If "I Love Lucy" were to meet "ER" on "The Love Boat" the result would be something like Candy Calvert's new mystery series, which has received rave reviews for its premier novel, "Dressed to Keel." Calvert's Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery Series is a funny and romantic cruise- ship based series of adventures featuring the 31-year-old, feisty redheaded nurse Darcy Cavanaugh. "Dressed to Keel" introduces the series' heroine, as she jumps aboard a glitzy New England cruise for some much needed time away to recuperate from a failed romance, and job burnout. Instead of rest and relaxation, this "underdog" crusader quickly finds herself caught up in a madcap drama of theft, murder and unexpected romance.

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery

Candy Calvert
Midnight Ink (2006)
ISBN 9780738708799
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (1/07)

I picked this book up on a Sunday morning and figured that I would read for an hour or so and then do my chores.   Its 5PM, the book is finished, no chores are done and I am still in my PJ’s.  This is one of the few books that I have read that I can honestly say I could not put it down once I started it.  “Dressed to Keel” is Candy Calvert’s launch of the Darcy Cavanaugh mystery series and she has a real winner.   

The story starts out “The cruise brochure promised confetti, melting wedges of Brie, well-stuffed tuxedoes, and silver buckets of Dom Perignon.”  Who would not want to go on a trip like that?  Darcy Cavanaugh gets that and so much more, including murder and mystery as she takes a much needed vacation.  Darcy is an ER nurse who is burned out with her job and by love.  She decides to get away from it all by taking this cruise with senior citizens because her friend Marie is the shipboard nurse.  But after a cabin steward is found dead and the robberies begin, the fingers are pointing at Marie.  Darcy must find a way to clear her friend of the murder and solve the mystery before the body count starts piling up.  

Darcy’s first and primary suspect is the handsome and sexy dance instructor Luke Skyler.  He always seems to be around when trouble brews and is also watching her very closely.  Or could it be any one of the outrageous seniors who are also on the cruise?  This is what Darcy must find out as she becomes the next target on the ship.   

“Dressed to Keel” is full of outrageous characters, gourmet food, champagne and beautiful clothes.  The story is a mystery, but is kept light and full of fun.  Calvert proves that she has a wonderful sense of humor over and over again through this mystery story and I am very much looking forward to her next installment in the Darcy Cavanaugh mysteries.  After all…who needs to go food shopping or have a clean house or laundry when there is great mystery novel to be read?