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Passport to Peril #1
Alpine for You
A TRIP TO DIE FOR...Accompanying her grandmother on a seniors tour of Switzerland, Emily Andrew had envisioned a vacation straight out of a travel brochure: spectacular scenery, great food, and a classy European hotel, all worlds away from her rural Iowa hometown. But her dream trip quickly snowballs into mayhem when smooth-talking tour escort Andy Simon is found dead. To be sure, Andy was as randy as a mountain goat on Viagra, hitting on every miss -- Swiss or otherwise -- within striking distance. His constant advances were driving Emily cuckoo -- but had someone orchestrated his untimely death?
For savvy, resourceful Emily, leading the tour in Andy's place is only natural. But she can't remain neutral when a fellow traveler takes a fatal plunge -- she's convinced a murderer lurks among them. With precision timing, sexy Etienne Miceli steps in to investigate, and Emily warms to the suave detective. Still, with the group roster suddenly sprouting more holes than the local cheese, Emily wonders: is there a safe haven anywhere in the shadow of the Alps?
For savvy, resourceful Emily, leading the tour in Andy's place is only natural. But she can't remain neutral when a fellow traveler takes a fatal plunge -- she's convinced a murderer lurks among them. With precision timing, sexy Etienne Miceli steps in to investigate, and Emily warms to the suave detective. Still, with the group roster suddenly sprouting more holes than the local cheese, Emily wonders: is there a safe haven anywhere in the shadow of the Alps?
246 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 28, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
July 8, 2017
Even though it was tough to finish, and even though I didn't understand some of the jokes in this cozy mystery, I knew that I would award the book a praiseworthy rating. At first I didn't like the sentence structure of the book, as the style of the author was to give way to lengthy sentences that lacked that cutting edge, the je ne sais quoi of good writing, and anyway I'd rather end my sentence here because of something to do with stones and glass houses.
I had an inkling that the crime - the first one anyway - was one of passion. But I didn't get farther than that. I didn't know how poison was administered to the murdered. And I didn't know whose alibi rang steely true for whom. Because of these doubts, the author kept me guessing and I found myself upping the rating from 3 to 4 stars. I'm even thinking of reading the second book in the series, but again, more favorite authors are vying for my attention. So many books, so little time.
I had an inkling that the crime - the first one anyway - was one of passion. But I didn't get farther than that. I didn't know how poison was administered to the murdered. And I didn't know whose alibi rang steely true for whom. Because of these doubts, the author kept me guessing and I found myself upping the rating from 3 to 4 stars. I'm even thinking of reading the second book in the series, but again, more favorite authors are vying for my attention. So many books, so little time.
July 6, 2017
3.5 stars (rounded to 3 stars)
One of my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends wished to buddy read a cozy mystery with me. Though I am usually immersed in a good thriller and haven’t read a cozy since polishing off my last Nancy Drew mystery a few decades ago, I was game.
Alpine for You revolves around 29-year-old Emily, who gets roped into being an escort for a group of Iowan elders touring Switzerland. During the group’s first night at the hotel, a murder takes place. There is no dearth of suspects.
Though this is billed a mystery, I found most of my pleasure in the humor that accompanies the story. I don’t have much experience to rate a cozy mystery, but to me, the whodunit is fairly mundane. Furthermore, there are too many people who could have done it for the reader to have a chance at narrowing it down before the reveal. And the characters are stereotypic. So the plot and the characterization earned maybe 2 or at best 3 stars. On the other hand, the humor gets 5 stars from me! Gosh, I don’t think I have ever had so many laugh-out-loud moments while reading a book. My partner kept looking over at me and wondering if I had lost my mind. I have to say this book was a terrific breath of fresh air to read in between my “serious serial killer� novels. Though the characters are cutouts for the most part, a few of them, especially Emily, Emily’s Nana, and Shirley are pretty adorable. And it didn’t hurt that these folks are from Iowa and Minnesota—my territory. I looked forward to my reading time with this book as I knew it would lift my spirits and entertain me in a way that is lacking in my usual reading material.
