Audiobook Review: Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson
Without a Clue
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Published: February 17, 2026
Audiobook: 8 hours 43 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: February 24-28, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
When a mystery writer mysteriously dies on a cruise filled with rabid fans, his protégé (and personal assistant) teams up with a rugged cowboy and fellow writer to crack the case. One part Only Murders in the Building, one part Book Lovers, and a whole lot of laughs, Without a Clue will keep readers guessing and swooning until the very end.
If there’s one thing Penelope Mae Dupont prizes most, it’s her composure–her ability to stay calm in the face of stress. It’s a vital trait in her job as a personal assistant to renowned mystery author Hugh Griffin. But when Pip organizes a book cruise featuring The Fabulous Seven–seven celebrated authors from different genres who have supported each other through thick and thin–her famed composure is in danger of sailing away. One boat, hundreds of devoted readers, and seven Big Personalities. What could possibly go wrong?
Disaster strikes when, on the second day of the cruise, Hugh is found murdered. And, in the face of gross incompetence by the on-board security force, Pip realizes she’ll need to be the one to discover who did it. With the ship stranded in the middle of the Atlantic and no help on the horizon, it’s up to her to unravel the mystery. Along with her friend Nash–a dreamy Western author who’s just as rugged as the cowboys he writes about. As Pip’s composure starts to sink faster than a leaky dinghy, Nash becomes her anchor in a storm of clues and red herrings.
With Nash at her side, Penelope dives into the murky depths of the mystery, navigating treacherous waters filled with unexpected twists and turns. No one, not even a desperately hopeful mystery sleuth named Pip, could anticipate the wild ride ahead. Whether she likes it or not, she is on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and maybe, just maybe, she’ll find love along the way.
In this laugh-out-loud funny Clue-meets-Emily-Henry rom-com, Penelope Mae Dupont is about to find out that in the world of mystery and romance, you have to risk going overboard to find the truth.
Jessica’s Review:
This was such a fun novel to listen to! And Karissa Vacker narrated it: She is a narrator I look out for, so when I saw this one, I had to listen to it!
We have Penelope (Pip) who has organized a book cruise (that would be so much fun to go on!) featuring The Fabulous Seven and the cruise is seemingly going well until… we have a murder of one of the seven! And it was committed by another one of the seven! On board security is useless so Pip finds herself having to ‘catch’ the killer… without harm coming to anyone else. And along the journey comes a possible love connection… or is it?
Again, Without a Clue was so much fun! The listener gets a little bit of everything: mystery intrigue, murder, and maybe a love connection! Come on this cruise and follow Pip figure out just what is going on! You’ll be in for an adventure all the way unto the end! I was not expecting the novel to go the way it did!
If you need a fun read with some murder and intrigue, give Without a Clue a read or listen! Many thanks to the publisher for granting me an audio copy to listen and review. I enjoyed this one!