A private detective is tasked with solving the murder of a Spanish diplomat on an Atlantic crossing in order to avoid an international incident.

This is a fine example of a shipboard mystery. The entire ship is explored, from the first class amenities to the boiler room, as well as the routines and superstitions of the sailors. The historical event at the heart of the mystery also involved a ship – the capture of an American blockade runner in Cuba by the Spanish. It was interesting to learn about this tragedy, and it tied in nicely to the motivation behind the crime.

I had read the first in this series but not the second, and I was able to follow along well enough with some recaps. The detective’s wife provides some insights and even a heroic rescue. There’s a personal issue where her reasoning seems out of character, even for the time period, but that is a minor quibble.

Good choice for those seeking a mystery with a lesser-known historical backdrop.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

This book was not for me. While I enjoyed the historical aspects, I found the continuous rehashing of events via conversation to be tedious and the story slow-going. None of the characters came alive, and eventually I lost interest in the story because so much was speculation and review. I slogged through to the end, but it was not enjoyable. I really didn’t care who killed the Spanish diplomat, I had no allegiance to any of the characters, and my main interest was not giving up.

"The Spanish Diplomat's Secret" was a good addition to the series. The murder mystery takes place on a passenger ship traveling from New York City to Liverpool. A Spanish diplomat is murdered on board the ship in a vicious and personal manner. The story is set at a time when there is a lot of internal tension in Spain, as well as tension between Spain and Great Britain. Therefore, the death of a Spanish official on a British ocean liner is an international incident in the making. Detective James O'Trey, who had been hoping for an uneventful crossing, is tasked with finding the murderer before the ship reaches England.

As the title indicates the Spanish diplomat had his secrets, some of which were known by others on the ship, including a particularly nasty incident twenty years earlier. However, there are numerous other secrets between various members of the crew or passengers, and the efforts to keep these secrets result in people being less than candid with James, creating more opportunities for mischief and misfortune, and delaying finding the killer. If the nature of the situation and behavior of other passengers was not enough for James to contend with, there are two sources of distraction. First, there is tension with his wife, Diana, who seems upset with him, but James does not know why and fumbles efforts to repair relations. Second, James is prone to seasickness, which the author utilizes effectively to keep James off balance both literally and figuratively.

At several points in the story, Diana plays a critical role in solving the murder mystery. However, I would have liked her to take a more prominent role, even if only in an unofficial capacity. The identity of the murderer is both surprising and not surprising (as there are various clues that suggest the person as a plausible suspect). The author is very creative in the manner in which the murder was committed, the murderer escaped detection, and then managed to hide themselves on the ship and avoid discovery until it was almost too late to stop them, narrowly missing out on making a successful escape.

Name of Book: A Different Kind of Gone
Series: Captain Jim and Lady Diana Mystery #3gnihotri series,
Author: Nev Marsh
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: September 12, 2023
My Rating: 3.4 Stars!
Pages: 320

The summer of 1894 Captain Jim Agnihotri and his wife Lady Diana Framji are on a luxury cruise liner on their way to Liverpool for a job.
The first night on the ship Jim gets sea sick and while returning his dinner to the sea, an elegant gentleman helps him to a deck chair to recover. They start to chat and find they served in the military and talk about things soldiers face after returning home.

The next afternoon Jim receives a note from the same man asking for Jim to see him immediately. When Jim nears the gentleman’s cabin he finds he has been murdered.

This story was a sandwich read for me. Started out good but the middle wasn’t as tasty as I had hoped but then picked at the end. However, I more than likely will read next in this series.
Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 12, 2023.

historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, class-consciousness, murder, murder-investigation, interrogation, relationship-issues, 1890s, liner, lies, secrets, private-investigators, suspense, riveting, mixed marriage*****

I absolutely loved the first two in this series, so don't expect an unbiased review.
Lady Diana gave up all that to marry her beloved army officer turned private investigator (because he is of British/Indian lineage). They have settled in America to negate the kind of prejudice they had faced in their birth countries but are now sailing the Cunard Line to Liverpool. Not a good time for Captain Jim who is cursed with mal de mer. And then, a Spanish nobleman is garroted and the ship's captain wants Jim to solve the murder before they dock in a week. It is sort of a closed circle mystery but it is also a daunting investigation. Excellent sleuthing with a side order of marital misunderstanding. I loved it.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

