Customer Reviews

Dead Man Docking: A Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm a fan of this series and have read them all. After the last installment (This Old Souse)I hoped for a return to Judith and Renie I met in the earlier books, but this book isn't it. The strength of the books for me has always been the skewed take on life these two have, but in this book, they just seemed silly, almost caricactures of their former selves. Like the cruise, the book didn't go anywhere - the two cousins seemed to run around a lot, but getting nowhere, I think since the plot was so weak and the other characters so "cardboard cutout". I miss the focus on Hillside Manor, the family characters (Joe and Gertrude are almost non-existent in this book), and the comfortable atmosphere and the earlier books have. It seems as if the author has run out of ideas and is forcing the humor. I actually found myself skipping parts of the book, impatient with what sometimes seemed like needless diversions or filler. I hope the next book is better, or maybe it's time for this series to end.

On a cruise that is not to be, Renie and Judith find, of course, a corpse. The theme of the cruise is 1930's and once everyone disembarks into the wonderful city of San Francisco ( which is well drawn)it seems the theme continues ashore. Part of the mystery is for the reader to discern who the characters represent from past famous mysteries. At times enjoyable, frivolous and - tedious.

This was my first Mary Daheim book, I picked it up on a whim.

I was disappointed in the book, in no small part because of the unlikeable characters. After about a quarter of the book was behind me I found myself wondering why I should continue, because the heroines were just as cranky as the supporting cast, and even the cruise ship setting, which had some great promise, lacked sparkle.

Unless you have an interest in reading everything in this particular series, I'd devote my time elsewhere.

I've read this series since the first installment, and unfortunately they keep getting worse.

Renie, who used to be somewhat amusing, keeps getting more and more annoying. Way too much time is spent on stupidity such as her stuffed ape being "kidnapped" and her rabbit dressed in a tutu. Her mouthiness and attitude are also no longer entertaining -- the character has become unbearable. And Judith isn't much better -- people talking to her because she smiles warmly at them has long since gotten ridiculous.

When you run out of feasible reasons for your characters to be involved in murder and the reasons become as convoluted and lame as they have with this series, it's time to stick a fork in it.

Bed and Breakfast owner Judith McMonigle Flynn badly needs a vacation and when her cousin Serena (Renie) is invited to go on a free 1930's themed cruise, Judith agrees to go along. But murder has a habit of finding Judith and before the cruise can even get underway, the body of their host, Magglio Cruz, is found stuffed in a piano. With nothing else to do until their ship sails, Judith and Renie, along with the help of fellow passengers Rick and Rhoda St. George, decide to investigate the murder. They better find the killer soon - dead bodies are starting to pile up and none of them wants to be the next victim.

"Dead Man Docking" is a good, if over the top cozy mystery. Author Mary Daheim takes the 1930's cruise theme to the extreme creating characters straight out of a 1930's movie. Rick and Rhoda St. George (and their dog Asthma) are the best examples of this as they are thinly disguised takeoffs on Nick and Nora Charles. All of this is very amusing but not very believable. Daheim seems to have had a lot of fun writing the book which makes it fun to read, although the humor can be a bit much (Daheim relies a bit too much on puns at times and some of the characters, like the maid are stereotypical to the point of being offensive). The murder mystery elements are fine, although it's hard to believe people would open up as easily as they do to Judith and Renie. Also Judith and Renie tell people that are practically strangers far too much information when for all they know they could be talking to a murderer. There are plenty of suspects (and dead bodies!) and readers will have fun trying to figure out who the killer is. Unfortunately the scene where the killer is revealed is, like most of the book, way over the top and totally unbelievable. I was hoping that Daheim would put in a twist regarding the killer, but she didn't take any chances in this book which is too bad.

"Dead Man Docking" is a good but over the top cozy mystery.

Well, this was a mystery I had a hard time reading. Hey, I've had 2 hip replacements! What's with this woman detective? So she's had one. Must have gone to the wrong orthopedist. Slowwwww, I've read much better. And I am always combing through Amazon for much better reading than this mystery.

In San Francisco Serene "Renie" Jones of Cajones Graphic Design tells her cousin Judith McGonicle Flynn that she is going to get her Uncle Bob to sue Cruz Cruises for breech of contract. Not long afterward, Renie informs her cuz that CEO Magglio Cruz settled rather than face a court case. To sweeten the settlement Renie and her spouse psychiatrist Dr. Bill will go on a cruise trip for free. Coincidently, Judith mentions that she and her spouse Joe were thinking of taking a week off from their B&B.

