A Daniel Mercer Mystery
A magnificent ocean liner. A murder at sea. A conspiracy hidden for forty years.
When the S.S. Sovereign Queen sets sail from New Orleans, its passengers anticipate a luxurious voyage across the ocean. Among them are wealthy businessman Arthur Pendelton, his family, and a collection of intriguing travellers, each carrying secrets of their own.
But beneath the ship's elegance lies a history that someone has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal.
When Thomas Mercer is found murdered during the voyage, investigator Daniel Mercer is drawn into a case that reaches far beyond a single death. The investigation leads him towards the long-forgotten events of Charleston, the mysterious death of engineer Elias Montgomery, altered engineering records, forged ledgers and a structural modification to the ship that was never officially authorised.
With the help of carefully preserved documents, forgotten blueprints and evidence hidden for decades, Mercer begins reconstructing a chain of deception that has survived generations. As suspicion falls upon passengers and crew alike, every discovery raises another question, and every apparent answer exposes an older secret.
What began as a murder investigation gradually becomes a search for the truth behind one of the ship's darkest chapters.
Sovereign Queen is an atmospheric maritime detective mystery combining classic investigative storytelling, intricate puzzles, engineering intrigue and a decades-old conspiracy. For readers who enjoy intelligent mysteries in which evidence matters, details are significant and the truth must be patiently reconstructed.