I see there are 10 Emily books. Holy cow! Will I read anymore? I probably will, as long as Nana doesn’t kick the bucket. What a gem she is! I recommend Alpine for You for anyone looking for a good tickle of the funny bone and not so much for a meaty plot.
One of my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends wished to buddy read a cozy mystery with me. Though I am usually immersed in a good thriller and haven’t read a cozy since polishing off my last Nancy Drew mystery a few decades ago, I was game.
Alpine for You revolves around 29-year-old Emily, who gets roped into being an escort for a group of Iowan elders touring Switzerland. During the group’s first night at the hotel, a murder takes place. There is no dearth of suspects.
Though this is billed a mystery, I found most of my pleasure in the humor that accompanies the story. I don’t have much experience to rate a cozy mystery, but to me, the whodunit is fairly mundane. Furthermore, there are too many people who could have done it for the reader to have a chance at narrowing it down before the reveal. And the characters are stereotypic. So the plot and the characterization earned maybe 2 or at best 3 stars. On the other hand, the humor gets 5 stars from me! Gosh, I don’t think I have ever had so many laugh-out-loud moments while reading a book. My partner kept looking over at me and wondering if I had lost my mind. I have to say this book was a terrific breath of fresh air to read in between my “serious serial killer� novels. Though the characters are cutouts for the most part, a few of them, especially Emily, Emily’s Nana, and Shirley are pretty adorable. And it didn’t hurt that these folks are from Iowa and Minnesota—my territory. I looked forward to my reading time with this book as I knew it would lift my spirits and entertain me in a way that is lacking in my usual reading material.
I see there are 10 Emily books. Holy cow! Will I read anymore? I probably will, as long as Nana doesn’t kick the bucket. What a gem she is! I recommend Alpine for You for anyone looking for a good tickle of the funny bone and not so much for a meaty plot.
May 20, 2011
If you need a laugh, Alpine for You is your book! Hilarious ensemble cast of characters and likeable heroine, a smattering of romance and an interesting murder mystery that isn't smothered by the "theme" like so many other recent cozy series. Most of all, if you've traveled overseas and had some less-than-satisfactory experiences, you are going to love this.
Our main character, Emily, is hilarious and never runs out of witty, snarky comments. Some people might find it a bit too heavy-going in the earlier part of the novel, but it balances out later and I frankly rather enjoyed a quick-thinking heroine for once. Her Nana is a hoot, and these two paired together promises a great deal of fun for the later books; they fight crime with room fresheners and Swiss army knives with 29 (useless) functions! The rest of the Iowan seniors are a colourful lot, and I really got a laugh out of their obsession with being on time. I've been on my fair share of travel tours myself, and these people are a real pain to travel with! The hotel/holiday disasters that Emily experiences (lost suitcases, uncooperative hotel staff, miscommunications, language barriers and objects of clothing being destroyed by water) totally remind me of things I've experienced myself. Ah, the memories! Not much fun if you're the one experiencing it, but reading about it made me chortle.
For the romance side, we also have our requisite hot detective, Etienne Miceli. I love his name, and by all accounts of him and his scenes with Emily so far, he is going to be a very attractive addition to this travel series. I look forward to more interaction between the two! The only downside to Alpine for You is related to Etienne, though; a heads-up to all readers that they'll need a good ability to suspend belief, because Etienne makes a great love interest but probably wouldn't be the best detective in real life. He has an instant attraction to Emily and almost immediately asks her out... when he's questioning her after the first murder. He also flirts outrageously with her and even passes along information that detectives in real life would never reveal to a potential suspect. But the rest of the book is so enjoyable that I managed to overlook this. Don't let it stop you from reading, either!
