Maddy Hunter

**SOME SPOILERS AHEAD**

Emily Andrews Miceli's senior tour group is at it again, this time in 'Merry Olde England', on the Cornwall coast. Trying to get more business for her tours, Emily has invited along five (very strange) travel bloggers - at a deeply discounted rate that only incenses her regulars - to give daily updates on the pleasures of touring with their agency.

But no sooner do they arrive at their destination than disaster befalls (did we expect anything else?). The abrasive chef show more dies shortly after serving tea, and when it's discovered it wasn't an accident, the group is informed they must stay where they are. But it gets worse when the co-owner of the inn (and life partner of the chef) is arrested and there's no one to cook or clean. But then they discover there's a thief among them: not only is money being stolen, but things like...wigs...and shoes. Who would want to do such a thing? It only escalates when one of Emily's seniors disappears, and no one seems to know where.

With a missing tourist and personal items, the body count mounting, suspicious bloggers, and Emily unwillingly running an inn that's apparently crumbling around them, nothing more can happen to them now...or can it?

As always, Ms. Hunter has given us another chapter in the topsy-turvy life of Emily Andrews Miceli and her (practically) insane seniors, who are more concerned with getting the best seat at the breakfast table than finding another dead body among them.

She brings you into their world so beautifully that you begin to wonder if you could survive a trip with them without needing medication yourself. The story is fast-moving and event filled, helped along by plenty of humor and more than one mystery to be solved. Emily's frustration is almost palpable, along with her fondness for each and every one of these irascible golden-agers who are having the time of their lives while finding reasons to argue with and attempt to one-up each other.

When the many mysteries are solved, they are woven together tautly and delightfully, giving us a conclusion not only believable but rewarding in itself; the pieces come together nicely and everything is just as it should be. I eagerly await the next tour and spending time with Emily's seniors (as I have come to know them). While this is part of a series, each book is written in a way that it can be read as a stand-alone; however, I will tell you that after reading the first in the series, Alpine for You, I was so enamored that I wanted to read each and every one, and I have no doubt that you will too. Highly recommended. show less

In this, the third book in Maddy Hunter's funny Passport to Peril Series, Emily Andrew escorts her group of senior citizens from Iowa on a trip to Italy. Also on the trip are a bunch of would be romance authors. As usual, calamity strikes early and often starting with Emily's suitcase getting lost and their hotel burning down. But things really heat up when the publishing company sponsoring the trip holds a contest where the prize is a book contract with a cash advance of $10,000. Some show more people will do anything to win and before long the bodies start piling up. All the people who were killed were judges in the contest and Emily's mother is the last judge still around. Emily wants to solve the murder - fast - before her mother becomes the next victim.

This is a funny cozy mystery. Hunter uses the story line to poke gentle fun at romance authors and readers, critics, agents, awards, publishers, Oprah's book club and even Amazon reviewers. Hunter populates the book with humorous, eccentric characters, including Emily's hot to trot millionaire grandmother; her mother who likes to alphabetize everything, including people; Emily's ex-husband Jack, who is now a gorgeous female named Jackie (who reminds me a lot of Lula in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series); and the assorted Iowans on the trip, including one who wears on readers with her habit of rhyming everything. Etienne, Emily's long-distance, boyfriend appears in a series of phone calls and Hunter intriguingly throws in a handsome tour guide named Duncan, who also is attracted to Emily.

The solutions to the murders is a bit of a let down, but don't let that stop you from reading this very funny mystery. show less

This book is loads of fun. Emily Andrews, a young woman escorting a group of senior citizens from Iowa (including her grandmother) on a tour of Switzerland, isn't quite prepared for the murderous turn the tour takes. She hasn't planned to be in charge of anything...and wouldn't be if the original escort hadn't died the first night the tour arrived in Switzerland, leaving her effectively holding the bag (that would be the bag with all the seniors' medications in it). Much hilarity ensues show more before the mystery is solved. [return][return]I had a great time reading this. It's easy and quick. Fluffy, even. So don't expect a serious mystery novel or you'll be sadly disappointed. A couple of Amazon reviewers have said that they were turned off by the portrayal of Switzerland in this book. If the characterizations here were to turn up in a serious novel, I'd agree with them. But slapstick--and make no mistake, that's what this is--has a different ethos. Exaggeration is the name of the game and Switzerland, Iowa, actors and senior citizens are all larger-than-life and twice as stereotyped. show less