The third installment in the series finds Jim and Diana on a transatlantic cruise from America to Britain. Married 2 years ago, they are still in love but Jim still worries about the differences in the status as Diana is much more at home with the educated upper classes. Because of this, and Jim’s serious seasickness, Diana moves more comfortably on the ocean liner. Early in the voyage, Jim is on deck trying to recover from nausea and is approached by a Spanish Don whom he and Diana had seen getting on the ship with his entourage. The Don speaks cryptically and disappears. Jim doesn’t think much of the encounter until he receives a note from the Don asking him to dee him urgently. By the time Jim reaches the Don, he’s been murdered….strangled in front of a mirror so the killer could watch the victim die. Because Jim is a detective, the ship’s captain asks him to find the killer before they arrive in England. we find out the the Don is a high level diplomat and a cousin to the Spanish King. He was in America to negotiate something on behalf of his country to sure up defenses against rebels who would like to overthrow the Spanish king who is only a boy. During this time, anarchists are active in many countries and have recently assassinated or attempted to assassinate several world leaders. There’s a lot of paranoia by the other passengers and the ship’s captain is very concerned about the negative. Attention that the murder will bring to the Cunard Line. Jim and Diana investigate and there are a lot of red herrings as they are under time pressure to solve the case.
While both have become naturalized American citizens, they seems to me to still be characters of Indian under British occupation….Indian but with the manners and sensibilities of the English. They are compelling and complex characters the will, hopefully, be around for future books.

I very much enjoyed the first in this series when I read it earlier this year. The main character, Jim Agnihotri, is a mixed-race former soldier, now working as a private detective. The first book was set in Bombay in the late 1800's and the sense of place was key to the story. This third episode is set on a ship, as Jim and his Indian wife Diana are heading to England to meet up with Diana's brother. While Nev March captures the feeling of a luxury liner beautifully, and uses the many physical and social levels of the ship very well, I missed that sense of the location almost becoming a character. There are lots of engaging characters, a highly twisty mystery, and much political intrigue here. You may want to occasionally shout at Jim about why his wife is struggling at times, but he eventually figures it out, along with the mystery. A solid entry in this series, but not as deeply engaging as the first volume, for me. September 12 is the book birthday for this one. 4 stars. Thanks to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the e-arc.

Locked room murders, death on the high seas and too many secrets abound in this story. For those who like to keep guessing, this book will be their cup of tea. An enjoyable read with an interesting ending. obviously, there is a continuing storyline with the detective who can keep investigating crimes every where he goes but this case will haunt his dreams for some time to come.

Nev March has written another compelling mystery featuring James O'Trey and his wife, Diana. The Spanish diplomat turns up dead on the ship Jim and Diana are taking back to England. Even though the killer must be on the ship as well, that doesn't make him or her any easier to find.

March's characters are well-fleshed out and seem like people a person might meet. And even though Jim is the detective, Diana makes vital contributions to their investigations.

All three of the James O'Trey mysteries are set in the late 19th century. Each has been in a different setting: India, the United States, and the Atlantic Ocean. The plots are twisty and enjoyable.

I'm looking forward to seeing where they go next.

Fantastic Who-done-it historically accurate and based on the old time Sherlock stories. This is the third in a series and features
Captain Jim and his wife Diana as they are on board to cruise to England from America in the late 1800's Jim is worried that there is an issue between he and Diana and hope the cruise will help. Before the end of the first day, and elderly ex military man that Jim meets is murdered in a seemingly locked room situation. The boat captain begs Jim to assist and we are off!

Plenty of information about the times and tons of interesting characters. There is no need to read the first two in the series - but book one includes a lot of detail regarding Jim and his wife's class differences and Indian heritage and is incredibly interesting. If you are hoping for a cruise, a cozy historical mystery or are just a fan of the old time detective days, The Spanish Diplomat's Secret is for you! #Matador #Thespanishdiplomatssecret
#NevMarch #StMartinsPress

I love a locked room murder mystery! This goes one step further by being on a ship, so you have very limited suspects and they are all contained. All ship mysteries have whispers of ghosts and vengeful spirits, and this one is no different. Ships have their own superstitions and customs, and they always add to the danger. When a high ranking Spaniard is found killed in a locked room, Jim is asked for assistance to ensure impartiality. Then other things happen: a woman overboard thought to be a suicide, a locked-room assault, theft of a treasure chest. The crimes are likely to be linked because coincidence is too much to ask for. Jim's wife Diana also has a keen eye for detail and proves a worthy sidekick. The clues are all there, and I was able to put a lot of it together before the ship docked. There were still surprises as the picture came all together in the end. Entertaining mystery with engaging characters!

I enjoyed this mystery! It had lots of twists and turns. The setting on the ship was well depicted and the characters were interesting.

Nev March brings more intrigue in The Spanish Diplomat's Secret, the third installment of the Captain Jim Agnihotri and Lady Diana Mysteries. This time the couple have to unravel a murder on a transatlantic journey.

