Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for giving me a review copy of this eBook. The comments below are my own.

What would you do if you learned that your former mother-in-law and father-in-law are missing from a cruise ship off the Australian coast? If you are Cyd Redondo of Brooklyn's Redondo Travel you'd drop everything and head to the ship to investigate. That's the premise of this lively tale. The action begins when Cyd makes a spectacular, but humiliating, entrance to the cruise ship by being lowered (with all of her luggage) from a police helicopter to the top deck. Then, she finds a body in her stateroom. From that point on, it's a continuous romp of over-the-top silliness of the good kind. There is a clever storyline and an interesting mystery or two for Cyd to solve. There's even a neat hook at the end which can be carried through to a Cyd Redondo sequel.

I recommended it as a fun light read, nothing too serious to upset you. Readers can learn something life aboard a cruise ship for the crew and about endangered Tasmanian wildlife. ( )

Once again, Wendall Thomas has crafted a laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will have readers learning things along the way. There always seems to be a wildlife angle for Cyd-- by the way I liked finding out what happened to Barry the chameleon from Lost Luggage-- and this time it involves her former teacher, Sister Ellery Magdalene Malcomb, in addition to an international fugitive with more wigs and costume changes than a Las Vegas showgirl, and a Tasmanian Tiger. Never heard of a Tasmanian Tiger? Neither had I. See what I mean about learning stuff?

That's one of the things I like the most about Thomas' writing. Yes, I have a blast laughing my head off, but I also like to learn. In Drowned Under, I not only learned about those tigers, I learned quite a bit about the cruise ship industry, and although I can't say I want to board one any time soon, at least I understand them and the people who frequent them much better.

If you're in the mood to laugh, pick up Drowned Under, and if you haven't had the pleasure of reading Lost Luggage, get your hands on that one, too. And you're not just reading these books to laugh. In both, Thomas has crafted intriguing mysteries to solve with a main character who has to be related to MacGyver. Now all I have wonder about is what my husband is going to say when I tell him that I want a Balenciaga bag personally packed by Cyd Redondo herself? ( )