However, Bill becomes tied up with a patient threatening to jump from a ledge so Renie persuades Judith to accompany her. Before they can leave town, someone murders Magglio. Unable to resist the investigating of the homicide over the objections of their spouses and the cops, Renie and Judith make inquiries as two more people are killed and the two cousins could be at the top of the list if they continue to sleuth.

The latest Bed and Breakfast mystery is a well written amateur sleuth tale in which the cousins begin their inquiries towards the middle of the plot, but once they start nothing including their concerned spouses can stop these resolute obstinate detectives. The 1930s décor to the cruise vessel adds a feel of suspense to the investigation. As usual Renie and Judith behave in their typical fashion with the former charging into situations where only fools dare go while the latter follows praying that the next escapade will not occur for quite awhile. Mary Daheim serves up another charming B&B who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner

I don't like books that need to have a cast of characters at the beginning. It makes the book too complicated. After reading the book, I realized that my first thoughts about the book were correct and it was too complicated to be interesting and enjoyable.

Judith McMonigle Flynn was feeling down. She was tired, her bookings were down at Hillside Manor, her bed and breakfast and her mother Gertrude hadn't been opening the mail from the Movie Studio that was making her life story into a film, thereby missing a $20,000 check that had been sitting around for months.

She perked up a little when her cousin Serena (Renie) Jones calls to say she's going on a cruise. It seems one of her graphic artist clients had moved their headquarters to San Francisco and in her fear of losing her biggest client had her brother-in-law, Bub, a lawyer write a few letters, resulting in her keeping them as a client and getting a free cruise as well.

Although Renie was planning on taking her husband Bill, a semi-retired psychiatrist, that hadn't worked out. One of Bill's clients was threatening to jump off a building and Bill was trying to talk him down. As he was afraid of heights, Bill had to stand on the ground, shouting up at the poor man. And Renie was afraid the guy wasn't going to jump, so Bill would have to treat him after he came down, so she wanted Judith to be ready on a moments notice to go on the cruise.

Unfortunately, as Renie said, Bill managed to talk the guy down so she and Judith were on their way to San Francisco. The cruise was going to have 1930's theme with everyone dressing in vintage clothes. The first item on the list was exclusive prelaunch party with a small group of guests, including:

Magglio & Consuela Cruz - owner of the cruise line.

Rich San Francisco Matron, Erma Giddon, her daughter Anemone, Anemone's fiancee, Jim Brooks - a Stanford pre-med student and Mrs. Giddon's private secretary - Ambrose Everhart.

Horace Pankhurst - The Giddon family financial advisor and his bimbo girlfriend, CeeCee.

Rick & Rhoda St. George - wealthy, young married couple straight from a 1930's detective story.

The prelaunch party turns out to be a flop when Magglio Cruz winds up stabbed to death, hidden in the piano.

Then Mrs. Giddon's jewelry disappears.

Then Dixie Beales, cruise director, who found Magglio in the piano is poisoned and Emile Grenier, the ship's purser is strangled.

Judith & Renie's are accused of the jewelry heist and they decide they better start investigating this crime before they're arrested for the murder of three people.

Highlights:

Renie, who will do and say anything. She is the best sidekick in any mystery series.

Judith is a very realistic character. I love her husband Joe, who's always supportive and her mother Gertrude, who is a very funny, grumpy old lady.

Oscar - a stuffed ape that Renie and her husband Bill act and treat as if it's a real animal. Renie is almost hysterical when after talking the jumper down, he kidnaps Oscar and request a ransom of $65 and a helicopter. They also have another doll that they treat as if it's alive and a live bunny that has a complete wardrobe for any occasion.

Bill Jones, who's afraid of heights, trying to talk the jumper down by standing in front of the building using a bullhorn to talk to him. The only reason Oscar was in danger was Renie had to bring him to the building so Bill could take a little nap between talks to the guy, and he needed Oscar for his nap. (And you thought your family was strange)

Biff McDougal, an idiot of a homicide investigator.

Lowlights:

Not enough of the regular supporting characters, including Phyliss her cleaning lady, Renie's mother, Deb, Sweetum's, Judith's obnoxious cat are all missed.

Rick & Rhoda St. George: These two characters practically took over the entire storyline. They're supposed to be a knock off of Nick & Nora Charles, but I only found them irritating. This reminded me of TV shows where characters are brought in to be introduced so they can be spun off into their own series. I certainly hope this isn't the case with these two.

Not the best entry in the series, but it's lively and moves along quickly. Even a bad Mary Daheim book is better than a lot of other mysteries you might pick up.

This was a fun read and a fast read because it kept moving. As usual they find murder around every corner and have fun out-witting the local police detectives and keeping their husbands at bay until things are solved.