Customer Reviews

Hula Done It?: A Passport to Peril Mystery

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The first book in Maddy Hunter's series about the midwestern tourist guide was a hoot. The second one was delightfully silly. The third was... okay. I called it "zany," and not in a good way -- because the author got so involved in the verbal pratfalls that she paid too little attention to the story. On the other hand, it was engaging enough to keep me reading straight through!

In this fourth book, our heroine is leading her Iowa gang on a cruise around the Hawaiian islands. Before the second chapter is done, a man has fallen overboard -- or was he pushed?

The good news is that Maddy Hunter has remembered, again, to tell a story. The characters (mostly those you've come to know in previous books) are entertaining, and she puts them in funny situations while the protagonist tries to solve the murder. I liked the book, but somehow it wasn't quite as much of a hoot as were the first two. But, again, I started reading and didn't quit until the book was over, so that certainly doesn't mean you should keep away! (I'm not sure what kept it from earning its fifth star; it might be simply that I already know most of the main characters so they don't surprise me quite as much.)

You could probably start with this book, without reading the rest of the series. There are references to the previous mysteries, but they wouldn't keep you from following what's going on. On the other hand, you probably SHOULD start with the first book because it'd add significantly to your enjoyment; you'll get a few more of the jokes about the protagonist's ex-husband, for instance.

Good story, enjoyable short read, decent brain candy. I'd recommend this book for a weekend read after a particularly tough week at work.

Emily Andrews is off on another adventure. This time they're on a Hawaiian cruise. She is a travel escort for a senior citizens tour from Iowa which includes her Nana.

Professor Dorian Smoker, Captain Cook expert, goes overboard not long after a journal was lent to him by Nan's friend. Was it an accident or was it murder? Emily begins to investigate. Then it is discovered the journal had a mysterious treasure map. The Iowa group decides to go treasure hunting on the river rafting trip the next day. Emily doubts there really is a treasure. Unfortunately, the next day, everyone on the river seems to have a map and is searching for the treasure. Who gave them copies? It is determined that there was one other copy that wasn't "distributed." If they can figure out who has it, then they can find the murderer.

There are lots of suspects in his death as he was having affairs with many of his students. Some of them were on board. Can Emily figure out who the real killer is before anyone else is hurt or murdered?

I always enjoy books in this series. I laugh out loud when reading them. Emily is such a fabulous character and Nana and her friends really add to the story. The locale for each book is different and it makes it even more enjoyable to read about such exciting places!

The tension between Emily and Etienne adds to the mystery as well. I can't wait to find out what happens with the two of them!

I highly recommend this book and the whole series. It's a great, fun, fast read!

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Tour escort Emily Andrews and her globe-trotting group of Iowa senior citizens are back on the road again. This time out, their destination is the Hawaiian Islands, and the group is going island hopping while travelling in the comfort of the cruise ship Aloha Princess. Their trip to paradise is marred when Dr. Dorian Smoker, the trip's lecturer on Captain Cook's discovery of Hawaii, falls overboard. The mystery thickens when the only witness to Professor Smoker's fatal plunge claims that he was pushed overboard.

Shortly before Dr. Smoker's swan dive from the ship, one of Emily's senior citizens had given the professor a hand-written journal purported to be written by a member of Captain Cook's crew. She had found the journal hidden in a trunk she recently inherited and wanted the professor to verify its authenticity. Although it first appears that the journal went overboard along with the professor, copies of a hand-drawn treasure map from the journal appear in the hands of many of the ships passengers. When the cruise ship docks in Kauai, a frenzy of searching for the buried treasure ensues, and several "treasures" are found. The mysterious "treasure" found by the Iowans appears to be putting the group in danger, though, as someone else on board the ship is trying to get the treasure for themselves.

After the somewhat disappointing third installment in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed "Hula Done It." The characters, most of whom are returning from previous stories in the series, continue to be very funny. Author Hunter gently pokes fun at the foibles of midwesterners. Emily's love life continues to be confusing as she is pursued by her two love interests, the Swiss police inspector Etienne and fellow tour guide Duncan. The plot of this story is very well-done and featured a very unexpected twist at the end.

"Hula Done It" is a very enjoyable mystery that stands well on its own. Previous readers of the Passport to Peril series have a Hawaiian treat in store with this fun story.

In the 4th book in the Passport to Peril series, Emily Andrew is leading her tour group to Hawaii. She is thinking sun, sand, surf, and relaxation on a cruise ship with endless amounts of food. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, just about everything. A professor that seems to have a long list of enemies falls overboard (or was he pushed?) and as usual, Emily is up to her eyeballs in mystery. She runs around...forgetting to eat, sets out on a treasure hunt, and almost kills herself on an off-ship excursion. All of this is done in typical Emily fashion and as usual, she bumbles her way to solving yet another mystery.