Compared to the first two novels, The Spanish Diplomat's Secret lends itself more so to a set-up akin to an Agatha Christie mystery: a 'locked-in' location, with the clock ticking to solve the crime. Of course, it also has some of the flavor of Jim's hero, Sherlock Holmes.

One thing that initially grabbed me in the first novel is the relationship between Jim and Diana, and while the second book had them apart to make the plot work, here there was an emotional distance. While understandably so when revealed, I do wish Diana's secret came to light a little earlier in the book, so that her and Jim could have each other in that aspect, and not just to solve the case.

As always, March paints a wonderful picture of the world Jim and Diana live in, and I did enjoy it overall! I continue to recommend this series to historical mystery lovers.

4 stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing this copy, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was such a great concept in the historical fiction genre, it had everything that I was looking for. It worked overall in this time-period. I loved the mystery element going on and it really had me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the way Nev March wrote this and look forward to more.

Another very good historical novel by Nev March. This is the third book in the series that follows the protagonists retired British Captain James Agnihotri and his wife Diana at the cusp of the 20th century. The first book takes place in India where we learn that Jim is Anglo-Indian and his wife is a high born Parsee. It is interesting to learn the history of these two groups of people and the challenges they face navigating society. Jim has since left the British army and is a private detective in Boston. In this book a transatlantic voyage to England is the setting for a locked cabin type murder investigation. Again we see Diana's ability to navigate the society of the first class passenger, the challenges Jim faces because of his lower class birth and get a good feel for the world of transatlantic voyage. This is a very solid series and based on a few hanging story lines I anticipate further books.

For the third in this series, March switches back to the perspective of Captain Agnihotri. The Captain and his wife, Diana, are on a trans-Atlantic cruise when someone is murdered and our detectives are on the case.

I enjoyed immersing myself in the world of Victorian cruising, but the plot of this one is leisurely, to put it lightly. I was some ways into the book and thought, "Ok, we're up to the denouement, now right?" When I turned on book location, I found I was at 40%. Also, the plot was strung out needlessly by the detective being as dumb as a brick and not immediately following up on the very early, obvious clue (with a capital C) that was thrown at him. When the plot finally got going, I enjoyed this, but I feel like about 100 pages should have been cut out of this book.

As a fan of the Jim and Diana Agnihotri series, I’ve been looking forward to reading this book since I heard it was set to be released. In this adventure Jim and Diana are on a luxury cruise liner on their way to Liverpool for a job that Jim has been hired for. The first night out Jim gets hit with a bad case of sea sickness and finds himself at the ships railing giving back his dinner. Fortunately for him, an older and elegant gentleman helps lead him back to some deck chairs, where he can recover. Jim and the gentleman exchange a few pleasantries and find that both have served in the military and share some of the same issues soldiers face after after seeing combat.

The next afternoon Jim receives a note from the man asking that Jim come see him immediately. As Jim nears the gentleman’s cabin he finds crew members bustling around as well as some fellow passengers milling about. Jim arrives at the cabin to find the gentleman has been murdered. The ships captain ask Jim to help find the killer since the mans death on a British ship could cause trouble between Britain and Spain since the gentleman was a Spanish diplomat on an urgent assignment. Jim has only the the eight days remaining on the voyage to find the culprit,,and keep this from becoming a possible military entanglement between the two countries. Jim will need to use all his skills and knowledge, as well as those of his wife Diana’s if they are to catch the murderer.

Author Nev March does a wonderful job of letting the reader get a feeling for the time when transatlantic voyages were the norm. Her ability to immerse the reader in this bygone era is part of what makes her books a pleasure to read. If the author decides to write a fourth installment in the series I hope to be one of the first in line to read it.

Jim and Diana Agnihotri have left their new home in Boston for an ocean journey to England. Jim finds it difficult to adjust to life on board the HMS Etruria, given his seasickness, but after the first night he finds his sea legs, just in time to be summoned by a Spanish nobleman -- the older gentleman who helped him in his worst moments. Unfortunately, Jim arrives too late and enters the ship's music room to find Don Juan Nepomuceno murdered. And as he begins to investigate, the ship's captain asks him to solve the murder before they dock in Liverpool in a week.

Thus begins the third book in the Captain Jim Agnihotri mysteries. This one felt a little slower to get going, perhaps because Jim and Diana start off focused on their personal lives and have a far too large cast of characters to learn as they investigate. There were so many questions at the start that I found it difficult to get pulled into the story. Once it got going, of course, the mystery built up gradually, with multiple suspects and red herrings, and the final reveal held a nice bit of drama, though the resolution was a little unsatisfying. All told, not the strongest entry in this series, though still a pleasant read.

Thank you, Minotaur Books and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.