Murder on the Celestia

Hazel Finch expected quiet when she boarded the Celestia: sea air, books, and the luxury of having nowhere she needed to be. A retired librarian with a gift for reading people the way she once read reference shelves, Hazel quickly notices that aboard this ship, everyone is performing something—grief, charm, innocence, or control.Then Serena Hale, a polished travel star with a talent for making rooms revolve around her, collapses on deck, and the official story is heatstroke. Hazel doesn't believe it. Not when the signs point to poison, not when the smiles crack so easily, and not when the people closest to Serena each seem to know more than they say.As the Celestia glides toward Santorini, Hazel follows the evidence through lectures, logs, and quiet betrayals. But the closer she gets to the truth, the clearer it becomes: Serena didn't just die on this ship. She was trying to expose something dangerous—and someone aboard decided she'd never get the chance.