Patricia Stark, known as Pepper, is the daughter of Captain Stark commander of the RMS Aquitania. Pepper longs to travel with her father across the ocean from London to New York. It is the 1920s - the age of luxury ocean travel especially for those lucky enough to travel in the First Class where there are scrumptious fixtures and delicious gourmet meals. Quite unexpectedly Captain Stark presents Pepper with a ticket. This is a huge surprise because early on in the story she had tried to stow away on the Aquitania. She was caught and her father was so angry with her but the ship steward Rory Lyons talked him round and so now she can travel.
When Pepper boards the ship she marvels at the beautiful interiors and the glamorous passengers. One of these is the famous actress Perdita West. She is wearing or a better word might be flaunting, the priceless Saffron Diamond. Of course if you have read other "whodunit" stories or you are a fan of Agatha Christie, you will guess at once that this diamond is sure to be stolen.
Pepper has made some great friends onboard. A young boy called Toby who is travelling with his blind father; Sol another young boy who is travelling to New York in the hope of becoming a pastry chef; and a third class passenger an aspiring young singer called Norah.
You will find yourself racing all over the ship with this group of kids trying to locate the villain. Adding to the pressure, Pepper knows her father is in danger of losing his job as Captain of this Cunard Line ship if the diamond is not found before they arrive in New York.
The subtitle on the cover of my advance copy of The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel says:
The thrilling new Middle Grade Novel
AND I totally agree. This story is thrilling! And it is a perfect book to put into the hands of young readers aged 10+. Add this book to your personal or library shopping list - it is due to be released on 23rd February, 2021. I am going to make an early prediction that this book will be added to the CBCA 2022 Notables and from that list onto the Younger Readers Short list. YES it is that good. Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my Advance copy.
The other aspect of this book that I really appreciate is the rich vocabulary used by Nicki Greenberg. For example - indecorous; languishing; exclusive; tactful; viscous; quizzical; and apoplectic.
My copy of this book was an advance one so I am not supposed to do text quotes but I can't resist sharing the description of this scrumptious dessert served on the first night at sea especially since it involves a lighthouse:
"There were wonderful individual gateaux shaped like tugboats. Spun sugar blossomed from their chocolate funnels, and each was bobbing on a layered wave of raspberry mousse and pearly meringue. A sparkling croquembouche lighthouse was presented to each table, and bowls piled high with whipped cream and dishes of perfect strawberries were offered alongside."
Pepper's governess relies on a book called The Lady's guide to Ocean Travel. Nicki Greenberg used a real book called Ocean Notes and Foreign travel for Ladies by Kate Reid Ladoux published in 1878 as her inspiration.
Here are the pages from the Table of Contents from the original book:
One more thing. I have a personal connection with ocean travel albeit a little later in history and not as a first class passenger, my late mother (coincidentally named Nora) travelled by herself in 1948 just after WWII on an ocean liner to England. Reading The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel I kept imagining her in the background of many scenes.
I would pair this book with The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow and Pearl in the Ice.
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