Auntie Mayhem (Bed-And-Breakfast Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Mary Daheim (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bed-And-Breakfast Mysteries | Publication Date: January 1, 2001

Though lurching through London is ever so jolly, hostess on-holiday Judith McMonigle Flynn and her cantankerous cousin Renie are looking forward to an unharried weekend at a real English country manor. They find the estate taxing, however, what with vacationing relations crowding every nook and cranny of Ravenscroft House, while its awesomely aged mistress, Aunt Petulia, holds court--until a box of poisoned sweets hastens the dour dowager's demise. Soon Judith and Renie are up to their American necks in a muck of murder most British--as they set out to unearth a fatal family secret...and unmask the culprit who was anti-Auntie enough to do the old girl in.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kick off your shoes by the fire and get cozy with Mary Daheim.""Portland Oregonian"

About the Author

Mary Richardson Daheim is a Seattle native who started telling stories with pictures because she didn't know how to write.  After acquiring the rudiments in grade school, Daheim penned her first mystery novel at age eleven.  She admits it was terrible, but "showed promise."  Thus encouraged, she went on to graduate from the University of Washington's School of Communications, having acquired the knowledge and skills to support herself until she wrote a better book.

In 1983, Daheim published her first historical romance, Love's Pirate, for Avon Books.  She followed this award-winning novel with Destiny's Pawn, Pride's Captive and Passion's Triumph, all for Avon, as well as several historicals for Harlequin.  An avid mystery reader, Daheim decided to try her hand at murder and mayhem with the creation of the Bed-and-Breakfast series from Avon, beginning with Just Desserts, and followed by Fowl Prey, Holy Terrors, Dune to Death, Bantam of the Opera, A Fit of Tempera and Major Vices.

Daheim is married to David Daheim, an instructor of cinema, literature, and English at Shoreline Community College.  The Daheims have three daughters: Barbara, Katherine, and Magdalen.  Daheim is member of the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America and Romance Writers of America.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Avon (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380778785
• ISBN-13: 978-0380778782
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( D ) > Daheim, Mary

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Cousins Go to England, April 6, 2001

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Auntie Mayhem (Bed-And-Breakfast Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Accompanying their husbands on a trip to England, Judith and Renie look forward to spending time with a former pen pal's family. They are invited to an old country manor while their husbands take a fishing trip to Scotland. The owner of the estate is Aunt Petulia, a 90-something dowager who controls and bullies her family with the promise of the considerable inheritance which will go to the favored relative upon her death. When Aunt Petulia is poisoned with chocolate candy, there are many suspects among her greedy heirs. Wills appear and disappear and it is unclear as to who is to inherit her fortune. There are several skeletons in the family closet, including illegitimate children and runaway teenagers. Judith and Renie are led a merry chase trying to discover the identity of the killer. When they find out who the killer is, they are almost the next victims. This is another enjoyable "cozy" from author Judy Dahiem, with the added attraction of having England as the background.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book from Mary Daheim, January 15, 2005

By 

C. Lee "Mysteriaholic" (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Auntie Mayhem (Bed-And-Breakfast Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this book. It is set in Yeovil and Somerset, England. My sister lives in Yeovil, so it really made me homesick for the English countrysides. The things she wrote about are true about those areas in England. I liked the characters, too. They were truly British. Like most of her books, I didn't figure the whodunit until almost the time that Judith did. And I love Renie. She is so much like me.
It's really a good book, especially if you like mysteries that are hard to figure out.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Judith and Renie go to England-OK, June 21, 2001

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Auntie Mayhem (Bed-And-Breakfast Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Judith and Renie and their respective spouses take a trip to England. While their husbands fish in Scotland, the girls visit relatives of Judith's pen pal. The matriarch of the family takes a liking to them, and when she is murdered, leaves them her gate house and a whole lot of trouble.

This is typical of the series, nothing really special about it, but it is entertaining.