As for the murder mystery, I've enjoyed quite a few cozy mystery series where the mystery was secondary to character development and other background events, but these aspects were done so well that I didn't mind. Generally, however, I find it less than desirable when the "theme" or the character's career/shop/part-time job takes over the mystery. Thankfully for mystery buffs, you won't find this problem here. The murders are very neatly woven into the travel setting. There's a really nice balance here; Emily spends a healthy amount of time investigating, but you never feel that it's too concentrated on the investigation at the expense of interesting background information, either.
Maddy Hunter has a real winner in Alpine for You. After reading this, I can't imagine why there aren't more cozies featuring a travel theme; just about everyone has traveled overseas before and probably have experienced their fair share of disasters and can therefore identify, and if the reader haven't yet visited the country the book is set in, then it's a great deal of fun learning a few new things. It also has the added bonus of changing up the setting and keeping things fresh! I can't wait to read the rest of this Passport to Peril series and explore other countries with Emily and Nana.
Our main character, Emily, is hilarious and never runs out of witty, snarky comments. Some people might find it a bit too heavy-going in the earlier part of the novel, but it balances out later and I frankly rather enjoyed a quick-thinking heroine for once. Her Nana is a hoot, and these two paired together promises a great deal of fun for the later books; they fight crime with room fresheners and Swiss army knives with 29 (useless) functions! The rest of the Iowan seniors are a colourful lot, and I really got a laugh out of their obsession with being on time. I've been on my fair share of travel tours myself, and these people are a real pain to travel with! The hotel/holiday disasters that Emily experiences (lost suitcases, uncooperative hotel staff, miscommunications, language barriers and objects of clothing being destroyed by water) totally remind me of things I've experienced myself. Ah, the memories! Not much fun if you're the one experiencing it, but reading about it made me chortle.
For the romance side, we also have our requisite hot detective, Etienne Miceli. I love his name, and by all accounts of him and his scenes with Emily so far, he is going to be a very attractive addition to this travel series. I look forward to more interaction between the two! The only downside to Alpine for You is related to Etienne, though; a heads-up to all readers that they'll need a good ability to suspend belief, because Etienne makes a great love interest but probably wouldn't be the best detective in real life. He has an instant attraction to Emily and almost immediately asks her out... when he's questioning her after the first murder. He also flirts outrageously with her and even passes along information that detectives in real life would never reveal to a potential suspect. But the rest of the book is so enjoyable that I managed to overlook this. Don't let it stop you from reading, either!
As for the murder mystery, I've enjoyed quite a few cozy mystery series where the mystery was secondary to character development and other background events, but these aspects were done so well that I didn't mind. Generally, however, I find it less than desirable when the "theme" or the character's career/shop/part-time job takes over the mystery. Thankfully for mystery buffs, you won't find this problem here. The murders are very neatly woven into the travel setting. There's a really nice balance here; Emily spends a healthy amount of time investigating, but you never feel that it's too concentrated on the investigation at the expense of interesting background information, either.
Maddy Hunter has a real winner in Alpine for You. After reading this, I can't imagine why there aren't more cozies featuring a travel theme; just about everyone has traveled overseas before and probably have experienced their fair share of disasters and can therefore identify, and if the reader haven't yet visited the country the book is set in, then it's a great deal of fun learning a few new things. It also has the added bonus of changing up the setting and keeping things fresh! I can't wait to read the rest of this Passport to Peril series and explore other countries with Emily and Nana.
May 29, 2018
L'idea del libro e della serie di cui fa parte è bella: una giovane che fa l'accompagnatrice di un gruppo di vecchietti in giro per il mondo, ma la realizzazione è davvero bruttina.
Si parte con i soliti stereotipi degli stranieri all'estero e delle fissazione delle persone anziane, ma è un continuo parlarne. In più è un susseguirsi di azioni esageratamente fuori le righe: a me piace un po' di umorismo (vedi la serie scritta da Annelise Ryan), ma qui mi sembrava di leggere Fantozzi!
