How to Murder Your Mother-In-Law [Mass Market Paperback]

Dorothy Cannell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1995

The formerly rotund lead in The Thin Woman , Ellie Haskell, fears that her friends have taken their homicidal fantasies too seriously when their step-mothers end up in some dangerous situations. Reprint. AB. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A plague of mothers-in-law descends upon the small English village of Chitterton Fells with toxic, and hilarious, results. Ellie Haskell, seen last in Femmes Fatal , plans the perfect dinner party to celebrate the 38th anniversary of her in-laws, Magdalene and Elijah. But an evening full of domestic mishaps is capped with the elder Haskells's announcement that they had never officially been wed. After an escalating quarrel, Elijah retires to a hotel, leaving the glacial, pampered and extremely hostile Mag in residence with Ellie and her nonplussed husband Ben. On a visit to a local pub to retrieve Elijah, Ellie meets three other women with raging mother-in-law problems; the foursome, under the influence of gin and tonic, devise wickedly clever ways to murder each live-in meddler. But after a spate of accidents, one of them fatal, befalls the unfortunate older women, Ellie and friends must marshall their resources to find the murderer and a blackmailer. This droll story lurches haphazardly from one crisis to the next, sometimes revealing a lunatic edge. But Chitterton Fells, its full quota of likable, loquacious eccentrics and Cannell's frazzled, overweight heroine are rendered with zest and affection.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Ellie Haskell's mother-in-law comes for a visit, making Ellie's life a living hell. Up to her neck in criticism and crocheted doilies, Ellie seeks solace one night in the village tavern with a few friends. They, too, have serious mother-in-law problems, and the friends spend a tipsy evening plotting imaginary murders to vent their frustration. Suddenly the murders begin to occur, and Ellie races to discover the killer before it's too late. With deft humor and fine characterization, author Cannell draws a pleasant, if dense, mystery. Narrator Sharon Williams's variety and quick pacing do a good job of bringing the myriad characters to life. However, the story's many whining, irritating characters can tax the patience of the heartiest listener. Recommended for larger mystery collections.
Susan B. Lamphier, Somerville P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First Thus edition (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553569511
• ISBN-13: 978-0553569513
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.5 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #671,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Obnoxious mother-in-laws nearly become extinct., May 4, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Murder Your Mother-In-Law (Mass Market Paperback)

A smart and funny cross between a comedy of manners and a murder mystery, Dorothy Cannell's How To Murder Your Mother-in-Law is a true delight.
The heroine Ellie Haskell has a sensual and handsome husband, adorable two-year-old twins, a fashion disaster for a housekeeper who is well-meaning albeit always slightly tipsy, and a cousin who enters through the windows -- never the doors -- of their English mansion quaintly named "Merlin's Castle."
Into this charming mix arrives her straight-laced mother-in-law and mostly deaf father-in-law who have their own surprises in store for Ellie and her husband.
After one extremely frazzled dinner party that goes awry, Ellie marches down to the pub where she comes upon the local rector, the daughter-in-law of the local patroness of the arts, and another friend who are all having mother-in-law problems.
Their fantasies of "doing the old girl in" begin to be realized much to these ladies' horror. Ellie must move swiftly to unravel the mysteries of these deaths to save her own mother-in-law

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Silly yet fun!, October 21, 2001

By 

Ruth A. Caldwell "Highland Princess Mum" (Walnut Creek, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Murder Your Mother-In-Law (Mass Market Paperback)

Well, darn; bought this book hoping for ideas! Kidding; however they did come up with some goodies with naughty results.
This mystery cozy is set in England and has the funny sign-song style I love.
When four "ticked-off" daughters-in-law, get together, they find they have much in common and chat about ways to get rid of their acquired Mothers-in-law. The end result is funny, but has a scary moment or two. Plus I was guessing up to the end, which is pretty unusual, as I'm really Sherlock Nose in disguise!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Teetering on the Brink of Caricature, April 2, 2002

By 

Mamalinde "mamalinde" (Dallas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Murder Your Mother-In-Law (Mass Market Paperback)

A rollicking, slapstick story of four absurdly awful mother-in-laws and four put upon wives. On an evening of low spirits and hard liquor, the ladies conspire to "accidentally on purpose" knock off the old girls. The delightful Ellie Haskell, loving wife to the handsome Ben, mama to the darling twins Tam and Abby, and mistress of Merlin's Court gets the action going when she plans an anniversary celebration for the in-laws -- only to find out that the actual wedding never happened. Set in the charming English seaside town of Chitteron Falls, this story is action packed, completely over-the-top, full of delightfully eccentric characters and wickedly witty dialogue. Accidents begin to befall the mother-in-laws, and when one of them dies exactly as dreamed up by the quartet, the saga goes into high gear. A delightfully far-fetched cozy mystery sure to charm.