Customer Reviews

Murder on the Lusitania

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are a murder-mystery fan, it does not get any better than "Murder on the Lusitania." The atmosphere, characters, plot, denouement are all just perfect. Supposedly the author has written other mysteries under a pseudonym. Does anyone know the name of his other mysteries? I would read them all. Usually I have figured out the plot about half way through a mystery. I'm not unique. Most readers of mysteries can do the same. But this time I was wonderully misdirected. As the pace picked up about half way through, I found myself enjoying the tale immensely and hoping beyond hope that the writer wasn't going to screw up the ending. He didn't. Thank you, Mr. Allen. And Bravo!

I picked up Conrad Allen's Murder on the Lusitania on a whim and I was not disappointed. The setting is fantastic with Allen's descriptions of life aboard the maiden voyage of the Lusitania, and the characters are just as fascinating. Following a large contingent of first class passengers we meet The Rymers, the Tolley's and a pushy journalist Bancroft; we learn what the good life aboard a luxury liner is all about.

Following the Ship's detective, George Porter Dillman, who is posing as a first class passenger, we first meet all of the relevant parties, and learn about them prior to the crime of (as the title states) murder. There are so many red herrings and twists that this one will keep you guessing until the end.

I'm glad I picked up this book and I am sure that you will enjoy it as well.

Attracted by the cover and the setting of one of the great passenger ships of yesteryear, this was my first Conrad Allen mystery. It's a pleasure to report that the book fulfilled my hopes for a diversionary, well-written and entertaining mystery. The protagonist, American George Dillman, operating as an undercover detective on the Lusitania for the Cunard Line, is a sophisticated, cool and interesting customer. Faced with a murder and the disappearance of ship's blueprints, Dillan does as good a job keeping everyone in the dark as to whom he really is as the villain does in hiding his identity. The individual portraits he paints of the cast of characters make up a varied group of distinct types of human beings, one of whom is an extremely obnoxious journalist. (As a lawyer, I enjoyed that.) The ship-board atmosphere, with its references to the turn-of-the-century British/German rivalry for supremacy on the high seas, is well-drawn--one certainly feels at times that that the good old days of travel are really gone. (After all, there's little opportunity on a jet plane for the leisure, luxury and romance of the sort possible on the great old ocean liners.) And, I particularly enjoyed his portrayals of the available young women on board and the cat & mouse games played between the sexes--Allen creates images in your mind of some very attractive and appealing young ladies, so much so that I found myself wishing I were a bachelor again and could be there to join in the pursuit.

Best of all, the ending wasn't a disappointment.

A most pleasant read--next I'll try "Murder on the Mauritania".

Murder on the Lusitania by Conrad Allen is the first book in the Shipboard Mystery series starring George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield. Dillman is hired as security by the owners of the Lusitania to make sure that her maiden voyage goes smoothly. His job is to fit in and keep any crimes to a minimum, but when some blueprints show up missing, an annoying reporter turns up dead, and a Stradivarius is stolen, everyone's secrets start coming out and Dillman has more than he bargained for. This book is full of lots of great detail about the real luxury liner as well as bits about etiquette from Edwardian times. The dialogue is very clever, especially the repartee between Dillman and Masefield. I was a bit disappointed in the revelation of the bad guys, especially because their motivation was glossed over without real thought, and some of the dialogue during the climax from the villains seemed horribly clichéd, of the `let me tell you my whole horrible scheme while I have you tied up' variety. Surprisingly, Allen allows some subplots to be carried through without touching the main story, which on a huge passenger ship makes perfect sense. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Murder on the Lusitania is much different from the other three novels in this series. As a reader, I found myself caught up in the excitement of the launching of the then world's largest liner in 1907, a ship whose subsequent history would play a large role in the U.S. entering World War I. Having been on today's huge liners, I was interested in how the Lusitania was different, especially in how its power was supplied (lots of backbreaking work with coal being loaded into the steam engines). Having watched a lot of Masterpiece Theater, I was inevitably interested in how the upper-class English people would act on the ship. So the book had a lot of potential going for it. Those elements worked well for me.

The story itself turned out to be based on a motive that seems very lame and unlikely. That caused me to grade the book down.

For those who like romance with their sleuthing, you will probably enjoy the process by which Cunard detective, George Porter Dillman, becomes acquainted with the beautiful and mysterious Englishwoman, Ms. Genevieve Masefield. She spurns him at first, and only unpleasant circumstances for Ms. Masefield cause that situation to change.

If you just want to read the best book to date in the series, I suggest you read Murder on the Minnesota instead. It's quite fun, and much better done than Murder on the Lusitania. If you do decide to read Murder on the Lusitania, the next book in the series is Murder on the Mauretania. If you like Murder on the Lusitania, you'll be sure to love Murder on the Mauretania.

After you finish this book, think about when you may have drawn a conclusion about someone based on a single glance or quick encounter. Did you later take the time to be sure you were right in your assessment? If not, take that time now. You may be missing someone wonderful!

This is a light and entertaining read perfect for a day at the beach. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. The two main characters, George and Genevieve, remind me of the leads in the Lord Peter Whimsey series. It is so nice to read a mystery that doesn't depend on shock and gore to get its point across.

It's 1907 and the 1st sailing of the Lucy. It is nice to read a new book that is not filled with vulgarities. The author has the period down pat and fortunately there is a second book out and a third in the works. Sit back in a deck chair on the Boat Deck, wrap yourself in a wooly blanket and enjoy the trip..
It is nice to read something set in the period prior to the War to End all Wars. HAH!

Murder on the Lusitania is set in 1907 during the maiden voyage of the luxury liner. Undercover detective, George Porter Dillman, easily socializes with the elite first class passengers; while at the same time, keeping a lookout for professional gamblers and thieves who prey on the wealthy.

A violent murder and several thefts send the ship's officers reeling, but the ever calm Mr. Dillman assures them he will have the criminal in hand, discreetly, before the ship reaches New York.

The characters are colorful and the dialogue, reminiscent of the times, sparkles. The red herrings are obvious but doesn't detract from this fast pleasant read. We will definitely recommend Murder on the Lusitania to our customers and are looking forward to the next book in this series.

Mr. Allen has presented us with a straightfor ward little mystery aboard one of the most famous liners in history. Readers may be tricked into thinking that this little tale occurs on the fateful voyage on which it was torpedoed, rather than on its first voyage, but its inaugural voyage was just as ballyhooed as a certain other ship we all know. The protagonist, George Dillman is a rather interesting character,whose actual identity and background are slowly introduced throughout the story. Allen has obviously done his homework regarding the famous liner, and he creates characters with just enough foibles to make them interesting, but the mystery appears to plod on somewhat. One may wish at times to get off, rather than to continue on this voyage. The climax is not the most exciting, but enjoy able nonetheless. One could wish for something memorable, whether in the language or the action, that one could take take away as a souvenir of this trip. Alas, all is but sea foam.

It's a good mystery. My favorite part, though, is the environment the author is able to construct. It kind of like a window into the turn of the century. The main characters are also very engaging.