Bert and Mamie Take a Cruise

It’s February 1939 in this witty mystery from Keyse-Walker (the Teddy Creque series), and 52-year-old Ohio tomato farmer Bert Mason is itching for adventure in the form of a 63-day cruise around Africa on a German luxury liner. His eminently sensible wife, Mamie, doesn’t see the point, but it’ll make Bert happy and that’s good enough for her. Despite the tensions building in Europe, the German crew and mixed bag of European and American passengers have a great time together—when they can manage to avoid Sturmbannführer Jürgen Heissemeyer, an officious and supremely annoying SS officer. The cruise takes a sinister turn when Mamie witnesses a late-night murder on board but doesn’t get a good look at the killer. Officials at the next few ports aren’t interested in investigating, so Bert and Mamie take it on themselves to find the culprit before the murderer does away with the only witness. Keyse-Walker offers a fascinating look at pre-war African ports-of-call in the company of a lively cast of characters. Bert and Mamie Mason are the most entertaining detective couple since Nick and Nora Charles. (Mar.)