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Marian Babson (1929–2017)

Author of The Twelve Deaths of Christmas

50+ Works 2,780 Members 65 Reviews 8 Favorited

About the Author

Marian Babson Author Marian Babson was born in Salem, Massachusetts but spent the better part of her life living in London, England. Marian Babson a pseudonym for Ruth Stenstreem. Babson has held many jobs that included a librarian, manager of a campaign headquarters, a receptionist/secretary to show more commercial artists, and a co-editor of a machine-knitting magazine. She also served as secretary to the Crime Writers' Association. Some of Babson's many titles include "The Multiple Cat" (1999), , "Miss Petunia's Last Case" (1997), "Fatal Fortune" (1987), "Death Beside the Seaside" (1982), "Murder, Murder, Little Star" (1977) and "There Must Be Some Mistake" (1975), Retreat from Murder, (2004), Only the Cat Knows, (2005) and No Cooperation from the Cat, (2012). (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Series

Works by Marian Babson

Murder at the Cat Show (1972) 127 copies
Canapes for the Kitties (1997) — Author — 125 copies
Paws for Alarm (1984) 107 copies
Murder on a Mystery Tour (1985) 100 copies
Whiskers and Smoke (1984) 100 copies
The Cat Who Wasn't a Dog (2003) 98 copies
Nine Lives to Murder (1895) 96 copies
The Company of Cats (1999) 95 copies
Please Do Feed the Cat (2004) 92 copies
Only the Cat (2007) 91 copies
The Cat Next Door (2002) 85 copies
Tourists Are for Trapping (1989) 84 copies
Cover-Up Story (1971) 79 copies
Murder, Murder, Little Star (1977) 78 copies
To Catch a Cat (2000) 78 copies
The Diamond Cat (1994) 72 copies
Reel Murder (1986) 70 copies
In the Teeth of Adversity (1990) 69 copies
Cruise of a Deathtime (1983) 56 copies
Line Up for Murder (1980) 53 copies
Death Warmed Up (1982) 52 copies
Death Beside the Sea (1982) 52 copies
Bejewelled Death (1725) 50 copies
Death in Fashion (1985) 48 copies
No Cooperation from the Cat (2012) 48 copies
Murder Sails at Midnight (1975) 47 copies
Guilty Party (1988) 40 copies
The Stalking Lamb (1974) 39 copies
Encore Murder (1989) 38 copies
Fatal Fortune (1829) 37 copies
Past Regret (1990) 36 copies
Shadows in Their Blood (1991) 36 copies
Untimely Guest (1976) 36 copies
Break a Leg, Darlings (1995) 36 copies
Even Yuppies Die (1993) 34 copies
There Must Be Some Mistake (1975) 33 copies
Pretty Lady (1973) 31 copies
Dangerous to Know (1981) 25 copies
So Soon Done for (1979) 19 copies
Unfair Exchange (1974) 16 copies
Tightrope for Three (1978) 11 copies
A Tealeaf in the Mouse (2000) 3 copies
So Done For 1 copy

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Reviews

A slow moving and implausible mystery story involving twins.
½
 
Flagged
Ann_R | 3 other reviews | Jan 10, 2024 |
Published in the 1980s, Murder On A Mystery Tour by Marian Babson pays homage to The Golden Age of mystery novels written during the 1920s and 1930s. (Agatha Christie was part of that group, however Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series predates that style of writing.)

In this instance, we find couple Reggie and Midge trying to find a way to financially save their English manor, which is currently being used as a hotel. Just in the knick of time, they receive a call from an old friend in the publishing business, who is looking for a place to rent out to stage some promotional murder mystery tours. Babson deftly launches the reader into the rather complicated story, which is actually a mystery within a mystery.

My main quibble with the story was the sheer number of people to keep track of, as there are the actual characters and also the roles they assume for the murder mystery weekend. It does become confusing or at least it was for me. The one character I could always keep straight was Ackroyd the cat, who stares disapprovingly at certain guests and always knows when a there might be a treat available. Bravo Ackroyd. ;-)

Overall rating: 3.5 stars
First book completed in 2024
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½
 
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Ann_R | 4 other reviews | Jan 5, 2024 |
Anytime I get to the last 20 pages of a murder mystery with no progress or clues as to 'whodunit', I get concerned, and in this case the concern was a bit justified. If you like stories about a bunch of silly people running around hollering and annoying each other- think of the film Bringing Up Baby, or the TV series I Love Lucy- where you get a headache even though it is just a silent book, because you can hear the yelling and chaos in your mind as you read, than this book may be great for you.

The narrator, Trixie, and her roommate Evangeline, has apparently no spine to tell a bunch of complete strangers they are not permitted to take over her home to work on their projects and terrorize the household, just as she has no spine to tell her daughter Martha and Martha's friend Jocasta that they need to respect some basic boundaries while using Trixie's kitchen to test recipes. As a result of this character flaw and the caricatured awfulness of the 6 strangers who descend on their home, the majority of this book is a sort of noisy comedy, with a brief but never focal murder, and a distant and never investigated murder that also is just a bit of extraneous detail to the majority of story as it is presented. When we find out who killed both people, it is not because anyone has been asking questions, finding clues, or talking about the murders at all, but because the murder is nuts and the chaos eventually gets to him.

But, the cat is cute, and the best character in the novel, and at least Trixie and Evangeline are actresses and have an excuse for being over the top, even if the rest of the characters are not theater or film people and have no real excuse for seeming so phony. I also did manage to read this book roughly 'in order', since I already read the one before it in the series, which helped some of the story make more sense. Otherwise I'd have been confused as well as exhausted by this book, even as short as it thankfully is.
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Flagged
JBarringer | 7 other reviews | Dec 15, 2023 |
When Reggie and Midge, the reluctant managers of an English country inn agree to host a mystery tour, they are in for a surprise of a most unpleasant nature as events turn a staged murder into the real thing.

This was a light, lively story and sometimes humorous with a lot of characters to keep track of. I enjoy this author’s writing style but the story was just somewhat interesting.
 
Flagged
gaylebutz | 4 other reviews | Dec 9, 2022 |

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Honi Werner Cover designer
Graham Seed Narrator
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Jackie Merri Meyer Cover artist
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Statistics

Works
50
Also by
17
Members
2,780
Popularity
#9,240
Rating
½ 3.3
Reviews
65
ISBNs
468
Languages
4
Favorited
8

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