The Good Ship Murder

The red carpet is rolled out as the ship docks in Cannes, in town for the night of the premiere of the latest film by infamous film director Werner Altmann. The acclaimed but outspoken auteur reluctantly chaperones his ‘muse' - rising star Mimi McQuinn. But Mimi is then murdered during the premiere.

Jack and Kate are on the case, focussing their attention on Werner himself, and also on influential but corrupt and unscrupulous film critic Erin Daniels, and her besotted and feckless son Lucian, both of whom appear to have grudges and motive.

Meanwhile, Jack and Kate navigate their way through various challenges in their new life as a couple – but when cabin sharing starts to become cabin fever, they're forced to redefine their living arrangements. All's well that ends well – what they have transcends such mundane concerns. Also, we meet Carole Merryweather, a long-term passenger, who is celebrating a milestone in her life on board the ship.

Renowned wellness guru Dr Woo comes on board to promote a new age-defying beauty treatment. He is accompanied by his latest investor - none other than the mother of Sharon Tan, the ship doctor. Sharon's mother imagines a future where she acts as match-maker for her daughter and Dr Woo, not counting on Sharon's fierce sense of independence, and resistance to the mere thought of an ‘arranged' marriage.

With Sharon and Jack acting as onlookers, Dr Woo hosts a presentation at the site where he hopes to develop his clinic. But during the presentation, it transpires that Dr Woo's colleague, the clinical director, has been murdered. Jack is on the case.

The prime suspect is a disgruntled patient, Donna, whom Jack and Kate manage to track down, while Sharon's own mother is a suspect too.

Meanwhile, Piers steps up as an unlikely hero and pretends to be Sharon's fiancé, helping Sharon in her cause to keep Dr Woo and her mother at bay. Even though it is only a ruse, she and Piers realise they quite like playing the couple.

Also, Jamil tries to win Colin's favour when an opening on the Ents team arises.

In Crete, a pop-pioneer photographer, Alfie Blake, hopes to recapture the magic of his former years by recreating an iconic photograph of his long-lost muse, the model Chelsea Meadows, from the 1980s. But he is then found murdered, with his body discovered at the scene of the original photo shoot. Jack and Kate are on the case.

Various suspects emerge. There is Alfie's manager and travelling companion, who stands to profit financially from Alfie's death. Also, Ari, the owner of a nearby taverna who has a chequered past with Alfie and who had clashed with him just before his demise. And then there is Chelsea herself, who Jack and Kate track to the remote farmhouse she now lives in with her housekeeper, who is harbouring a secret.

Meanwhile, Kate's concerns about Marlowe continue to grow, and she shares with Piers that she has noticed unusual patterns in Marlowe's behaviour. Piers suggests they keep a close eye on it together.

Also, a surprise inspection of the ship by the formidable Angela Boden from Head Office sends Colin's blood pressure soaring, and it emerges that Colin has a fraught history - as a ballroom dance partner - with Angela.
 

Two merry widows, Tilly and Elsa, are on a grief cruise to celebrate the lives of their departed loved ones. When the ship docks in Cape Verde, the two of them join a small group going to visit a shrine to pay their respects to those they have lost. When Tilly is found murdered, Jack and Kate investigate to uncover the killer's identity.