Description

A razor-sharp and mind-bendingly clever whodunnit from award-winning playwright and actor Toby Schmitz.

It's 1925, and the Empress of Australia is making her regular Atlantic crossing to New York with a full roster of passengers. But when a dead body is discovered onboard, Inspector Archie Daniels must find the killer before panic--and the body count--spread. Solving one murder quickly turns into solving two, then three, and it becomes clear that no one is safe. From the horrendously wealthy first-class passengers to those considered the "dregs of empire" below deck, everyone is trapped--and everyone is a suspect.

Both a witty, bloodthirsty whodunnit and a biting examination of the British Empire at its twilight, The Empress Murders is a tense, claustrophobic mystery told with dark humor, intelligence, and flair.

Praise for The Empress Murders: "Prepare to be both dazzled and discombobulated. You have been warned." - The Sydney Morning Herald "Readers expecting a bit of Miss Marple-style cozy crime will be in for a shock... a book that will leave you thinking." - The Australian "A tense and claustrophobic mystery told with startling wit." - Tim Minchin "Whatever you think this book is, think again... I loved it. What a trip." - Malcolm Knox "A uniquely brilliant reimagining of the nautical murder mystery... literary and highly readable. Unequivocally recommended." - Richard Roxburgh