Matteson, Stefanie Murder Under the Palms

Set in Palm Beach in the late 1990s, this Charlotte Graham whodunit revolves around the legendary liner NORMANDIE, with a flashback to the vessel’s maiden voyage. The novel's cast of characters include (fictional) former NORMANDIE staff, passengers and aging World War 2 ex-servicemen who had worked on the ship just prior to the fatal 1942 fire which destroyed the ship. The most interesting character, however, is a wealthy NORMANDIE memorabilia collector who just doesn’t where to stop -- even if it leads to murder. Author Matteson has done her homework well, with ample (and accurate) descriptions of NORMANDIE china, silver, furniture and Art Deco light fixtures -- all lusted over by her obsessive collector lead character. Great fiction (even detective writing), it’s not. Still, it’s a fun look at both the NORMANDIE and at ship memorabilia collecting gone awry!