Bodies of Water [Hardcover]

J. S. Borthwick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1990

Sarah Dean, self-described "accident crime-prone English teacher," and her boyfriend, Dr. Alex McKenzie, are longing for a vacation. No classes, students or conferences for her-no patients, beepers or night calls for Alex.

The two-week cruise aboard the Pilgrim, a luxury yacht owned by millionaire evangelist David Mallory, seems the perfect gateway...until one of the passengers turns up murdered...and those left on board are now both suspects and potential victims.

Could the killer be the eccentric Mallory? His stern secretary Gracie (also sister of the victim)? The voluptuous chef, Andrea Elder? Ezra, the deckhand? Or even Sarah's younger brother Tony, the other member of the crew? Sarah and Alex must find out quickly, or they could become the next victims...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

There's murder on deck when English professor/sleuth Sarah Deane decides to set sail on a sloop exploring the coast of Maine. The luxurious vessel, aptly named the Pilgrim , is owned by a Florida real estate magnate whose dual mission is to distribute Bibles to out-of-the-way churches and to keep his eye out for shipboard drug trafficking for the police. Sarah joins the cruise in order to reestablish contact with her brother, a new member of the crew, but instead finds herself preoccupied with the actions of a cast of characters that includes the perfect host, a prim secretary and her emotionally disturbed brother, and a female chef endowed wth great culinary talents and a distractingly large bust. When murder enters their midst, evasive actions and enigmatic conversations with a literary twist keep the story tacking back and forth from discoveries to lengthy reflections about the meaning of each incident. This book will appeal to those who wish a very leisurely read with introspection at times taking the helm.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A terrific yarn...The setting is perfect and the plot will keep you guessing all the way. Borthwick just gets better and better!"--The Courier-Gazette, Rockland, ME

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 287 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (July 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312042698
• ISBN-13: 978-0312042691
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,667,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Not fun, January 25, 2012

By 

Monelle M. Richmond - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bodies of Water (Mass Market Paperback)

Except for the "snobby white people" comment, I agree with Ronin about this book. The writing is thick and awkward, the story is not particularly interesting, and the characters are all fairly unpleasant. I'm still plowing through it, but not sure how long I'll last ...

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable New England boating mystery, September 3, 2000

By 

Sheila L. Beaumont (South Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bodies of Water (Mass Market Paperback)

Grad student/teaching fellow Sarah Deane and her boyfriend, Alex McKenzie, M.D., go for a cruise on a luxury yacht owned by fatherly millionaire evangelist David Mallory, who distributes Bibles to churches along the Maine coast and, as a sideline, keeps a lookout for suspicious-looking boats that might harbor drug dealers. Before long, the oddest and most unpleasant crew member is found dead in the water. This book might be just your cup of tea if you enjoy a leisurely-paced cozy with idiosyncratic characters and plenty of literary references: John Buchan's Richard Hannay, hero of the classic thriller "The 39 Steps," holds the key to solving the mystery. (And, if only Sarah had read it, the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane" might have shed further light on the case.)

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cozy mystery, April 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bodies of Water (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a cute mystery. At times, the answers to some of the mysteries seem obvious and one doubts the intelligence of the protagonist (herself a college professor.) The imagery of sailing on the Maine coast is often vivid. All in all, this is a very cozy mystery that makes you want to continue solving crimes with the hero.