Flamenco, Flan, And Fatalities

I love that the author has her finger in so many pies! The mystery was fine, but I loved that a group of women banded together and danced as a way to get free travel. I miss being a part of a women's group. They supported each other and enjoyed being together. The characters are all interesting and very different from each other.

I also give extra points for free education. My ankle is not good now but I would have loved to try out the Flamenco timed step that Gini, the main character this time taught. I really enjoyed the exuberance that the women had for dancing, it brought me back to my days of doing JoBe, African dance!

The author gives photography tips that are outstanding and the recipes sound good. Also, I learned that there is a show more camera that can be attached to the eyeglasses that will talk to you, for example, point the camera and it will tell you when the light is green, and it read menus to you! I have been in many restaurants where the menus had print too small for me to read so I would love that myself. show less

In this second "Happy Hoofers Mystery" the ladies are on a train traveling around "Green Spain". The Hoofers are a group of five 50 ladies who love to dance, Gini, Tina, MaryLouise, Pat and Janice. They all have other jobs/professions and do this on the side. They are entertaining on the trip so get a free trip out of the deal.

Gini narrates this story and she is quite the lady. She says what she thinks and this gets her into trouble. When a hated TV host, Shambless, gets killed she is a suspect based on the fact that she said she would like to kill him. Unfortunately because of the murder, the travelers on the train do not get to do and see as much as they had planned as they are stuck on the train during portions of the investigation. show more The Hoofers get to sneak off to a couple of tourist sites and excellent restaurants as they have made friends with the investigating detective.

When a second murder occurs, things get sticky. Gini wants to investigate if for no other reason than to clear her own name, but also because it is a little scary knowing you are traveling with a murderer. Even in the close quarters of the train, she finds a way to snoop and eavesdropping is pretty easy with everyone so close together. There are many twists before the true culprit is revealed. I did figure out who the culprit was, but was not able to figure out why.

Once again the characters were fun, interacted well with one another and were smart. There were two characters that were disabled in this story, a young man in a wheelchair and a blind man with a guide dog. Through these characters we saw some of their frustrations about accessibility and the way some people treat them. The one thing that I was not sure about was who quickly the romance blossomed. With two of the Hoofers "falling in love" relatively quickly, a possible affair and finding out one of the gentlemen was married, it took just a little away from the way the Hoofers had been portrayed in the first book.

Mary McHugh has written a humorous mystery with an emphasis on friendship. There are both photography tips from Gini and recipes from various chefs and restaurants. A nice book for cozy mystery lovers, especially if you enjoy armchair travel and great food. I am ready to head off to France with the Hoofers on their next trip show less

This was a pretty entertaining mystery with a wide variety of characters. I would have liked to get to know the main character and her friends (the dance troupe, The Happy Hoofers) better. The one thing I didn't like--and maybe it was just this particular character--was the times where I felt like the character/author was explaining ableism as exposition, where it didn't fit into the story and where it would have been better shown and not told. [I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

I just finished reading a really good book, y'all! Let me tell you a little about it.

Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities, a cozy mystery by Mary McHugh, is the second book in her Happy Hoofers series. The series is about five friends who form a tap-dancing group — at first, just as a fun way to exercise. Their group, the Happy Hoofers, has become so good that they have been hired to entertain travelers on a cruise through Russia (Book 1, [b:Chorus Lines, Caviar, and Corpses|20702347|Chorus Lines, Caviar, and Corpses|Mary McHugh|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397436898s/20702347.jpg|40022195]) and now on a train tour of Spain. What a great way to see the sights! (Well, except for the murders that they seem to attract on their trips. Is show more Jessica Fletcher one of the Happy Hoofers?)

The Happy Hoofers consist of Tina, Janice, Pat, Mary Louise, and Gini. Each book is narrated by a different woman. Gini narrates Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities, and gives photo tips, since she is an award-winning documentary filmmaker.

Oh, and by the way — the Happy Hoofers are all in their 50s. They seem to be taking George Burns' advice to heart: “You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old.” The women are quite likable, and are described very realistically.

Mary Louise loves to cook, and she's the one responsible for the recipes in the Happy Hoofer books. The meals included in the group's tour packages are always fabulous (well, almost always — see Book 1 for the exception!) and Mary Louise asks the chefs for recipes, so she can prepare the same dishes at home. Thanks, Mary Louise! I haven't tried any yet, but they are all very tempting.

I liked reading about the camaraderie of the five friends, and their sightseeing in Spain, just as much as trying to figure out whodunit. I had my suspicions about a certain character, who did turn out to be the murderer. This in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the book. In fact, the identity of the murderer becomes known to our heroines — they just can't prove it at first. This was an unusual plot twist, one which I enjoyed.

The final chapter consists of a summation of the Hoofers' activities after their train trip, concluding with

...when she [Tina] got an offer for us to dance on the Bateau Mouche, she couldn't resist. Vive la France!
I changed my mind about ....
Want to come along?

I like this teaser for the next book, so that I know what to look forward to!

And speaking of the next book, [b:Cancans, Croissants, and Caskets|22891459|Cancans, Croissants, and Caskets|Mary McHugh|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422215589s/22891459.jpg|42461537] will be published in August 2015, and is available now for pre-order at Amazon!

Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities is a lot of fun, a great read that has earned Four Stars! I really enjoyed it, and recommend Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities to Cozy Mystery fans — armchair travelers, especially, will enjoy touring northern Spain on a luxury train with the Happy Hoofers.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities from the publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest opinion of the book.


Originally published on my blog at Jane Reads. show less

Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities by Mary McHugh is fun cozy mystery. It is the second book in the Happy Hoofers mystery series. The Happy Hoofers have been asked to perform on a luxury train that is traveling across Northern Spain. Chorus Lines, Caviar, and Corpses was told from Tina Powell’s (the leader of the group) point-of-view. Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities is told from Gini Miller’s point-of-view. Gini is a documentary filmmaker. Gini is still seeing Alex and Alex has relocated to New York (still working at the NY Times). Mary Louise is looking forward to getting away from her husband. Mary Louise is married to George, an attorney. George has been too wrapped up in his cases lately and not paying enough attention to his wife. show more Pat, the therapist, and Janice, the actress, are also looking forward to the trip and maybe even a little romance.

The Hoofers are looking forward to the trip until they see Dick Shambless. He is a television talk show host who is anti-everything. Dick is also very rude and obnoxious. There is only person on the trip who is a fan. Dora Lindquist comes up to Dick right away to get his autograph. Not long after the train starts the trip Mr. Shambless is found dead. While exploring the Spanish countryside, the Happy Hoofers dance and try to figure out who killed Dick Shambless.

Whoever killed Dick Shambless does not want to be discovered and will do what it takes to keep from being found out. The Hoofers get to eat some good food on the trip and meet some new friends. Mary Louise makes sure to collect recipes for all the wonderful dishes. At the beginning of each chapter you get tips on taking pictures while on vacation.

Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities is a charming cozy mystery. It has delightful characters and the book is easy to read. The mystery, though, was very, very easy to solve. If you follow the clues, you can solve the mystery very quickly. The story is told in first person, but I did not even notice it after getting into the story. I give Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to the next Happy Hoofers mystery (which will be out in the August).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

I wasn't sure what exactly to expect with McHugh's Happy Hoofers since this is the first book that I have read in the series, but I have to say that what McHugh delivered was an absolutely enjoyable read. Tina, Janice, Pat, Mary Louise, and Gini were all such likable characters, and I found myself caught up in all of their lives as they traveled through Spain. I really enjoyed these five wonderful friends and I was sad to see the story end because I wanted to continue reading about their adventures. As a mystery Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities proved to be a very good one full of many twists and turns as well as suspects. I really liked how McHugh kept the mystery and action going amongst all the drama surrounding the five main show more characters. I already went and purchased the first book in the series to catch up, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Overall this book was a great read that I would definitely recommend.

Received a copy of Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

I just finished reading a really good book, y'all! Let me tell you a little about it.

Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities, a cozy mystery by Mary McHugh, is the second book in her Happy Hoofers series. The series is about five friends who form a tap-dancing group — at first, just as a fun way to exercise. Their group, the Happy Hoofers, has become so good that they have been hired to entertain travelers on a cruise through Russia (Book 1) and now on a train tour of Spain. What a great way to see the sights! (Well, except for the murders that they seem to attract on their trips. Is Jessica Fletcher one of the Happy Hoofers?)

The Happy Hoofers consist of Tina, Janice, Pat, Mary Louise, and Gini. Each book is narrated by a different woman. Gini show more narrates Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities, and gives photo tips, since she is an award-winning documentary filmmaker.

Oh, and by the way — the Happy Hoofers are all in their 50s. They seem to be taking George Burns' advice to heart: “You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old.” The women are quite likable, and are described very realistically.

Mary Louise loves to cook, and she's the one responsible for the recipes in the Happy Hoofer books. The meals included in the group's tour packages are always fabulous (well, almost always — see Book 1 for the exception!) and Mary Louise asks the chefs for recipes, so she can prepare the same dishes at home. Thanks, Mary Louise! I haven't tried any yet, but they are all very tempting.

I liked reading about the camaraderie of the five friends, and their sightseeing in Spain, just as much as trying to figure out whodunit. I had my suspicions about a certain character, who did turn out to be the murderer. This in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the book. In fact, the identity of the murderer becomes known to our heroines — they just can't prove it at first. This was an unusual plot twist, one which I enjoyed.

The final chapter consists of a summation of the Hoofers' activities after their train trip, concluding with
...when she [Tina] got an offer for us to dance on the Bateau Mouche, she couldn't resist. Vive la France!
I changed my mind about ....
Want to come along?
I like this teaser for the next book, so that I know what to look forward to!

And speaking of the next book, Cancans, Croissants, and Caskets will be published in August 2015, and is available now for pre-order at Amazon!

Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities is a lot of fun, a great read that has earned Four Kitties! I really enjoyed it, and recommend Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities to Cozy Mystery fans — armchair travelers, especially, will enjoy touring northern Spain on a luxury train with the Happy Hoofers.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities
from the publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest opinion of the book.

Originally published on my blog at http://janereads2.blogspot.com/2015/03/flamenco-flan-and-fatalities-by-mary.html show less