Poi c'è una storia rosa, ma anche questa è raccontata in maniera sopra le righe: mi sembrava un erotico di infima categoria! E poi, un ispettore di polizia che fa subito delle avances (in qualche caso, pure pesantucce) a una tipa che potrebbe essere sospettata di omicidio? Non ha senso!
Negli unici due-tre momenti in cui l'autrice si dimentica (finalmente!) Fantozzi e l'infimo erotismo, il libro si fa leggere, ma è davvero poco. Do due stelle stiracchiate proprio per questi momenti che lasciano intravedere quello che poteva essere una bella idea. Non so se proseguirò la lettura: ho preso un altro volume perché super-scontato, ma sono dubbiosa... Peccato, perché alcuni dei libri successivi sono ambientati in paesi che mi piacciono molto.
Si parte con i soliti stereotipi degli stranieri all'estero e delle fissazione delle persone anziane, ma è un continuo parlarne. In più è un susseguirsi di azioni esageratamente fuori le righe: a me piace un po' di umorismo (vedi la serie scritta da Annelise Ryan), ma qui mi sembrava di leggere Fantozzi!
Poi c'è una storia rosa, ma anche questa è raccontata in maniera sopra le righe: mi sembrava un erotico di infima categoria! E poi, un ispettore di polizia che fa subito delle avances (in qualche caso, pure pesantucce) a una tipa che potrebbe essere sospettata di omicidio? Non ha senso!
Negli unici due-tre momenti in cui l'autrice si dimentica (finalmente!) Fantozzi e l'infimo erotismo, il libro si fa leggere, ma è davvero poco. Do due stelle stiracchiate proprio per questi momenti che lasciano intravedere quello che poteva essere una bella idea. Non so se proseguirò la lettura: ho preso un altro volume perché super-scontato, ma sono dubbiosa... Peccato, perché alcuni dei libri successivi sono ambientati in paesi che mi piacciono molto.
September 2, 2021
This book was a hoot. There were some zingers about people from Iowa (which as an Iowan, I completely understand and loved) -- like only with the Iowa group could you still be 20 minutes early and still be the last one there. Felt like I was home again!
Emily Andrew is taking a European tour with her grandmother, when the tour leader is found dead. Emily found herself leading the group when another tour member is found dead. Add to this a cute investigator and the mystery continues.
Just overall a fun read, especially if you are in the mood for a book to make you smile while having a mystery on the side. Great cozy read.
Emily Andrew is taking a European tour with her grandmother, when the tour leader is found dead. Emily found herself leading the group when another tour member is found dead. Add to this a cute investigator and the mystery continues.
Just overall a fun read, especially if you are in the mood for a book to make you smile while having a mystery on the side. Great cozy read.
October 22, 2017
This is, without a doubt, one of the worst books I've ever read. Terribly written, with an insufferable main character and equally unbearable supporting characters. The constant referring to the toilet as the potty, and "Uff da" made me want to poke a sharp stick into my brain. Oh, and the never-ending jokes about "The Dicks" ... a ha ha. Hilarious.
I feel like the author had a bad trip to Switzerland and used this book to air her grievances. Constant complaints about the weather, the food, the Swiss, the hotel rooms (seriously, there is no way you would get a hotel room without a window in any first world country). Maybe I've become a little protective of the Swiss after five years of living here, but seriously, just shut up. For me, all she actually succeeded in doing was reinforcing the stereotypes that a lot of non-Americans have about Americans (insular, rude, arrogant, obnoxious, ignorant of anything outside the US). Examples:
"I want a good room. A really good room." I poked my finger into his sternum. Seriously? How is this ok?
And if they accused me of following them, I could tell them it was a free country. I thought about that for a moment. Germany was free. Wasn't it? ... just, no.
Luckily I know enough Americans to know that this is just a stereotype, but she's certainly not doing her compatriots any favours.
And then ... if the book wasn't already bad enough, she spoils .
