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Francis Drake
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Return to a bustling Plymouth Harbor in 1572 as an aspiring Elizabethan captain making preparations...
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2554 KP) rated The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper in Books
Jul 12, 2025 (Updated Jul 12, 2025)
Sandy’s Cruising Toward Another Murder
Sandy’s agent has booked his next job on the comeback trail. He’s joined by his sister and a band, and his job is to provide two shows a night on a week-long Caribbean cruise. It should be easy enough, right? Complicating things is the dead body that Sandy finds in his dressing room the first night of the cruise. The victim was part of another show on board the ship. Sandy doesn’t feel like the cruise ship’s security is taking the murder seriously, especially if they consider him a suspect. Can he figure out what really happened before the cruise ends?
This is another fun mystery with Sandy. The mystery could have kicked off sooner, but the setup was still entertaining and did set up some subplots. Once it did get going, we had some nice twists before the logical solution. I did figure part of it out a little early, but not too much before the big reveal. I enjoyed watching Sandy develop more here, especially in his relationship with his sister. And I liked how her blindness came into play in the story. There was one reference to something that happened after the book is set, but it’s a minor issue. I’m glad I finally started this series. If you are looking for a new cozy series, you’ll be glad you picked it up as well.
This is another fun mystery with Sandy. The mystery could have kicked off sooner, but the setup was still entertaining and did set up some subplots. Once it did get going, we had some nice twists before the logical solution. I did figure part of it out a little early, but not too much before the big reveal. I enjoyed watching Sandy develop more here, especially in his relationship with his sister. And I liked how her blindness came into play in the story. There was one reference to something that happened after the book is set, but it’s a minor issue. I’m glad I finally started this series. If you are looking for a new cozy series, you’ll be glad you picked it up as well.
ClareR (6210 KP) rated The Great Divide in Books
May 19, 2026
My attention was attracted by the cover, I was interested by the synopsis and I stuck around for the great story!
I admit, I knew next to nothing about the construction of the Panama Canal, and if this book had been solely about that, I doubt I would have picked it up at all 🤷🏼♀️ However, The Great Divide is about how the Canal affected the people: those for it, those against it, and those just trying to survive. The US, who funded the construction, are barely mentioned. This is about the Panamanians and those from Caribbean countries who travelled to Panama to find work. And I really enjoyed reading about them all.
There are characters who have overcome hardship, those who have travelled and left family behind, and the attitude of the white men who ran the construction process.
This is a character heavy novel - there are a lot of people in it, and they’re all introduced at the beginning, one chapter at a time. It’s worth the concentration and the time - and at no point did I get confused with the characters. I really enjoyed their backstories. I learnt about their lives, superstitions, beliefs and I was reluctant to let them go at the end.
It was refreshing not to read about the “great white saviours” (the US and French financiers and engineers) and instead concentrate on the impact of their actions. And what gripped me the most, was the tenacity of the workers.
I admit, I knew next to nothing about the construction of the Panama Canal, and if this book had been solely about that, I doubt I would have picked it up at all 🤷🏼♀️ However, The Great Divide is about how the Canal affected the people: those for it, those against it, and those just trying to survive. The US, who funded the construction, are barely mentioned. This is about the Panamanians and those from Caribbean countries who travelled to Panama to find work. And I really enjoyed reading about them all.
There are characters who have overcome hardship, those who have travelled and left family behind, and the attitude of the white men who ran the construction process.
This is a character heavy novel - there are a lot of people in it, and they’re all introduced at the beginning, one chapter at a time. It’s worth the concentration and the time - and at no point did I get confused with the characters. I really enjoyed their backstories. I learnt about their lives, superstitions, beliefs and I was reluctant to let them go at the end.
It was refreshing not to read about the “great white saviours” (the US and French financiers and engineers) and instead concentrate on the impact of their actions. And what gripped me the most, was the tenacity of the workers.
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) in Movies
May 28, 2017
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow (4 more)
Great Cast
Great effects for the time
Great action
Hilarious
Why is the Rum gone?
Fun fact: This film was born from an idea that was inspired by a theme park ride at Disney Land. The Pirates of the Caribbean ride was thought of by Walt Disney himself as well.
The first film in this action, adventure, fantasy comedy franchise, is an unforgettable installment to the franchise as it still remains to be probably the best film of the franchise. With brilliantly written comedy executed on screen by Johnny Depp and a handful of other cast members such as Pintel (Lee Arenberg) and Ragetti (McKenzie Crook) as the two foolish members of Barbossa's crew who always end up in their own mischief throughout the franchise.
The film, which was released back in 2003 (I know...makes me feel old as well and I'm only in my early 20's) had incredible special effects for the time with the Aztec curse that turned Barbossa's and his crew into the undead skeletal pirates that are able to walk along the bottom of the ocean.
Perfectly timed comedy, brilliant visuals and a fun plot to lose yourself in, this film is a great film for the whole family and one of the best Pirate films out there, which takes you on an adventure from Port Royal, to Tortuga, and Isla de Muertos. This film is a great watch, which leaves you with one question;
Why is the rum gone?
The first film in this action, adventure, fantasy comedy franchise, is an unforgettable installment to the franchise as it still remains to be probably the best film of the franchise. With brilliantly written comedy executed on screen by Johnny Depp and a handful of other cast members such as Pintel (Lee Arenberg) and Ragetti (McKenzie Crook) as the two foolish members of Barbossa's crew who always end up in their own mischief throughout the franchise.
The film, which was released back in 2003 (I know...makes me feel old as well and I'm only in my early 20's) had incredible special effects for the time with the Aztec curse that turned Barbossa's and his crew into the undead skeletal pirates that are able to walk along the bottom of the ocean.
Perfectly timed comedy, brilliant visuals and a fun plot to lose yourself in, this film is a great film for the whole family and one of the best Pirate films out there, which takes you on an adventure from Port Royal, to Tortuga, and Isla de Muertos. This film is a great watch, which leaves you with one question;
Why is the rum gone?
Merissa (13979 KP) rated Aboard the Wishing Star in Books
Jul 26, 2018
Aboard the Wishing Star by Debra Parmley
Aboard the Wishing Star is a romantic suspense that is high on romance, and low on suspense, as it is clear from the very beginning who the 'big bad' is. Kara has won a week's cruise, and has taken her best friend for many years with her. It starts off stressful as the airline loses Kara's luggage. She is also phobic about the water, so maybe a cruise wasn't the best idea. However, things look up when she meets Nate, a scuba diving instructor, who takes her under his wing.
I have mixed feelings about this story as I'm afraid I just can't see a man like Nate - self-confident and assured - with a woman like Kara. Although she has nice qualities, she is also quite weak, although she appears to gain some strength at the end. She is also incredibly naive, unbelievably so. She lets her boss and best friend walk all over her. And there are no reasons given for why her best friend's behaviour has suddenly changed within the past year. I didn't feel this made much impact on the story at all, and wasn't really relevant in any way.
However, saying that, it was a nice enough read, with plenty of descriptions. For a story set mainly on a Caribbean cruise, this was a nice getaway read.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I have mixed feelings about this story as I'm afraid I just can't see a man like Nate - self-confident and assured - with a woman like Kara. Although she has nice qualities, she is also quite weak, although she appears to gain some strength at the end. She is also incredibly naive, unbelievably so. She lets her boss and best friend walk all over her. And there are no reasons given for why her best friend's behaviour has suddenly changed within the past year. I didn't feel this made much impact on the story at all, and wasn't really relevant in any way.
However, saying that, it was a nice enough read, with plenty of descriptions. For a story set mainly on a Caribbean cruise, this was a nice getaway read.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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