Genre: Mystery, Historical
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
What started as a vacation for Stiles Long, Michael O’Leary, and Lizzie Ferguson, soon turns to murder?
Aboard the ocean liner, the Mauretania, every luxury is at their fingertips. Sumptuous food, comfortable staterooms, dancing, card games, and anything else your first class heart can expire too. What the trio did not expect was a face from a past assignment to follow them on their cruise.
James Stark was the lowest of men. A blackmailer with a heart of ice. But who hated him enough to kill him? The list of suspects all circle around the same dining room table, including Stiles, Michael, and Lizzie.
They have less than two days before they dock in Liverpool to find the killer. If they don’t, he’ll walk off the boat Scott-free.
Nights of romance, declaring love, dancing in the ballroom, playing cards, a storm that nearly takes the life of one of our trio, and a murderer among them, all makes for an adventure on the deep sea.
This is the continuing adventures of the Pinkerton Man Series.
The Review
Stiles Long, Lizzie Ferguson and Michael O’Leary are leaving St. Louis and NYC to take a cruise on the sister ship to the Lusitania, the Mauretrania. They are visiting Stiles’ home in London for a long awaited vacation, well-earned by the Pinkerton Agents. Stiles and Michael are especially looking forward to some very private moments together. Little do they know that their time to relax will soon turn into chaos.
Onboard ship, they are well taken care of by their cabin steward, Winston Aldridge. He’s very informative and keeps Lizzie, Stiles and Michael on schedule.
The first night at dinner, Lizzie, Stiles and Michael meet an odd group of travelers: Jonathan Cummings, traveling with his ill father; Lord Holscroft and wife Lady Amberlyn Holscroft: Doctor Axton Poole his wife Olivia, and daughters Emily and Daisy; Lady Fernsbey and companion Ducky; brothers Ernest and William Franklin; Detective Alistair Corbyn, from Scotland Yard; and James Stark.
Stiles’ suspicions start to grow about several of the passengers, especially James Stark. He shares them with Lizzie and Michael.
Of course, James Stark is out to seriously rock this boat, as he threatens and harasses this group of travelers. All have some kind of connection to the blackmailing, cheating cad, and there’s no love lost between any of them.
Secrets start to come out, and Michael, Stiles and even Lizzie could be suspects as photographs and blackmail become a major concern. Will the three Pinkerton Agents be able to solve a crime without revealing their own secret?
CJ Baty gave me the opportunity to read the first eight chapters early, to see if I could figure out who the guilty party was. I was wrong, and am happily surprised with how well this mystery turned out. This is a classic “whodunit” from the early 1900’s, with several “what just happened” moments to throw the reader off track. The storyline crackles with suspense and suspicion as Stiles, Michael and Lizzie work together as an expert investigation team.
Baty also develops some interesting side characters who help create suspicion, doubt, dislike and sympathy. There’s romance here too, with beautifully written moments between Stiles and Michael.
“Deep As The Ocean” is very entertaining – a real page-turner. I am thrilled to hear CJ Baty has more plans for Stiles, Michael and Lizzie, with another challenging case for “The Pinkerton Man” series coming in 2022!
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
