Customer Reviews

The Case of Cabin 13 (John Darnell Mysteries)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Walking through a Borders store, I saw Mr. McCarver speaking on his book. I sat down and listened, and the story sounded fascinating. At least the details of the Titanic (which was really all he spoke about) did. I bought the book, he signed it for me, and as I sank into it, (he offered many puns at his signing/presentation) I found myself becoming engrossed.

But -- it was not until page 58 or so that I really became interested, which was a bit of a surprise. What kept putting me off was the talk of action, but never really taking it, and too much descriptive stuff about the Titanic, when I really wanted to know about the characters, the suspense, and what was going to happen.

Darnell, the "hero" of the story, internalized a lot, thinking of this and thinking of that, yet he moved sluggishly, like he had no ability to take true control of the situation, even when he knew exactly what had to be done.

I did read it quickly, which means the writing was good, but it left me yearning for some more meat. I truly hope the forthcoming mystery on the Orient Express deals more with the mystery than it does with the Orient Express. We are, after all, readers who long for intrigue -- not a history lesson.

I can not recommend this book. I had expected a good period piece with plenty of Titanic atmosphere and a somewhat supernatural mystery. I don't think either was delivered. The hero could have been on the Titanic or the Queen Mary, just because a ship hits an iceberg doesn't bring the Titanic scene to life.

Ther are other, much better mysteries set on the Titanic. Two that come to mind that I enjoyed are Max Allan Collins "The Titanic Murders" and Jack Finneys' "From Time to Time"

Maybe it's because author Sam McCarver is, as his cover blurb puts it, "a lifelong mystery and history buff," but I think I was hoping for a fresh, accurate angle on what had been turned into a slickly commercial blockbuster. Whatever I was hoping for, I don't think I got it.

The case of the title refers to a series of mysterious suicides in first-class cabin 13 of different White Star Lines ships. As the maiden voyage of the supervessel Titanic approaches in 1912, nervous White Star executives approach famous paranormal debunker Professor John Darnell in an effort to dispel rumors of a White Star curse. This brings me to my first complaint: Considering the suspicious circumstances of the "suicides," I think--even in 1912--that most people would have been quicker to suspect a human murderer than a ghostly one. It's not like these were tightly constructed locked-room puzzles in the John Dickson Carr tradition.

In order to catch the culprit, Darnell agrees to occupy Titanic's cabin 13. This should make things interesting, right? Unfortunately, my second (and overwhelming) complaint is that anything actually having to do with solving the mystery is almost boring. Darnell lives and works almost entirely in his head, so any scenes that could be called "action" are few and far between, and they usually involve Darnell's Chinese manservant being attacked. The bulk of what Darnell does in this book falls into two categories: falling in love with shipmate Penny Winters, and berating himself for falling in love with Penny Winters, who just might be a murderess, even though the author makes it very clear to the reader that Penny is not a murderess, so it's really okay if he falls in love with her, thus robbing the reader of any sense of suspense regarding Penny Winters and making the reader scream, "Just boink her already!!"

I don't want to mislead you into thinking that I hated this book. It was actually quite pleasant. It seems to me, though, that the book's flaws are the result of conflicting desires. McCarver obviously wanted to include a great degree of historical detail in his story. I'm certainly not qualified to comment on its accuracy, so I took it all at face value. But McCarver had a difficult time weaving it into the story, and I think that may be partially due to a desire (or perhaps external pressure?) to tell a story in blockbuster style. This brings me to my third complaint, which is that I felt I was continually being pulled out of McCarver's straightforward little mystery and plunked down in the middle of a less inspired version of Cameron's sweeping saga. Had McCarver spent more time developing his unique story before interjecting the known historical elements, I think it would have been a much more satisfying read. It's still worthwhile, though, and does provide a slightly different perspective on the famous tragedy at sea.

(adapted from a "Skullduggery" review)

The strength of this book is its historical background, but compared to giants like Noah Gordon who provide tons of historical information, McCarver is a lightweight. However, I did really enjoy the way the author wove his "who-done-it" around the enigmatic figures and grand details of the Titanic disaster. Mostly McCarver needs to flesh out his characters as real people though. The villain seemed wooden, even melodramatic, his motivations for murder sketchy and unrealistic, until the book's end when the author finally summed them up in a several, weak paragraphs. Though Darnell is British, nonetheless he seemed two-dimensional and emotionless, despite the fact that he was supposedly so overcome by his love for Penny that he got distracted from the task of unraveling the mysterious Cabin 13 suicides. The first two thirds of the book were the best as far as plot line. After the Titanic went down the plot got tedious while Darnell hunted down the murderous villain. This portion of the book should have been more concise and less predictable. I will read McCarver's next book, though, just to see if he has improved his skill in drawing rich, engaging characters. If he does, I'll probably be entertained by a reasonable plot, a richer Orient Express tapestry, and characters I can sink my teeth into.

What a breath of fresh air to have a work of fiction filled with historical elements! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters that Mr. McCarver delivered; I am looking forward to reading more about them in the near future. Unfortunately, so much of todays published works are filled with unrealistic and unappealing fantasy, but gladly, such is not the "case" with The Case of Cabin 13. This book is filled with creditable characters in a realistic setting creating a true drama and suspense novel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical drama and even moreso to those looking for a good mystery series. I give this book "two thumbs up" at the very least.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a gift I received just before Hurricane Katrina and thought it was destroyed with many of my other books. I found it recently. As writer of hardboiled noir, my writing is often over the top, so it is quite enjoyable to find a nicely done cozy mystery. TITANIC always intrigues me and Sam McCarver gives amateur Titaniacs like me a nice, tight mystery in the middle of the great tragedy. I will read more McCarver.

A quick read. Mystery moves along well, weaves in fictional characters among the historical facts of the Titanic. John Darnell presents himself in a likable manner, sure of himself as an investigator, but harboring doubts regarding Penny. A good mix of history and fiction. I look forward to the next of the series regarding the Orient Express.

This murder mystery is a kick to read, in part because it is set on the Titanic, and that automatically has a special life and excitement of its own. I can pick bones with the author on details of his plot, which was not always clear or plausible. However, I can forgive these imperfections because the writing was truly entertaining and I enjoyed every page, even when I was tempted to say "Oh, come, now." I will be looking for the next book in the series.

The Case of Cabin 13 is a pretty good story and a nice start to a new mystery series. The main characters are likable and are further brought to life by being on the Titanic. Some may quibble about interjecting these people into historic events but I thought it fit in fine to my understanding of the Titanic disaster.

Things go kind of quick in the book but I read the last 100 pages or so in one gripping sitting.

Well done, Sam McCarver! I must say that while I don't EVER read mysteries, this was fun and interesting. I'm ready to hop aboard the Orient Express for another ride, so . . . All Aboard!! Will Sung make the trip? Seems appropriate! (Ah, I'll bet he comes in handy. Is that what you had in mind all along?)