catherine Cooper's thrillers are pure popcorn entertainment! With fabulous locales—a grand but fallen French chateau, a chalet in the French Alps, and now a luxury cruise ship—Cooper's books are pretty perfect for armchair travelers who like their fictional vacations with more than a touch of mystery!

As someone who is particularly inclined to never going on a cruise, I do love them as settings for nefarious doings. So this was definitely up my alley (it was up my alley already because I enjoy Cooper's work)!

This book has such a fun progression in terms of how the story is laid out. We begin with a passenger who has won his trip on the cruise. We then jump to the staff on Immanis on New Year's Eve 2021 leading up to Lola's disappearance.

Then we jump two weeks ahead to Immanis in port undergoing renovations (including security upgrades) while a skeleton crew remains on board. And of those crew, it soon becomes clear that everyone is hiding something!

But then we jump back to 2013 and a girl who wakes in the hospital after an accident. How her story ties into that of the occurrences on Immanis is part of the fantastic and twisted journey Cooper has in store for us as readers!

I absolutely loved The Cruise! I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a dark diversion in their reading lives. And if it's your introduction to Cooper, I definitely suggest picking up her previous books as well—you won't regret it!

This book is set on a large luxurious cruise ship. When one of the dancers goes missing everyone assumes it is an accident or suicide, but is it? The Cruise is a brilliant thriller book. This is the third book I have read by this author and have enjoyed them all. Looking forward to Catherine's next book.

I have read all this authors other books and thoroughly enjoyed them so I was excited to read this one. This book was fantastic and had a wonderfully unique storyline. It kept me gripped from start to finish with a brilliant ending I didn’t see coming. Catherine is certainly a talented author and I look forward to reading more by her

Mysterious deaths aboard a luxurious cruise liner, are they accidents, or something more sinister? A fantastic locked room mystery. I loved it and I raced through it. I will definitely read more by this author.