Is this what cozy mysteries are like? Because if it is, it's a hard pass from me.
I feel like the author had a bad trip to Switzerland and used this book to air her grievances. Constant complaints about the weather, the food, the Swiss, the hotel rooms (seriously, there is no way you would get a hotel room without a window in any first world country). Maybe I've become a little protective of the Swiss after five years of living here, but seriously, just shut up. For me, all she actually succeeded in doing was reinforcing the stereotypes that a lot of non-Americans have about Americans (insular, rude, arrogant, obnoxious, ignorant of anything outside the US). Examples:
"I want a good room. A really good room." I poked my finger into his sternum. Seriously? How is this ok?
And if they accused me of following them, I could tell them it was a free country. I thought about that for a moment. Germany was free. Wasn't it? ... just, no.
Luckily I know enough Americans to know that this is just a stereotype, but she's certainly not doing her compatriots any favours.
And then ... if the book wasn't already bad enough, she spoils .
Is this what cozy mysteries are like? Because if it is, it's a hard pass from me.
June 9, 2015
I really give this book 4.5 stars. I love this series. This is the first one in the Passport to Peril series. I have read others and you do not need to read them in order. Emily Andrews reminds me so much of Stephanie Plum in the Evanovich books that I laugh out loud. Everything that could go wrong, goes wrong, but in the end, she comes out smiling. There is also the handsome guy who sees her in the worst possible scenarios, but still wants her anyway. In this book, Emily is accompanying her Nana to Switzerland on a 10 day trip of a lifetime. When the first Escort, Andrew Simon dies, Emily volunteers to take his place once she finds out that she will be reimbursed the price of the trip. Between the people dying, Emily getting involved in several water experiences and the traits of the Seniors from Iowa, it had me smiling and laughing out loud. I will definitely read the rest of the series.
May 23, 2019
Starts out almost too cutesy but gets outright hilarious after awhile. I couldn't stop laughing after the hallway attack scene with the mask - don't want to give too much away, but good grief. Fun times. I'd be giving several businesses a bad Yelp rating though....
August 11, 2016
Excellent story -- classic comedy of errors! Emily's life isn't going all that great. She got her degree in theatre arts and went off to New York to conquer Broadway. She landed a role, met a man and got married. What could be more perfect? Well, it would've been if Jack didn't borrow her underwear and then run off with another man! Emily went back to her hometown in Iowa, got the marriage annulled & joined community theatre. Now she finds herself accompanying her Nana on a seniors tour of Switzerland. When their escort drops dead, Emily now finds herself reluctantly cast in his former role. Bad food, lost luggage, surly guests & hotel staff, rain & fog and a bunch of dead bodies really cast a pall over this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Can Emily ever catch a break? Hysterical!
June 6, 2023
Not even finished.
Obviously I can't review a book I haven't actually read but I can tell why I left it after only 100 pages.
I like humorous mysteries, but when the author focuses more on humor than anything else...it becomes a stretch.
In 100 pages, every line of the book amounted to an ironic, contemptuous mockery of the many characters, places and things, witty jokes even on the death of the protagonist's grandfather.
In everyday life I try to avoid people who continuously criticize everything and every attitude, word or physical aspect of people...
So can you think that I crave all this negativity (in 100 pages there hasn't been 1 single positive thing) in a book I read for fun? ABSOLUTELY NOT !
Obviously I can't review a book I haven't actually read but I can tell why I left it after only 100 pages.
I like humorous mysteries, but when the author focuses more on humor than anything else...it becomes a stretch.
In 100 pages, every line of the book amounted to an ironic, contemptuous mockery of the many characters, places and things, witty jokes even on the death of the protagonist's grandfather.
In everyday life I try to avoid people who continuously criticize everything and every attitude, word or physical aspect of people...
So can you think that I crave all this negativity (in 100 pages there hasn't been 1 single positive thing) in a book I read for fun? ABSOLUTELY NOT !
