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Pathologist Toni Day is supposed to be relaxing on a cruise to the Caribbean, but when a decapitated head nearly lands in her lap, she just has to get involved. Someone has killed a woman then stuffed her body into the roof the Lido deck. The captain is acting suspiciously, the crew's doctor is nowhere to be found in crucial moments, and, as far as Toni is concerned, no one can be trusted. How did the woman wind up in the closed roof? How does this case connect to an unsolved murder from twenty-five years ago? And why can't any of the evidence ever seem to stay in one place? Joined by her quiet husband, her overly-sensitive mother, and her retired Scotland Yard Chief Superintendent, Toni tracks the scent of a killer on board the cruise ship, even if it means placing herself in danger.
Generally, two things make or break a good mystery book: The mystery and the protagonist. Toni Day is a mixed bag for a protagonist. She's resourceful and clever, and she has a wealth of medical knowledge to draw from. However, she is also abrasive and meddling, poking her nose everywhere and making few friends in the process. She is determined to solve this mystery, even if she has no authority in the matter, which is a fact she glosses over by throwing her father's credentials around whenever necessary. Despite her flaws, Toni guides the readers through the investigation smoothly, taking plenty of twists and turns along the way. The mystery's nomadic setting—on a cruise ship still on course for its vacation destinations—and the protagonist's go-getter attitude make for an enthralling beach read.