FLEUR DE LIES is Book 9 in Maddy Hunter's Passport to
Peril cozy mystery series. Even though FLEUR DE LIES is
part of a series, it can be read and enjoyed without having
read the previous books. Each book follows Emily Miceli, as
she leads a tour group of 80-somethings to exotic locales.
The ensuing hilarity and murder make for an exciting ride.
FLEUR DE LIES has it all -- humor, a dash of tender
sentiment, and a great mystery! The setting of this mystery
is France, with stops at Normandy and Paris among others.
Maddy Hunter gives lush descriptions of the French
countryside and pairs that with the quirkiness of the
tourists.
In spite of the large cast of textured and fabulous
supporting characters in FLEUR DE LIES, the story never
seems too cluttered and they don't distract from the
mystery. Emily's transsexual ex-husband and perky new
cosmetics representative, Jack/Jackie is a one of the many
fun characters in FLEUR DE LIES. Instead, the characters
and side plots just add to an overall enjoyable reading
experience. The snappy dialogue and funny exchanges between
the elderly members of Emily's tour group throughout the
story had me laughing. By the end of the story, the old
folks felt like friends and never seemed too obnoxious.
The side story involving one of Emily's seniors and a
French local adds a nice change of pace, which I enjoyed.
Having the long-ago lovers reunite brings a tear to the eye
and is very sweet. The added mystery tying in with that
side story and the identity betrayer of the resistance
during WWII is just as compelling as the present day murder
mystery.
The mystery itself never lost my interest and the number of
possible suspects and methods employed by the murderer kept
me guessing until the end. Emily is likable and makes a
good, but reluctant, sleuth. The supporting characters--
Jack/Jackie, the Texas makeup mavens, the warring funeral
directors (pro-cremation vs the pro-burial), and even the
miscellaneous men named Dick--help make FLEUR DE LIES by
Maddy Hunter a must-read for cozy mystery fans. I can't wait
for the next book in this very funny and always entertaining
mystery series!
Déjà Vu All Over Again
When intrepid travel agency owner Emily Andrew-Miceli takes
her band of tech-savvy seniors to France, they say “Bonjour”
by cruising down the Seine River. Along for the ride are a
colorful cast of cruise-goers, including four sales reps who
are the crème de la crème of the cosmetic industry and a
group of morticians looking for a little joie de vivre as
they sort out business conflicts. But once a guest is found
dead along Normandy’s famed Alabaster coast, Emily bids
adieu to the hopes of a fatality-free trip. Was it a mishap?
Or was murder the entrée du jour? Traveling from the
medieval alleyways of Rouen to Monet’s famous water lily
garden, Emily must untangle a web of lies that began a
half-century ago, on the very eve of the D-Day invasion.
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