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tomasthanes's review against another edition
5.0
This novel is the second in the "Alix London" series and picks up where the first novel left off. No more dry, dusty New Mexico. The venue has shifted to the Mediterranean, to Greece and Crete, to large motor yachts (with more square footage than my house). Why don't we pronounce the 'c' in yachts?
Ted Ellesworth, FBI agent on the Art Squad, has enlisted Alix to be his eyes and ears on an art auction cruise. Again her talent comes into play and she gets deeper into the dark side of the Albanian crime world that Ted expected. The final scene with the Greek and Albanian police was well executed.
I like how the relationship between Alix and her father continues to develop.
Again the authors have done their "homework" in writing it. This book continues to remind me of Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon character in that he comes from a family with a strong painter/art background and he's an art restorer.
I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series. Oh, and the Kindle editions are affordable.
Ted Ellesworth, FBI agent on the Art Squad, has enlisted Alix to be his eyes and ears on an art auction cruise. Again her talent comes into play and she gets deeper into the dark side of the Albanian crime world that Ted expected. The final scene with the Greek and Albanian police was well executed.
I like how the relationship between Alix and her father continues to develop.
Again the authors have done their "homework" in writing it. This book continues to remind me of Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon character in that he comes from a family with a strong painter/art background and he's an art restorer.
I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series. Oh, and the Kindle editions are affordable.
robinwalter's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
It started off well, with an intersting premise and potential, but in the end kind of imploded, as if the authors were in a hurry to finish it and just dumped words on the page.
horthhill's review
2.0
A Cruise to Die For (an Alix London mystery) by Charlotte and Aaron Elkins was entertaining enough but fell short as a mystery. The murder occurred very late in the novel and wasn't central to the plot. The reveal of the mystery wasn't given by Alix London -the sleuth - or her boss the FBI agent. Rather it was given as a side-bar in the point of view of the murderer. London didn't really seem to have much to do with the resolution of the mystery at all. Her "connoisseur's touch" was of little interest to this reader. I did enjoy the painting and forgery plot, though.
gphemsley's review against another edition
3.0
There is very little story here
So much of the contents of this book is a rehashing of various backstories already covered in the previous book, often nearly word for word. On top of that, there are a number of tangents into extraneous detail that have nothing to do with the story, and a particularly verbose character from a different series was brought back in this book seemingly just to pad it out even further.
And then, to add insult to injury (which seems to happen a lot to someone who usually just has a bad feeling about a picture), the mystery isn't solved by Alix or even Ted having a major aha moment. Instead, the narration suddenly switches to the point of view of the criminal for the big reveal at the end.
There are kernels of a good story here, with generally well-developed characters, which probably still makes it worth reading, but seriously better editing would have been necessary to make that experience an enjoyable one.
So much of the contents of this book is a rehashing of various backstories already covered in the previous book, often nearly word for word. On top of that, there are a number of tangents into extraneous detail that have nothing to do with the story, and a particularly verbose character from a different series was brought back in this book seemingly just to pad it out even further.
And then, to add insult to injury (which seems to happen a lot to someone who usually just has a bad feeling about a picture), the mystery isn't solved by Alix or even Ted having a major aha moment. Instead, the narration suddenly switches to the point of view of the criminal for the big reveal at the end.
There are kernels of a good story here, with generally well-developed characters, which probably still makes it worth reading, but seriously better editing would have been necessary to make that experience an enjoyable one.
jasmyn9's review against another edition
3.0
When FBI agent Ted Ellesworth asks Alix to help be his eyes and ears during an art auction on a luxury yacht, it seems more like a vacation than a job. Elkins did a great job showing the luxury and decadence of the Greek tycoon's yacht and captures some of the very unique personalities on board very well.
What she finds instead is a possible counterfeit, maybe a murder, and a stream of finances that just isn't adding up. Once again she's neck deep in a mystery involving the high-end art world. This one was a little more convoluted than the first with lots of hands in the pot and tangled webs wrapping around things.
One of the best things about the series so far - I don't figure it out halfway through. There are enough hints that point me in a general direction, but the big reveal only happens when Alix and her "crew" all get together and share their collective information. The fact that it takes the entire team to figure out all the details in the end only makes things better.
The ending of this was quite intense though. More so than I expected, but it kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page.
What she finds instead is a possible counterfeit, maybe a murder, and a stream of finances that just isn't adding up. Once again she's neck deep in a mystery involving the high-end art world. This one was a little more convoluted than the first with lots of hands in the pot and tangled webs wrapping around things.
One of the best things about the series so far - I don't figure it out halfway through. There are enough hints that point me in a general direction, but the big reveal only happens when Alix and her "crew" all get together and share their collective information. The fact that it takes the entire team to figure out all the details in the end only makes things better.
The ending of this was quite intense though. More so than I expected, but it kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page.
hahibbard's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Not as enjoyable as the first book in the series for me, but still a fun read. The whodunnit was revealed very suddenly and it didn’t feel like justice was done in the end.
alhaider's review
4.0
I thought this book was a great vacation book. It provides a sense of escapism when you dive into a world that is different than your own. This world includes art, a large boat, and luxury travel.
I liked the main character Alix and her back story and how she landed herself in this spot. It made me want to get to know her more.
I definitely would read more books with these characters to see what new adventures they would go on.
I received this book as part of the first reads program.
I liked the main character Alix and her back story and how she landed herself in this spot. It made me want to get to know her more.
I definitely would read more books with these characters to see what new adventures they would go on.
I received this book as part of the first reads program.
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
3.0
A Cruise to Die For was a nice escape from our cold winter. Imagine sailing around Greece on a luxury yacht surrounded by the rich and famous and beautiful artwork – even with the vandalism and murder it sounds way nicer than freezing in small town Ohio.
Alix is a the daughter of an art forger who has served time in jail and is now out. She is an art restorer with a connoisseur’s eye. Her knowledge of art and the art world is why the FBI have recruited her to go on the cruise, she can discuss the art intelligently while keeping her eyes and ears open. She’s a bit bumbling in her spying, but who can blame her. There’s way more going on than she was aware of. In addition to the Ponzi scam, we’ve forgeries that are vandalized, a couple of murders, a smuggling ring.
The mystery itself is okay, although a little overshadowed by the characters. It somehow felt complicated and simple at the same time, if that makes sense. The clues and red herrings kept me guessing who it was, but then once the whodunit was established, I felt like I should have realized it all along.
See my whole review at Carol's Notebook.
Alix is a the daughter of an art forger who has served time in jail and is now out. She is an art restorer with a connoisseur’s eye. Her knowledge of art and the art world is why the FBI have recruited her to go on the cruise, she can discuss the art intelligently while keeping her eyes and ears open. She’s a bit bumbling in her spying, but who can blame her. There’s way more going on than she was aware of. In addition to the Ponzi scam, we’ve forgeries that are vandalized, a couple of murders, a smuggling ring.
The mystery itself is okay, although a little overshadowed by the characters. It somehow felt complicated and simple at the same time, if that makes sense. The clues and red herrings kept me guessing who it was, but then once the whodunit was established, I felt like I should have realized it all along.
See my whole review at Carol's Notebook.