Publication Date July 26, 2026
In the past few years, I have read and reviewed Little. Crazy Children and Scout Camp, both by journalist James Renner. He is perhaps best known for his work on the disappearance of Maura Murray (and the book about it, True Crime Addict). Admittedly, I’m a huge fan of true crime – unfortunately, much of it is written by people who really aren’t great writers. Happily, James Renner does an excellent job in both his research and writing, so when I got the opportunity to read and review his new book, A Cruise To Nowhere in exchange for my honest review, I jumped at it!
In 1998, Amy Lynn Bradley, a woman in her early 20s, went on a Caribbean cruise with her parents and brother (seriously, his name is Brad). In the pre-dawn hours, Amy returned to her cabin (shared with the rest of her family) after a night at the ship’s nightclub. Amy grabbed a blanket and went outside to sleep on the deck. A few hours later, she was gone.
No one knows (but plenty of people have strong opinions) whether she jumped, fell, walked off voluntarily, or was taken and possibly trafficked. Witness accounts have conflicting ideas as to what happened, and tons of theories about cruise ship logistics (like whether the stateroom door can be opened while the sliding door to the balcony is open, and what happens if you try). Renner has done a ton of research, including interviews with people who haven’t spoken publicly about this until now.
In addition to telling the story of Amy and her disappearance, Renner includes a significant amount of his own personal narrative. This is similar to his work in his (totally creepy) book Scout Camp, which I probably shouldn’t have read while my favorite grandson was totally immersed in scouting, even becoming an Eagle Scout…
In any case, Renner has a unique style and while some people would rather not hear about his personal life, it definitely adds to his exploration of Amy’s disappearance (in particular when he presents the information about Amy’s sexuality – which I think was done tastefully and well).
What happened to Amy? I lean toward the foul play/trafficking theory, but I LIKE to think she walked off the ship on her own and started a new life where is happily married to a wonderful woman, they have kids, and spend time frolicking on the beach. Unfortunately, I suspect this is totally wrong, it’s not a good ending, and we will never know definitively. There are a ton of podcasts and online speculation, but few facts. One thing for sure: The cruise ship wasn’t much help., and if you get in trouble on a cruise you essentially have little if any legal recourse, and the cruise line is primarily in raking in money, not taking care of passengers. And sadly, Amy’s family has apparently cut ties with Renner. I hope they can enjoy good memories and accept her as she was – completely.
With thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley, this is four stars. Perfect for true crime fans.