I really enjoy this series. At times I have laughed out loud at Emily's antics. She does a lot of goofy things, and her Nana and some of the other seniors return to add more silliness to the plot. A previous character, Jackie, was not present on this outing and was not missed. Adding a couple of new characters, the book is fresh and fun.

The first book in the series is titled "Alpine for You". Enjoy!

In this entry in Maddy Hunter's humorous "Passport to Peril" mystery series, travel escort Emily Andrews brings her group of senior citizens from Iowa on a Hawaiian cruise. Also on the cruise is Professor Dorian Smoker, an expert on Captain Cook. Soon after one of the Iowans gives Smoker a journal with a treasure map that may lead to buried treasure, Smoker is thrown overboard by a mysterious assailant and presumed dead. There are plenty of suspects, including several people who disagreed with his theories on Captain Cook and several students who had an affair with Smoker. Emily finds herself not only investigating the murder, but also helping the Iowans try to find the buried treasure. When one of the treasure hunters is murdered and Emily herself is attacked, she realizes she needs to solve the mystery fast before anyone else gets hurt.

"Hula Done It" is a very funny mystery with lots of quirky characters. Emily is a lot of fun and her Nana is a hoot. Especially memorable characters are Jonathan, who is a waking disaster and Margi, who is obsessed with germs and carries an amazing array of items to prevent catching them. Duncan and Etienne, rivals for Emily's affection, are also on board. There are plenty of humorous moments in the book, although the humor in the scene where Emily takes a disastrous helicopter tour seems a bit forced. On the other hand, the Halloween costume party, where everyone starts acting like the character they are dressed as is laugh out loud funny. The mystery itself is nicely plotted, with Hunter throwing in a nifty twist at the end.

Well worth reading.

As with the other books in this series, I devoured it in three hours. Another hilarious story! Emily is back and has to deal, yet again, with dead bodies. Nana is as funny as ever. Bernice is still a pain in the neck. The rest of the Iowa contingent is the same, punctual, Midwestern group we've all come to love. And once again, we have the Etienne factor. Jackie does not appear in this one, but I really didn't miss his/her presence. The story goes along just fine without her.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series - the group is in Australia!

She has the perfect job as a tour guide for a senior travel club but every time Emily Andrews takes a trip with her group, someone gets murdered and she is in the thick of the investigation. The trip on the cruise ship the Aloha Princess touring the Hawaiian Islands is no different. Professor Dorian Smoker, a lecturer on the famous explorer Captain Cook is thrown overboard as witnessed by his teaching assistant Bailey.

On his person was a book written by seamen Griffin Ring which contained a map of buried treasure located on Kauai given to him by one of the members of Emily's travel group. She wanted him to authenticate it for her. Luckily, another member of the group made a photo copy of the map and they look for the treasure. Professor Smoker had many enemies including two groups who disagreed with his portrayal of Captain Cook. Also on the cruise is an ex-student he flunked which cost her a once in a life time job and a couple of students he slept with. When a second murder occurs and Emily is attacked, she and the group investigate all the suspects hoping to find the killer.

HULA DONE IT is a fabulous cozy that is filled with intrigue, humor and a protagonist who is a combination at Calamity Jane and the Stooges (yes, all three of them). There are some scenes that are so hilarious readers will laugh so loud that tears will stream down their eyes. The secondary cast is a delightful crowd that will charm readers with their eccentricities. Maddy Hunter writes a great who done it that doesn't contain violence or blood but tells a good story.

Harriet Klausner

Every one of this series has been a fun, happy read. Well plotted. Goofy characters, some quite believable. The writing is sprightly without even a hint of self-consciusness. No faux anything here. Just a fun, whacky cozy. I save these books for plane trips...they dull the pain.

'Hula Done It' is much the same as the previous books in writing and style. I have, up to this point loved this series; however, I do not understand the vitriolic attack against overweight people in this novel. Nor did I find it to be the usual light-hearted pokes the author traditionally has indulged in. I would not have minded that. But, after the ongoing mean spirited comments about overweight people, I found it galling to read how physically alluring and perfect Emily was. I found the repetitive comments to be insulting and negative and cannot bring myself to continue the book, much less the series. It seemed to me to bring out an arrogantly demeaning and cruel side of Emily I'd rather not be exposed to. This is a shame as the premise was funny and interesting.

Maddy Hunter is a writer with much potential - which is rapidly being wasted. Her first two "Passport to Peril" mysteries, "Alpine for You" and "Top O' the Mournin'" were good, especially "Top O' the Mournin'". The third book, "Pasta Imperfect" was mediocre at best - very juvenile. But "Hula Done It" is downright unreadable. It is not only filled with enough "brand product references" to be an infomercial, it is boring and strained. Like something the advertising department at the publishing house cranked out according to a tired formula.