Murder Packs a Suitcase

Murder Packs a Suitcase starts what I hope is a long series of travel mysteries. The beginning is slow, but to be expected when introducing a new character and a new series. It speeds up nicely, and in the tradition of murder mysteries everywhere, throws in a red herring or two. So far, so good. Keep up the good work.

Mallory Marlowe is ready to pick up the pieces. It's been six months since her husband died in an accident. She's not sure she is ready, but she heads out to interview with The Good Life and lands a job as their new travel writer. Her first assignment is to rediscover the Old Florida tourist destinations that tend to be overshadowed now by The Mouse and his competitors. She'll be part of a press tour of the area. The trip gets off to a rocky start when Mallory has a nasty run in with a fellow passenger on the plane. But she shakes it off, until she discovers that Phil Diamond is part of the trip. And he's just as nasty at the group's initial meeting. Still, Mallory is shocked to find him floating face down in the fountain before their reception that evening. The police quickly zero in on her as a suspect even though she'd just met the man. Determined to clear herself, Mallory talking to her traveling companions and discovers just how small the world of travel writing really is. Is one of her new friends a killer? This is the first book in a new series by the author, but the first of her books I've read. Now I'm going to have to go back and read her other series because I enjoyed this one. I fell for Mallory right away, partially because of her strength. She is obviously still grieving, but it is never a factor in the story. And I like the hint of future romance this book opens up. The cast of characters is very colorful and therefore easy to remember. The story gets sidetracked by the traveling occasionally, but most of those trips do advance things. There are plenty of suspicions before the book reaches its logical conclusion, one that was very satisfying. And the trips? I now have a list of places I want to visit in Florida. There was one aspect of the plot that didn't feel quite believable to me. And I did feel Mallory was very stupid at the end. But overall, these are minor complaints. These characters kept running through my head when I wasn't reading. My bags are already packed for Mallory's next destination.

Mallory Marlowe is a recent widow. Her daughter Amanda has been encouraging her to get a job. So she interviews at the magazine The Good Life and ends up being hired as their new travel writer. She has to travel for one week per month. Her first trip is to Orlando, FL, looking for Old Florida. As Mallory is getting ready for her trip, Amanda has come home with an identity crisis and Mallory's 18-year-old son Jason has parked himself on her couch instead of finding a job. He recently started and quit college. Mallory is torn about leaving them, but knows she needs to do this to prove she can. When she arrives in Orlando at the Polynesian Princess Hotel, she soon meets the other travel writers on this trip. Then Phil Diamond, an obnoxious fellow travel writer, is found speared to death in the Bali Ballroom. Mallory becomes the prime suspect. Fearing the police won't discover the identity of the real killer, she sets out to uncover it herself. Mallory finds that lots of people didn't like Phil Diamond. How can she find the killer? And can she find them before her week in Florida is up? I loved this book. Mallory is such a fun character. I can't wait to read more books in this series. I loved the travel writer angle. And I could really relate to Mallory and her college-aged children. The author has such a great sense of humor and helps the reader feel as if they have visited each of the sights Mallory visits. It was great that she visited many out of the ordinary sites. I like the fact that each book will be sent in a different location. I wonder if any of the travel writers on this trip will be in future books. I hope so. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book.

Murder Packs a Suitcase Mallory Marlowe finds herself in need of employment after the sudden death of her husband. While she was primarily a homemaker and mother she had continued to write articles for a local paper so she felt that she could handle the position of a Travel Writer for a rather well known lifestyle magazine. Excited by the prospect of a working trip to Florida to seek the type of entertainment she enjoyed as a child she accepted the job when it was offered to her. Little did Mallory know the number so surprises that were waiting for her in Florida, the diverse people she would meet and the new found sense of empowerment she would experience. Cynthia Baxter takes the reader along on the "Old Florida" excursion. She describes the places that many people who remember the Sunshine State pre-Disney, find so familiar. This is an entertaining cozy, although there are many suspects that are presented almost to the end of the book. There are no big surprises, but it is a nice book to read when the reader needs a little junk food for the brain. I'm looking forward to following Mallory on her next adventure.

With the recent death of her beloved husband David and at the not so subtle shove by her adult daughter Amanda and encouraged by her eighteen years old somewhat self sufficient university bound and expert remote user son Jordon, forty-five years old Mallory Marlowe seeks employment. Even with a good endorsement from Carol the editor of the Rivington Record where Mallory freelanced she has doubts about getting the job as a travel writer at Good Life Magazine. Managing Editor Trevor Pierce hires her because he believes she will bring maturity not beer to her articles. He expects her to go on location up to a week a month. Her first assignment is to visit Orlando along with other writers to see what is left of the affectionately dubbed "Old Florida". When odious writer Phil Diamond is murdered, the police suspect Mallory killed him as she holds the murder weapon when his corpse is found floating in a pool at the Polynesian Princess Hotel. Not trusting the cops to do a complete inquiry, Mallory investigates only to conclude everyone on the writer's junket had a motive to see Diamond dead. As she continues her responsibilities for the Good Life by staying on tour, Mallory begins to solve the homicide. The tour of Florida is the highlight of this entertaining amateur sleuth mystery as readers glimpse attractions outside of the big guns. Mallory is an interesting middle aged protagonist though one must wonder where the sudden spunk comes from to invesitgate even if she has investigative experience from being a reporter. Although at times the Old Florida tour supersedes the whodunit, fans will enjoy Marlowe's first travel anti-noir cozy. Harriet Klausner