March 4, 2015
I really, really enjoyed this book. Sorta reminded me of Stephanie Plum a little bit. Great pace and great story. Cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.
December 24, 2021
I started reading Maddie Hunter's "Passport to Peril" mystery series a long time ago -- probably at least a decade. I'm not sure why I didn't immediately start reading earlier in the series but it definitely wasn't because I didn't like the book or Emily Andrew, its main character. I suspect it was because the paperbacks had gone out of print and the one I did read -- Hula Done It -- was the only one I could find.
It's taken me years but I finally requested the first in the series from my library. I was worried that it would feel dated but nope -- it felt like it could have happened just a year or so ago. And I finally got to find out how Emily ended up shepherding Iowa senior citizens on these vacations around the world!
I've already read the first two in the series and have borrowed the third and fourth (it's Hula but I read it long enough ago that I need a re-read) to read over the coming weeks. If reading about a New Yorker who had to return to her hometown in Iowa -- and her one-of-a-kind grandmother -- as they travel around the world doesn't sound too odd to you, trust me. Find copies of these books and start reading.
It's taken me years but I finally requested the first in the series from my library. I was worried that it would feel dated but nope -- it felt like it could have happened just a year or so ago. And I finally got to find out how Emily ended up shepherding Iowa senior citizens on these vacations around the world!
I've already read the first two in the series and have borrowed the third and fourth (it's Hula but I read it long enough ago that I need a re-read) to read over the coming weeks. If reading about a New Yorker who had to return to her hometown in Iowa -- and her one-of-a-kind grandmother -- as they travel around the world doesn't sound too odd to you, trust me. Find copies of these books and start reading.
January 3, 2021
After losing her job, ex-Broadway actress Emily Andrew moves home to Iowa, and ends up accompanying her grandmother on a senior citizen tour of Switzerland. There, the mysterious death of one of the tour groups sets off a series of events that put the lives of everyone on the tour at risk.
This is the start of the Passport to Peril series, where Emily Andrew starts her new job as an escort for senior citizen tour groups (which, apparently, frequently includes murderers). The mystery part itself is fairly good, but the extraneous "wacky" nonsense is way too much. Why does no one on this tour except Emily know how to swim? And who jumps in a freezing river to rescue a toupee? Once the author settled down into the main body of the mystery, it was pretty good. I'll try reading more in this series.
This is the start of the Passport to Peril series, where Emily Andrew starts her new job as an escort for senior citizen tour groups (which, apparently, frequently includes murderers). The mystery part itself is fairly good, but the extraneous "wacky" nonsense is way too much. Why does no one on this tour except Emily know how to swim? And who jumps in a freezing river to rescue a toupee? Once the author settled down into the main body of the mystery, it was pretty good. I'll try reading more in this series.
April 5, 2017
Alpine for You ( 1BOOK IN THE MYSTERY SERIES A PASSPORT TO PERIL MYSTERY BY: Maddy Hunter ) was a read that will have you laughing out loud and wanting to go on the trip with the GOLDEN TRIANGLE TOUR GROUP to Switzerland, you would never get board with this group of Senior Citizen's from Iowa. If it wasn't for Emily Andrews be in a stand in escort for the group after the untimely death of Adrew the first escort I don't think this trip would have bin any good for the group. At least Emily was trying to to find love or fun with that HANDSOME AND SEXY POLICE DETECTIVE and trying to find a killer before him or her Strick's again.
September 4, 2014
completely unbelievable and completely silly but still an okay read.
May 8, 2018
In Alpine for You by Maddy Hunter, Emily Andrew travels to Switzerland with her grandmother� senior citizen group from Iowa. When they arrive, Emily is unhappy to learn that she has been assigned to room with Andrew Simon, the lecherous escort for the group. It takes a while for the hotel to sort things out, so by the time Emily gets to the dining room for dinner, scheduled for 6:00, it is 6:04, incurring the scorn of all the Iowans, who consider anything after half an hour early to be late. What is worse, her nana is seated at a table with no room for Emily, and the only seat left is with the most annoying members of the tour, and worst of all, she gets stuck sitting next Andy Simon. And they will be expected to sit at the same table the whole time in Lucerne.
