Murder on the Mississippi

Sally Witherspoon Mystery, #2

by

Erik S. Meyers

Hoping for a little R&R after the events of the previous six months, Sally Witherspoon finds herself smack in the middle of another puzzling murder.

Murder on the Mississippi is the second book in author Erik S. Meyers’s intriguing Sally Witherspoon Mystery series, and while Sally embarks on a luxury river cruise to relax, it turns out no one on board will be getting much rest. With a boatload of quirky potential murderers to consider and an interesting travel itinerary besides, readers will be tempted to stay up late turning pages to find out what is going to happen next to those aboard the River Queen. 

Sally Witherspoon, the bold and brash biker-bar owner, is due for a little R&R on this high-end river cruise after the events of book one, and despite her good intentions, she’s dragged into this new murder case out of self-preservation. In this modern-day locked-room mystery, one of the few passengers and crew aboard the River Queen is a murderer. 

Sally is such a fun, engaging character; I felt like I was getting reacquainted with an old friend. Still, readers new to the series will easily be able to pick up her story in this standalone second book. Almost all of Sally’s fellow passengers have interesting international origins. One is a diplomat whose elite status will have an impact on the trajectory of the story. As a group, I thought the passengers were an argumentative lot, with a nasty or sarcastic remark or gesture always on the ready. I was glad to see the last of them and hope Sally doesn’t keep up with the few that she promised she would. 

The setting on the upscale River Queen cruise is a tantalizing one, and it had me googling Mississippi River excursions as a real-life vacation possibility. This particular cruise had a historical theme that took its participants to diverse, off-the-beaten-paths locations that hold tragic places in our nation’s history: a sad but unexpected highlight of the story. 

One murder follows another, as does plot twist after plot twist, and the truth seems more elusive than ever after the arrival of an FBI agent to take charge of the investigation. The resolution came as a complete surprise as the unusual aspects of the situation were finally revealed. 

With its likable main character, intriguing cruise theme, and intricate plot, I recommend MURDER ON THE MISSISSIPPI to mystery fans.

 I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.