She Treads Softly: Murder Takes a Vacation

Friday, May 30, 2025

Murder Takes a Vacation

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
6/17/25; 272 pages
William Morrow

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman is a recommended cozy mystery featuring widow Muriel Blossom, 68, on a Parisian river cruise.

Mrs. Blossom found a lottery ticket in a parking lot that resulted in an $8 million dollar win. She decides to see the world, starting with a trip to France and a river cruise with her best friend, Elinor. She meets Allan at the airport and he helps her negotiate her way to the transatlantic flight. He continues to assist her in London when she misses her connecting flight and the two enjoy each other's company for a day. The next day she continues on to Paris.

Mrs. Blossom ends up meeting a man who was following her, Danny Johnson, and he becomes a part of her trip, for better of for worse. In Paris someone searches her room and Allan turns up dead there when he was supposed to have meetings in London. Danny, who may be FBI or a PI, warns Mrs. Blossom that she might be in danger. Mrs. Blossom continues on to meet her friend Elinor and go on their cruise, finding Danny is also on the trip.

This novel had potential. The quality of the writing is good. Muriel Blossom is a charming character and there were many details that were appealing in this mystery, including her love of art and details about places. It works as a cozy because nothing is graphic. She reflects on her deceased husband and her life. She ponders her daughter and family moving overseas, leaving her on her own. She's starting a new chapter of her life and now has the money to do it.

On the other hand, there were several elements that were overwhelmingly problematic. First and most notably is the fact that there is no real mystery. It is abundantly clear throughout the novel exactly what is going on but Muriel remains utterly clueless. She talks about her weight and being old incessantly. Finally, she is too trusting and has no ability to read people. Being pleasant does not equate being gullible. Lippman has written better novels.

Murder Takes a Vacation is a good selection for those who like cozy mysteries without a lot of suspense. Thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader's copy via edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.