A former sheriff undercover. A ship full of lies. And a killer about to walk free.
When private investigator Fen Maguire boards an Alaskan cruise as the ship's art instructor, he's carrying a secret assignment: solve a two-month-old murder that's sparked a jurisdictional war between two stubborn sheriffs. Each sheriff has a prime suspect onboard. Both are convinced the other is wrong. And with the victim's friends and co-workers also onboard, Fen has his work cut out for him.
As a former sheriff, Fen knows how territorial lawmen can be. But as he teaches watercolors between ports, he discovers both sheriffs might be chasing the wrong lead entirely. Alibis crumble. Secrets spill over cocktails and shore excursions. And the more Fen digs, the more suspects emerge—each with motive, means, and something to hide.
The cruise is ending. A killer is about to walk free. In a floating locked room where everyone's a little guilty and no one's telling the whole truth, Fen must unmask a murderer before the ship docks—or watch justice disappear into the Alaskan wilderness forever.
