So there I was sitting in the pub....

When a woman came from behind and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find this person  smiling and talking to me. I knew the face but couldn't quite place her at the time.

"You are Mark Rice, the author?"  Yes, I confessed I was.

"Well, I bought your book from Castle Delights cafe in the Summer .....

I held my breath

".....and I couldn't put it down."

I heaved a sigh of relief and returned her smile with interest. As a writer, you are never quite sure which way the feedback goes. Particularly this book. It tells the story from the perspective of a murderer who keeps a diary to record an unforgettable cruise. I knew I was making it hard for myself to expect readers to warm to a character who goes about killing pensioners and behaving badly. Hopefully, my writing illustrates that no one is all bad and anti-social behaviour is not the sole prerogative of the young.

"Yes," she went on "I was thinking of booking a cruise but having read your book, well, frankly, I'm having second thoughts! I loved it and kept turning the page to see what happened next, will he get away with it and walk off the shop or end up in handcuffs and prison."

"Are you writing a sequel?" She looked at me with more than a little anticipation.

"I have another book that's presently a work in progress so all going well you will be able to pick it up in the cafe next summer" I replied. She seemed pleased with the reply and moved away through the packed lounge. My wife squeezed my arm encouragingly. Positive feedback is the nicest thing a writer can get and I'm so grateful to that lady.

"I do hope more people get to read this book," my wife said before sipping on her piping hot coffee.

 So if you have ever wondered what passengers do on long cruises with many days at sea do read this book.

If you enjoy reading about visits to the Carribean islands, Chichen Itza, the USA, the Azores, and parts of South America, read this book.

If you want to be amused, informed and scared (a little) then read this book!


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Views from a cruise - Venice

Arrival in Venice and the view from the cruise liner.

Will our couple Luke and Matt live long enough to see enjoy this experience?

With a murderer on board their current cruise only time will tell. They have fifty days to survive on board before reaching the safety of the dock in Southampton. 

Meanwhile, the body count mounts and no-one appears to have noticed.

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Murder On Board paperback copies arrive

Holidays bring out the best and worst in people. Taking an adult only cruise holiday to the sunny Caribbean in mid-winter seemed a great idea.  What could go wrong?

Join Luke and his wife on the cruise of a lifetime which is memorable for all the wrong reasons as passengers die and tensions rise.

Available Formats - eBook & Paperback and FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

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Click here for the US Paperback version $15.00

Click here for the UK Paperback version £11.58

"Murder On Board" released and now the reviews are in - 5-stars

So I opened up Goodreads.com this morning never suspecting that I'd actually received my first reader's review and low and behold there it was. 

"Murder On Board" has been given a 5-star review and comments to boot! 

Truthfully, nothing matters more to me than the reading experience for my readers so I've had a wonderful start to the day. Thank you.

Click here for the US Kindle version at $2.58 

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Click here for the US Paperback version $15.00

Click here for the UK Paperback version £11.58

Having a book edited is tough but worth the pain

I’d completed the manuscript and was delighted to get the publishing offer. I thought, without much thought, that I’d presented the final word in crime fiction. A story that took readers on a murderous journey around the world.

The editing process started a month ago and the “perfect manuscript” has had more holes shot in it than a bullseye at a firing range. From grammatical to formatting to logic issues, my editors have sweated blood over the sure-fire No. 1 best seller and right now I’m reviewing their review. It's hard eating humble pie but reassuring to know these guys, in the book world and both writers themselves, are absolutely committed to Murder On Board.

I knew, even in my darkest moments, that somewhere, lurking in the manuscript, there was a great story. A story of an ordinary guy that just flips and overreacts to other folks bad behaviour during a cruise of a lifetime. He reckons if they are still behaving this bad at aged seventy plus then, really they ain’t gonna change now and have used up all their second chances. Maybe you will agree with him?

Anyway, the clock is ticking for this story of maritime murder and intrigue. The book is on pre-order right now until the 30th of this month of May and then is released on Saturday 1st June 2019 by Junction Publishing.

Invest now for just 99 cents/ pence and decide for yourself, just how good this story of murder on the high seas really is and how justified Luke is in dealing with others.

Click here for the US Kindle version at $2.58 

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Click here for the US Paperback version $15.00

Click here for the UK Paperback version £11.58

Murder On Board - new fiction for 2019

Murder On Board, my new fiction novel is a story of a modern-day cruise liner, the SS Azara, which carries two thousand passengers and eight hundred crew across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States, the Carribean and South America before returning to Southampton, England. The cruise, which lasts a full fifty days, is a holiday of a lifetime for the passengers but for some onboard, it may end up being the final holiday of their lifetime.

Why so?

Well, because on this cruise the average age of passengers is seventy-three years so the Trafalgar Cruises advertisement should not have read Adult Cruise in the byline but more accurately Geriatric Cruise. When people reach this age, life becomes less certain. A percentage, say 2%  of passengers will die from natural causes.  Another 3%  will develop illnesses while onboard as they cope with the rough seas, high humidity and over-indulging in all of life's pleasures.

Lifes Pleasures ?- such as what?

Dinner out, every night for most passengers is a five-course meal. Your average adult when at home would be lucky, to eat out once a week, nay once a month. Fine dining for fifty nights on the trot would test the staying power of young and healthy individuals. Imagine the effect on ancient bowels, intestines and stomachs of the elderly as they take to bed within an hour of eating? Pass the indigestion tablets, please.

It's a well-known fact that alcohol intake is significantly upped on holidays in general and this is particularly encouraged by the cruise lines as they offer drinks packages to accompany the evening meals. The onboard bars are open from early to very late. Duty-free alcohol sales by the shops on board occur regularly throughout the cruise. Once the ship reaches port alcohol is invariably for sale in the harbour and local shops and can be brought back on board and in quantity.

The sun, once the Caribbean has been reached, is well in excess of  25 degrees most days and holidaymakers, particularly the elderly are rather slow to get the message to use sunblock.

What's the plot?
Luke our central character and his wife Margaret are much younger than most of their fellow passengers and this cruise celebrates Luke's retirement. He's not much of a sun-worshipper but he is determined to challenge himself on this cruise. He and Margaret will be joining classes to learn how to play bridge and dance ballroom dancing. Both will be a challenge for Luke but Margaret appreciates his commitment because these are both activities she really enjoys and he has avoided to date.

Little does she realise that in stretching Luke to learn these skills she is jeopardising other passengers lives. 

Amazon UK – 99 Pence/ Cents 

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"Murder On Board"a post from author Mark Rice