Maria Hudgins

Fun, two mysteries happening at the same time, with FBI, Italian Carabineiri, local island police and security officers of the cruise ship working together to solve both. A cozy mystery with great travelogue. Thoroughly enjoyable though the author does try to obfuscate the clues and solutions at times..

A very enjoyable cozy mystery set at Oxford.

While attending a conference on King Arthur and Elizabethan England, Dotsy Lamb is drawn into solving the mystery around the death of Bram Fitzwaring. Fitzwaring is one of two attendees whose viewpoint is not appreciated by the majority of the others.

When he doesn't show up for his show stopping speech, he is found dead in his room. An insulin dependent diabetic, the verdict is hypoglycemia. Dotsy doesn't buy it. She is also insulin dependent and show more what she has observed of him, the night before and what is seen when he is discovered doesn't add up.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Lettie Osgood and come along to act as a babysitter for the grandkids while the daughter is working at a local hospital. A little romance for the daughter and an assailant's shot throw things a little off course.

How do these two situations relate to each other, or do they relate to each other. Dotsy is determined to find out before she has to return home.

I've discovered that I read one of Dotsy's adventures in the "The Obnoxious Tourist" and enjoyed this. I will keep my eye out for more! show less

For starters, the only reason I initially picked up this book was because the cover looked pretty cool (it's not the one pictured above. There was a gargoyle in a fountain). After reading the back though, I figured I'd give it a shot.

I didn't really find myself left guessing as to who the murder could be, but then again, the characters that were killed were either not fully developed and not a huge part of the story, OR they were not likeable, so I didn't really care what happened to them. show more It isn't one of those mysteries where you just "have to know" who the killer is. I would have liked to know what happened to the romance that was set up in the story (without making it a strictly romance novel), but that was never definitively dealt with or ended or anything like that. I highly doubt that any further books will include this particular romance either, unless the author plans on continually sending Dotsy back to Italy and having people get murdered. That would get pretty old, pretty fast.

All in all, I would have liked a little more character development for most of the characters as well as the budding relationship/ love interest issue to be handled a little more concretely, but it was a decent book none the less. Perfect for a quick beach read. I mean, hell! I read it in a little over 24 hours on my trip to and from NYC. show less

Dotsy Lamb, ancient and medieval history teacher from Virginia USA has been interested (okay more like obsessed) with King Macbeth of Scotland. In her research efforts, she has been corresponding with Professor John Sinclair and he asked her to join, as an unpaid volunteer the archeological dig at Castle Dunlaggan.

Shortly after her arrival one of the paid diggers is found murdered.
The police are called in. Dotsy doesn’t agree with the police’s suspect so she begins her own investigation. show more And then, another murder!

A relaxing mystery with little blood or guts, just some general snooping. Think an updated Miss Marple. Many possible suspects and more intrigue. show less