Auntie Mayhem

Auntie Mayhem is set in England, where Judith, her cousin Renie, and their husbands are having a working vacation. Bill is attending a conference in London. It's being held for an academic psychiatrists and psychologists society. I love their acronym : IMNUTS (International Mental and Neurological University Therapists Society). That's as much fun as the punny title. (Most of the puns in the bed-and-breakfast series' titles are easy to get. In case you've never heard of the original for this book, it's 'Auntie Mame,' which was a best-selling novel adapted for a play and a classic film, not to mention there are musical versions in both genres.)

Joe is attending something to do with Scotland Yard. The sister-in-law of Judith's long-time show more English pen pal is seeking Judith's advice about turning the family home into a B&B. It's tax break time for our American tourists!

The aunt is actually Claire Ravenscroft Marchmont's great-aunt, but she's called 'Aunt Pet'. Petulia Ravenscroft holds fast to very Victorian ideas as well as the family purse strings. She takes a shine to Judith and Renie, assuming they're relatives from America, and refusing to be disabused of that notion.

There's a surprise or two in the will when the old lady dies of what might not be natural causes. Judith and Renie are in the thick of things as they try to solve the crime so they can join their husbands for the next part of the trip. As usual, Judith is focused on other persons and Renie is focused on food.

The Ravenscroft Family Tree is in chapter three.

John Dickson Carr, the author Judith is reading in chapter six, was a real author famous for his locked room mysteries and how difficult he made it for figuring out 'whodunnit'. (So far I've figured it out only once and that a page or two before the revelation. Prior to that, my best was when the killer was one of my top suspects.) He also wrote mysteries as 'Carter Dickson.'

If you like puns, look up the surnames of Wattle and Daub, the two cops from Great Pauncefoot.
The housekeeper's surname, Tichborne, is the same as that in a famous legal case you might enjoy looking up.

Expect humorous dialog and situations as well as mortal peril. The Bed-and-Breakfast mysteries are a fun cozy series and this book is no exception. show less

An English manor house becoming a B&B? Sign me up! This one was twisty in the plot with who did the dirty deed. I love how Gertrude can affect Judith where ever she may be in the world... that old woman is growing on me...