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at
June 18, 2024
This cozy mystery falls a little on the absurd side, especially in the humor aspects of it. There's so much ridiculousness happening to poor Emily...I mean how many watches can she lose in less than a week. The misunderstandings and insta-love with the local police are all just silly. But Emily is endearing and a was left cheering for her. The mystery itself wasn't overly complicated, but there really were too many potential perpetrators without any real clues as to how the murders were happening. In the end the explanation makes sense even though there's still a lack of clues to lead you to the solution on your own. It felt like more process of elimination for me as all the other people who had motives were just too obvious.
There were enough pieces in this that were humorous to keep this series as one I might check out again in the future.
There were enough pieces in this that were humorous to keep this series as one I might check out again in the future.
September 11, 2023
Alpine for you is a cozy mystery set in the Swiss mountains.
Emily Andrew is a 29 year old divorced woman accompanying her Nana to a trip in Switzerland along with a group of elderly people and is roped into being their escort after the previous one drops dead. Turns out there is a murderer among the lot!
These kind of mysteries are pretty straight forward most of the times and same was the case with this one. The appeals lies in the humor tbh which I thoroughly enjoyed in the book. Emily's Nana was absolutely hilarious and I quite liked the character cast. There were a variety of people all with their own quirks, which made it very enjoyable to try and narrow down who the killer might be.
The author even managed to wrap a nice holiday romance into this one which I am sure is going to motivate me pick up the next book in the series.
4 stars.
Emily Andrew is a 29 year old divorced woman accompanying her Nana to a trip in Switzerland along with a group of elderly people and is roped into being their escort after the previous one drops dead. Turns out there is a murderer among the lot!
These kind of mysteries are pretty straight forward most of the times and same was the case with this one. The appeals lies in the humor tbh which I thoroughly enjoyed in the book. Emily's Nana was absolutely hilarious and I quite liked the character cast. There were a variety of people all with their own quirks, which made it very enjoyable to try and narrow down who the killer might be.
The author even managed to wrap a nice holiday romance into this one which I am sure is going to motivate me pick up the next book in the series.
4 stars.
January 8, 2023
I did not love this book. The humor and sarcasm was way overdone - and the bad experiences with the hotel, food etc. do not reflect real travel experiences in Switzerland. The book was just mediocre, although I read it through to the end. It would have been nice to have some of the humor, which at times, was quite clever - just too much of it.
January 17, 2023
Finally reading the mystery series written by a family friend, fun to see family names pop up in the book! I’m excited to see where the next book takes Emily and her group of travelers.
August 8, 2021
This is a screwball comedy / cozy mystery, and I think that's reflected in the various ratings. Humor is very individual; some folks will love it and others won't. For me the humor was funny maybe 40% of the time as I read. Also, I didn't buy the way the detective What did really work for me was the mystery - it was genuinely puzzling. Why did people keep dying? Who of the many logical suspects was behind it? I've read this before but didn't remember who dunnit till right at the end.
November 6, 2014
A quick read, a cozy mystery, and a snappy, laugh-out-loud story, this book is all of that. An almost thirty, out-of-work, divorced young woman accompanies her grandmother on a bank-sponsored senior citizen tour of Lucerne, Switzerland. When the tour escort from the bank ends up dead, and then a couple of other tour members succumb as well (by accident or by design?) the young woman, Emily Andrew, tries to piece together the clues. A sexy Swiss police detective adds some spice to the tale. Being a senior myself, I found the dialog among the seniors very funny, especially when they compare sizes of pill dispensers, the winner being one the size of a jelly roll pan. I also have been to Lucerne, and I recognizes many of the places the group toured. The grandmother reminded me of Stephanie Plum's grandma in the Janet Evanovich mysteries. She is spunky and a character. The author is from Madison, Wisconsin, and perhaps that is why she made her quirky travel group hale from Iowa. (There is not a lot of love between Badgers and Hawkeyes.) In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fun mystery.
