Murder in Tortola

In 1977, LaRue and Patti are newly divorced sisters in their thirties planning their first vacation without husbands or children. They decide on a cruise around the British Virgin Islands, namely Tortola, on a three-hundred-year-old privateer ship, but upon arrival, it's actually a piece of junk with lousy food.

Making the most of it, they settle in and meet a slew of quirky travelers-including an obnoxious chef and his wife, champion bridge players, a high school graduate and his mother, two Chicago businessmen, a thirty-something priest, and two honeymooners from New Jersey.

But when one of the passengers is found dead from "undetermined causes," several are convinced it was murder. They do their best to enjoy the rest of the festivities, but after an attempt is made on another vacationer's life, they realize there really is a killer on board. Everyone has a motive-and any one of them could be next.

Filled with red herrings, clever sleuthing, and plenty of Southern attitude, "Murder in Tortola" is a rollicking mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie, Fannie Flagg, and Harper Lee that's based on actual events-except for the murder part.