Dune to Death

Just to show no matter when or where Judith goes, the mysteries follow. That it happens on her honeymoon does not negate Renie's presence since Joe ends up in the hospital. A great place for him considering his attitude in the books that follow. I admit that this is probably one of the few books that Joe and his demeaning attitude takes a break. A fun little read for the evening.

Mary Daheim never disappoints. Her fine writing and sense of relational storytelling is displayed with joyful attention to detail, a wry humor and deliciously unexpected connetions between well-defined characters. Buccaneer Beach, Oregon, the setting for Dune to Death, is a place that feels familiar, so much so that I can smell the ocean, feel the waves wash over my feet and the sand squish between my toes. Small seaside towns may all seem pretty much the same, but not necessarily when murder lurks beneath the surface. It is then that Dune takes off running, pulling us along for the ride for all we are worth. I can' wait to read it again!

In this mystery, Bed-and-breakfast hostess Judith McMonigle and her new husband, Police Lieutenant Joe Flynn, are on their honeymoon at Buccaneer Beach. But during a dune buggy ride, Joe crashes the buggy, breaking his leg. Judith calls her cousin Renie who agrees to stay with her while Joe is in the hospital. Soon after Renie arrives, they find their landlady dead in their cottage, strangled to death with a kite string. Never one to pass up a mystery, Judith and Renie investigate the murder, as well as look for a buried treasure. Can they solve the mystery and find the treasure before returning home? This is another fun "cozy" mystery by Mary Daheim. There are tons of humorous moments in this book. It's well plotted and, while I was able to figure out who the murderer was near the end of the book, there were still a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I've read several of these bed and breakfast books by Mary Daheim and I enjoy them more and more. Highly recommended!

Judith McMonigle and her new husband, Police Lieutenenat Joe Flynn, set off optimistically for the Oregon coast to spend their honeymoon. A dune buggy accident sends Joe to the hospital and leaves Judith alone in a spacious cottage. She decides to ask her cousin Renie to come and keep her company while Joe is on the mend. As soon as Renie arrives, the cousins find a dead body, that of their landlady. They become involved in the tangled affairs of the the landlady's family and their past, as they conduct their own investigation of the murder. Another dead body appears and the cousins become even more confused about the identity of the perpretrator. This is another entertaining "cozy" from the dependable Judith Daheim and should be pleasing to her fans.