MURDER ON THE NERD CRUISE

An amateur sleuth’s latest case unfolds aboard a Caribbean cruise in this installment of Dieker’s mystery series.

Part-time theater director Larkin Day needs a vacation from solving murders. She joins a weeklong, nerd-themed cruise that her best friend, freelance writer Anni Morgan, made possible with her cruise loyalty points. They bring along their boyfriends; Larkin’s mother and her mother’s girlfriend book their own tickets for a cheaper, porthole-less cabin. This is a cruise designed to allow passengers to revel in their nerdiness, be it cosplay or a love of mathematics. Famous fantasy author Adamantine Darcy, on the cruise as a special guest, apparently divines what Larkin does best; the writer wants her sleuthing advice on a murder-related subject. (“It’s for a book,” Adamantine’s assistant says.) Later, when Adamantine seemingly vanishes and a body turns up, Larkin may get another opportunity to put her skillset to use and again unmask a killer. Dieker does an impressive job of further developing the mostly established cast, introducing new and returning characters and easing series newcomers into the story. (Eirwen, a trans woman, is brutally but refreshingly honest, and Anni’s magician boyfriend, Elliott Fox, makes a handy sidekick for Larkin in detective mode.) The gumshoe herself possesses a yearning to understand people and things and a tireless charm, both of which belie her self-professed plainness. The book has plentiful nerdish (mostly technical) details on offer, from “networked sex toys” to the topical concern of reliance on artificial intelligence. These elements pair well with the witty dialogue (Larkin’s epiphany: “Wait. Maybe I’m the smartest person I know, at least for today”), though the characters’ habit of earmarking their own puns wears thin. The fun is in the rich characterizations; the whodunit aspect of the story is somewhat lacking and predictable.

A truly exceptional detective and a first-rate supporting cast kindle this straightforward mystery.