I've read all the Mia Ferrari books so far; I'm a sucker for middle-aged chicks with an attitude and a thing for younger men, although I can't drink as much coffee as she does :) In this most recent story, Mia finds herself on a cruise in the South Pacific with her best friend Dobbs and her avowed enemy Smythe - both of them police officers, both friends of her now-deceased cop father. Smythe, Mia believes, prevented her from joining the force lo these many years ago which is why she hates him. She's also joined by Chris, the young computer hacker son of her employer (and former lover).
This novel lacks the gorier murders of the previous one ("The Gay Mardi Gras Murders") which is either a plus or minus, I guess, depending on how much violence you prefer in your murder mysteries :) People start dying on this cruise which features a medical doctors' convention, and Mia and the gang must find the killer before the cruise ends. The thread they find connecting the murders is a seamy underground 'cheaters club' which really pushes Mia's buttons, as her ex-husband dumped her for another woman.
The characters are well-defined which I always like in a novel. And I fall in love with Smythe every time ;) He's a major hottie which drives Mia insane in more ways than one. Chris is as gung-ho as you'd expect a young person to be, always impressed that he's helping out with a murder investigation and being taken seriously by the grownups. Dobbs is a big loveable old married guy who loves Mia like a daughter.
The murders are varied and several characters are offered as possible suspects in the murders. Some readers may find some of the computer jargon confusing; I don't think it's overdone, and Ms. Massara does a good job of explaining it without too much detail, but it still may go over some readers' heads. However, I don't think it will detract from the overall story; it doesn't matter if you miss these details.
I do find Mia a little immature sometimes and would like to see her grow up more - I haven't seen too much personal development so far in these novels - actually, it looked like she had made some in the Gay Mardi Gras novel but she seems to have backtracked a bit in this one. However, a surprising and shocking revelation about her father and her past forces Mia to confront some of the more negative aspects of her behaviour which was good. She comes out of this novel a bit more improved than before, and I hope she keeps moving forward rather than backtracking a bit. She also shows a bit more maturity in rejecting something she usually didn't before, for the right reasons.
I can say this much: Given the changes that happen in Mia's life in this novel, the next one's going to be quite different for her, I suspect. I'm waiting, Ms. Massara!
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![The South Pacific Murders: A Mia Ferrari Mystery (The Mia Ferrari Mysteries Book 3) by [Sylvia Massara]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/517ql8Cs8XL._SY346_.jpg)
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Nicole Chardenet
Good story, well-drawn characters
Reviewed in the United States on 23 June 2014Verified Purchase
Gloria Antypowich
Massara has done it again. Another great Mia Ferrari Mystery. Full of humor, as well deadly intentions--don't miss this read
Reviewed in the United States on 5 April 2014Verified Purchase