Shelby Sloan gives her daughter an anniversary gift of a cruise, only to get a call from her son-in-law with devastating news. Her daughter, Chloe, has disappeared, and appears to have fallen overboard and drowned. Shelby can't believe Chloe would commit suicide, but there are things about her daughter that she was unaware of. Apparently, Chloe suffered from alcoholism, and hid it completely from her mother.

Since no one aboard the ship saw her fall, the ship continued on three hours after she was missed before turning back to look for her. Although there’s little chance that she’ll ever be found, Shelby is more than willing to continue the search at her own expense. Prodded by a visit from a representative of Overboard, whose members have lost relatives to suspicious shipboard accidents, she starts to suspect everyone, including members of her own family.

The mystery wasn't too bad, although it contained a bit too many convenient coincidences for my taste. Shelby was an annoying character but who can blame her for wanting to find out what really happened to her daughter. This was my first Patricia MacDonald book but I would definitely try another sometime in the future.
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A fast-paced, easy read. ( )

The plot was so unpredictable, it would have taken a psychic to predict how the book would end. I read alot of Joy Fielding books prior to this and was pleasantly surprised that her plot structure was similar to Fielding. The relationship between the protagonist and her sister was just strange. Her sister's obsessive loyalty to her mother was even stranger. There were a few places where the editing was sloppy,but not to worry, the twist and turns were so intricate it made the story entertaining. I am giving this book my highest rating of 4 stars. ( )