Dying for a Diamond by Cindy Sample is the sixth book in the “Laurel McKay” humorous mystery series, published January 2017

Warm breezes, tropical seas, a handsome new husband? What more could a girl dream of?

When newlyweds Laurel McKay and Tom Hunter embark on their honeymoon cruise, they look forward to sunny days exploring the Caribbean islands and intimate evenings together. Their dream quickly goes “poof,” when Laurel’s family decides to tag along and their romantic duet turns into a party of eight.

The first night on the ship, Laurel witnesses someone going overboard. But no one is reported missing, and the chief of security gives Laurel’s sighting the same credibility as an alien landing.

After a series of diamond thefts, Laurel discovers that suspicious shipmates are as plentiful as calories on this cruise. When a murder occurs, and a family member becomes the top suspect, Laurel is determined to unmask the killer before her dream honeymoon becomes a nautical nightmare.

This was a fun book to read with a quirky cast of characters and disappearing jewelry and a missing body or was it missing. Nonetheless, Laurel is bent on solving these crimes and when a murder sneaks aboard, the shuffle board game keeps everyone involved.

The author does a wonderful job in setting up this fantastic and hilarious whodunit with some surprising twists and turns that enhanced the telling of this tale. The narrative was visually appealing and descriptive putting me on the cruise with this group. The mysteries kept me engaged in all that was happening and all the main characters played pivotal roles in the outcome of this excellent romp on the high sea. I had such a great time with Laurel and the gang, that I sense some new things moving forward with these beloved characters. This was by far, the best book in this delightfully entertaining series and I can’t wait for my next adventures with this crew.