Death on the Elbe

Fresh from her dramatic debut as a sleuth on Portugal’s Douro River, Mary Mead steps into her new role as Cruise Director for Sovereign River Cruises aboard the MV Baron von Habsburg. Her first voyage on the ＂Elegant Elbe and Berlin＂ itinerary promises culture, history, and luxury-from Prague’s medieval spires and Dresden’s baroque splendour to Berlin’s cosmopolitan energy. But Mary quickly discovers that danger travels as swiftly as the river’s current.

Among her distinguished guests are a sharp-tongued aristocrat, a notorious barrister and his ambitious junior, a disgraced prosecutor, a fading rock star with his astrologer wife, and returning faces from earlier voyages-including her friend Jane Stanhope. As tensions simmer in cabins and lounges, long-buried grudges and dark secrets resurface. Then, inevitably, murder strikes.

From Stansted Airport to Checkpoint Charlie, from Meissen porcelain to the sandstone cliffs of Saxon Switzerland, Mary must untangle a web of lies stretching across generations and social divides. With alliances forming and breaking among her eclectic mix of guests-titled nobles, American political partisans, and even her fellow crew-Mary faces her toughest challenge yet: balancing her duties as Cruise Director with her unerring instinct to solve crimes.

But as suspicion falls on those closest to her, Mary realises that this case may hit nearer home than ever before. Can she uncover the truth before the killer strikes again, or will this elegant voyage down the Elbe become her last?

Death on the Elbe is a gripping, atmospheric mystery filled with humour, history, and high-stakes drama. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, international river cruises, and clever whodunits that keep you guessing until the final page.