September 8, 2014
This was a decent book. It started off slow at first, but as you read on it did get better. Now the good things were the characters were decent, and I found them relatable. I especially loved Nana and Emily. NOw the problems I had with this book was that The love interest the inspector, seemed so one dimensional, I believe in love at first sight, but I feel nothing really happened for him to just fall in love with her it just happened. I also did not like how the murder was solved without Emily really trying to solve it. SHe just keeps showing up at the wrong time finding bodies, and then happens to find the killer by accident. Overall a decent book, and I am hoping the next one is much better.
April 13, 2013
I can't say what I really thought of this book - I'd be thrown off GR! Suffice it to say this is probably the worst cozy I have ever read. I'm not sure why I kept reading since I usually cut bad books off at 50 or 100 pages (depending on the size of the book). The main character was the dumbest woman I have ever met and that's saying something! The best character in the book was her grandmother who was at least humorous. Needless to say I don't recommend this book and I won't be reading any more by this author.
October 9, 2014
This book was a bit too silly for me. I felt as though the author had a party and had people write the most ridiculous things that could happen on a trip and then tried to use as many of these ideas as possible in one book. I enjoy the silly and the funny, but this was just stupid. And the main character just seemed to be an idiot. Instead of laughing at the events I was expected to find funny I just rolled my eyes. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood but I felt like this was trying too hard and just wasn't funny.
May 13, 2015
To be able to tell a story is one thing. To be able to tell it with such humor is a bonus. I enjoyed this author's sense of humor very much, laughed out loud several times. Although I sometimes find movies or books that make fun of older people offensive, this was done with gentleness and affection. Was it a great mystery? No, and sometimes the comedy got in the way of the story. But I enjoyed the ride the author took me on and will read more. Downright silly at times and perhaps over-the-top, but if you need a pick-me-up, as I did, this should fill the bill. 3.5 stars.
October 24, 2016
This was cute. I didn't love it. I didn't find it as hilarious as most of the reviews I glanced at here by any means. There were no laugh out loud moments at all. But it was cute and fairly enjoyable to read. The main character was extremely clueless and drove me crazy. If your clothes are missing that long, go buy some jeans and a tee. Why was she SO bent on having a watch? I mean, this was written in 2003, so maybe, but who wears a watch any more? Still, I'll read more of these if I come across them cheap or if the library has them.
February 13, 2015
3.5 Stars. Nice start to the series. Emily has to take over as the escort for a tour group of seniors after the other one drops dead. She didn't seem to do much investigating but certainly had plenty of ideas about who the murderer might be. I did have a strong suspicion of who the murderer was but was basing my guess on who wasn't in later books, not on any actual clues. Lots of fun all around.
April 11, 2016
Maddy Hunter is becoming one of my favourite authors!
This is my third outing with the series (despite this being the first in the series), and it was as funny as the rest. Emily is cluelessly adorable, even while she's attempting to solve the mystery. As always, the reader can count on some giggles from the seniors - despite such a large cast of characters, they are done well enough that you're not overwhelmed with people.
This is my third outing with the series (despite this being the first in the series), and it was as funny as the rest. Emily is cluelessly adorable, even while she's attempting to solve the mystery. As always, the reader can count on some giggles from the seniors - despite such a large cast of characters, they are done well enough that you're not overwhelmed with people.
May 12, 2011
This series of books is hysterical and the heroin is named Emily! She is stuck taking a group of senior citizens on vacations and there is always something happening along with the usual crime. These are a great set of afternoon giggles books! All I can ever think of is Emily having to take us all on trips and losing us!
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