Emily Andrew-Miceli and her husband Etienne own a tour company that caters to a lively group of Iowa seniors, along with others who may sign up - and usually do. This time out they're traveling through Alaska, along with members of a local book club who are 'first timers' on the tour.

While Emily doesn't want any problems along the way, she always expects them, because that's pretty much been the luck of this luckless group. This time out the seniors are being a usual rambunctious bunch, as show more they always are, and along with the group are Emily's parents, Margaret and Bob. Margaret is there because she thinks she needs to keep an eye on Emily's Nana, her mother, who doesn't need help from anyone.

Yet while on a whale watching boat, Margaret is the one Emily needs to keep an eye on. When she senses danger ("Run for your lives!") where there is none, Emily fears that from this moment on the tour is going to be a disaster...and she's not far off.

Then there is an argument on a tram between a particularly nasty guest - Thor Iverson (who thinks he's smarter than anyone else) and a retired newspaper owner, Delpha Spillum, that doesn't end peacefully. Later that evening Delpha doesn't arrive for dinner and Emily is worried. But after texting her, Delpha texts back that she's decided to walk back to their lodgings instead.

So Emily relaxes for a little while...which is the wrong thing to do (of course) when Delpha's body is discovered on the trail. Yet no one seemed to have a reason to kill the woman, and while the investigation is ongoing, they continue on with their tour.

Along with this Emily's life is about to get even more complicated by her ex-husband Jack who's now female friend Jackie and an employee of their company. Emily has given her a fairly easy assignment: travel with a different group of seniors to a new Iowa amusement park that's centered around farming (yes, around farming). She thinks that will be easy enough...until the calls start coming in. It seems one of the seniors has had a slight skin reaction to one of Jackie's makeovers and is in the hospital. But that's minor compared to the rest of them...

Then there's the fact that a traveler whose wife had an emergency at the last minute and couldn't come isn't able to be reached; one of the travelers is making goo-goo eyes at Emily's hired tour escort Alison and won't let her out of his sight; her father seems to have inadvertently taken a picture of Big Foot and the press are following the group everywhere trying to get him to talk (which won't be easy considering the man doesn't make coherent sentences very often); and as if this wasn't enough, one more member of their group makes a trip with Destinations Travel a final destination...

While it seems like I've given a lot of background on this book, it's not enough. As you can tell, there's plenty going on, and I'm surprised poor Emily isn't in a wheelchair by now with everything her seniors put her through.

I've read every single one in this series so far, and I have to say that I've never been disappointed in any of them. The conversations between the seniors have me laughing out loud at times ("Hush, you Muskies!") and while they're quite a handful, I'd have the time of my life traveling with them anywhere they go.

I've actually become quite fond of Nana, the two Dicks, Tilly, and the others (even Bernice) and love being a part of their world. If this is your first foray into the domain of the Windsor City, Iowa seniors you're in for a real treat. If not, you probably feel much the same as I do.

While Emily is worried - because the police aren't sharing any information at this time - that Delpha's death wasn't merely an accident, she's not letting on to anyone except her ex-policeman husband Etienne. And if he knows anything more than her, he's not telling.

As always, Ms. Hunter does not disappoint in either humor nor action, and there are plenty of both. She writes with a definite flair and gives enough background on wherever they are at the moment that you almost feel as if you are traveling along with the group. The writing flows easily off the page and the tale is spun nicely.

In the end, when everything is starting to come together, there are more than a few surprises. Yes, there are a couple of things you can start to figure out on your own, but I will say that still I was surprised at the ending, and that's a good thing. The only problem I have is having to wait so long for the next installment of the series. Highly recommended. show less