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In this 3rd book in the 'Captain Jim Agnihotri' historical mystery series, private detective Jim Agnihotri and his wife Diana search for a killer on a transatlantic passenger ship. The book works as a standalone but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.
*****
After serving in the British army in India, Anglo-Indian Captain Jim Agnihotri became interested in being a private detective, like his fictional idol Sherlock Holmes.
Now Agnihotri and his 22-year-old Persian-Indian wife Diana live in Boston, Massachusetts, and - due to a bureaucratic glitch on the couple's journey to America - Jim is now officially called James Agney O'Trey and his wife is Diana O'Trey.
As the story opens, it's 1894, and Jim and Diana are on board His Majesty's Ship Etruria, traveling from Boston to London.
Diana has packed all the elegant clothing she and Jim need for the trip, since first-class passengers dress up for meals, dances, and other activities.
Unfortunately for Jim, he has no sea-legs, and on the first evening of the voyage - while Diana is dancing in the ballroom - Jim is being sick over the side of the ship. An older Spanish gentleman, who has the bearing of a soldier, helps Jim sit down, and the two men have a brief conversation.
The next day, Jim receives a short note that reads, "Attend me immediamente" and it's signed J. Nepomuceno. Jim consults a steward to get the cabin number for J. Nepomuceno, and hurries off to assist the gentleman. Regrettably, Jim is too late. Don Juan Nepomuceno - whom Jim met the evening before - has been murdered in the ship's music room.
The Etruria's skipper, Captain Hawley, knows that Jim is a private detective, and asks him to investigate the killing. The Captain explains that Nepomuceno is related to the king of Spain, and if the killer isn't found before the ship docks in Liverpool, a diplomatic incident will be triggered. This gives Jim a week to find the murderer.
Jim proceeds to interview the passengers and crew, concentrating on people who claim to have seen Nepomuceno around the time of the murder.
Jim is told that a nurse. or someone dressed like a nurse, was on deck with Nepomuceno. However, Jim can't identify the nurse in question, and everyone Jim interviews seems to be lying or withholding information.
Jim questions the same people again and again, day after day, but he can't seem to make headway with the investigation. Jim is hampered even more by Captain Hawley's edict that first class passengers are above suspicion and not to be disturbed. So Jim isn't permitted to press them or search their quarters.
Moreover, Jim's Anglo-Indian military background means he doesn't fit in with the ship's upper crust passengers. Luckily, Jim's wife Diana, who's beautiful, refined, and sophisticated, blends in with the rich folks, and she's able to help Jim search for the killer.
In addition to Nepomuceno's murder, other incidents add to the disturbing atmosphere on the Etruria. There's a 'man overboard' occurrence; someone is assaulted; a passenger seems to go missing; and - according to some observers - there are ghosts aboard the ship.
Regrettably, I found Jim's continuous questioning of the passengers and crew to be extremely tedious. There are too many characters to remember; I got confused about who said what; and the story meanders VERY slowly rather than going full steam ahead. For me, this is a major flaw in the plot.
On the bright side, it's interesting to read about the configuration of the luxury liner;
the stylish clothing of the wealthy passengers (we don't meet anyone in steerage in this novel);
and the activities aboard ship, like music, dancing, quoits, shuffleboard, croquet, dining, etc.
I also like the occasional references to Sherlock Holmes stories, which provide clues for Jim's investigation.
For history buffs, there are also references to the Spanish Civil War and to Spain's control of Cuba, which caused quite a ruckus at the time.
Of the three books in the series, my favorite is the first, 'Murder in Old Bombay.'
Thanks to Netgalley, Nev March, and Minotaur books for a copy of the manuscript
Rating: 3 stars
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