Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Murder on the Med: A Kat Lawson Mystery by Nancy Cole Silverman! Today we are featuring a review of the third book in this cozy mystery series. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews, and more! It’s a great way to add books to your TBR! There is also a Rafflecopter Giveaway for five epub copies of the book! (US Only) 

Murder on the Med: A Kat Lawson Mystery
Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – On a cruise ship in the Mediterranean
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Level Best Books (June 4, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 271 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D2K1BLGL

About the Book:

A travel feature turns into a deadly investigation for Kat Lawson when she discovers a missing passenger, presumed overboard, may have been used as a mule to smuggle ancient artifacts aboard Athena, a luxury cruise ship designed for retired seniors at sea.

Kat Lawson has got a plumb assignment, or so she thinks. Travel International has rewarded her with a vacation cruise along the Amalfi Coast to report on a new floating senior retirement center. After working undercover as a travel reporter for the FBI and barely escaping her last assignment with her life, Kat’s job is to relax, take notes, shoot pictures, and report back on an extravagant cruise from Naples to Positano. What could go wrong?

But once aboard, Kat quickly learns it’s not all smooth sailing. Kat finds a handbag for Dede Drummerhausen, the woman who owns the suite where Kat is staying, and hidden inside is a gold coin. Rumors abound. Passengers and some of their possessions have gone missing. The residents are restless, and some on board are suspicious of a travel reporter who might uncover their secret mission. When Athena’s captain discovers Kat snooping below deck, she soon realizes, like the antiquities hidden onboard, that she’s been kidnapped and that her job and her life are in danger.

My Review:

Murder on the Med is the third book in the Kat Lawson mystery series by Nancy Cole Silverman, but the first I’ve read, and it worked perfectly as a stand-alone. I am anxious, though, to circle back to the start of the series because I liked Kat so much. She is strong and thoughtful and certainly knows how to deal with all types of people and situations. 

While I have never wanted to go on a cruise myself, I absolutely love books set on cruises, and this book did not disappoint. First, it’s perfect armchair travel. The writing is vivid, and I could easily imagine the luxury ship cruising the Mediterranean, visiting small cities and towns. (And let’s not forget to mention how beautiful the cover is!) I also adored that this was specifically a cruise for seniors (“seniors at sea”), and Nancy created many memorable characters. Not everyone is as you first assume! 

The mystery was well-paced and was more than just a murder mystery–there was intrigue around possible stolen artifacts and a missing person, and this combination kept me turning the pages quickly. Really well done! This would be great summer-reading for those wanting to travel via their armchair! 

About the Author:

Nancy Cole Silverman spent nearly twenty-five years in news and talk radio before retiring to write fiction. Silverman’s award-winning short stories and crime-focused novels, the Carol Childs and Misty Dawn Mysteries (Henry Press), are based in Los Angeles, while her newest series, the Kat Lawson Mysteries (Level Best Books), takes a more international approach. Kat Lawson, a former investigative reporter has gone undercover for the FBI as a feature writer for a travel publication. Expect lots of international intrigue, vivid descriptions of small European villages, great food, lost archives, and non-stop action. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and thoroughly pampered standard poodle, Paris.

Author Links: Website – Facebook – Threads – Goodreads – 

Purchase Links: Amazon 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

June 3 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
June 4 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 5 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 6 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW
June 7 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 8 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading – REVIEW  
June 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 11 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 14 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 15 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 16 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Want to Book a Tour?
Click Here