I think that A Dangerous Crossing is the kind of book that just not completely works for me. I prefer reading thrillers rather than drama when it comes to a book. And, this book contained way too much drama for my taste. I did spend much of the time waiting for someone to die so that something would happen beside reading about Lily's interactions with the rest of the passengers. And, one of the biggest problems I had were that I grew sick and tired of Eliza Campbell, she is the kind of bombastic character that in the end is just too much. Always showing up and dominating everyone around her. it just got to be too much for me.

Now this book is not all bad, I enjoyed reading about the trip to Australia with its stop along the way. Unfortunately, Lily is just the kind of meek character that I have a hard time connect to. I would have preferred a more independent and head-strong woman to read about. Not in the pompous Eliza kind of way of course, but a woman with a mind of her own.

However, the ending I have to admit was both surprising and good. I did know that the passengers had secrets, but I did not expect it would end as it did. And, I loved the end chapter, with a look at what happened next for the passengers onboard the ship.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! ( )

1939 and Lily Shepherd is onboard a ship to Australia to start a new life. But the new friends she makes just leads to tragedy.
The story was okay, it seemed well-written, though in the present tense which I do dislike. I didn't love it or hate it but it felt flat and didn't really care much what happened to any of the characters.
A NetGalley Book ( )

I really enjoyed this captivating drama.
I could relate to the setting of a cruise ship.
I thought the whole thing was atmospheric, I had guessed some of the plot but this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book ( )

At first I found this novel to be quite promising. Summer 1939, war is on the horizon. Lily is traveling to Australia, taking up domestic service again for two years to qualify for free passage. We know she is running from something, but what? What makes this crossing dangerous? (U-Boats, her past catching up to her, what?)

As she meets her fellow passengers, more domestic mysteries emerge. Why is Helena accompanying her brother Edward, they are both adults and she loved her teaching job in England? What has happened to Maria Katz' parents in Austria? Why is Eda so bitter? Why do Max and Eliza want to hang out on the tourist deck rather than in first class? What is George's real story?

So there is a lot going on, and many of these domestic mysteries are truly sad things. But somehow here they are just "the past", and are almost treated flippantly. There is little sympathy or understanding for Maria and the other Jews on board. Little feeling for the poverty-stricken Italians immigrating to Australia. Little sympathy for each others' pasts--though each character generally keeps their past a secret, they also all know that most everyone is fleeing something.

But when violence occurs, the other passengers so quickly forget it and continue to enjoy their trips. Nearly all of these characters are just unpleasant people. Meh. ( )

The Blurb:

England, September 1939. Lily Shepherd boards a cruise liner for a new life in Australia and is plunged into a world of cocktails, jazz and glamorous friends. But as the sun beats down, poisonous secrets begin to surface. Suddenly Lily finds herself trapped with nowhere to go…

Australia, six weeks later. The world is at war, the cruise liner docks, and a beautiful young woman is escorted on to dry land in handcuffs.

What has she done?

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My thoughts:

I had really been looking forward to reading this book, believing that it was some kind of murder mystery set in turbulent times. It sounded like just the kind of book I would enjoy, and I did enjoy it although it was not quite what I expected and the comparisons with Agatha Christie which I read in some reviews were way off the mark. But that is not to complain – it’s a well written story, definitely more character driven than plot driven. The threat of WWII looms large and causes tension among the passengers, especially when Lily makes friends with a young Jewish woman named Maria, much to the disapproval of some other passengers.

Other than Lily herself, the main characters are a brother and sister named Edward and Helena, who befriend Lily, and a glamorous American couple named Eliza and Max Campbell who have a scandalous background. All the different personalities thrust together in an intimate setting, are bound to make for tension and this tension pervades the story.

I did not guess the ending, although in hindsight, there were clues peppered throughout the book. I did think it was cleverly written and would definitely read more by this author. ( )