Murder Takes a Vacation - a witty and charming mystery set aboard a Parisian cruise.

Muriel Blossom is 68 years old and a widow. A native of Baltimore, she had moved to Phoenix to help care for her grandchildren. But when her son-in-law gets a promotion and moves the family to Japan, she is not invited to join them. It's back to Baltimore for Muriel. But before she moves, she finds a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot. With no one claiming the ticket, she is awarded $8 million. She promptly books a trip to France, which includes a river cruise with her friend Elinor, who will join her after a few days of travel in Paris. The vacation starts perfectly. She gets upgraded on her flight and meets Allan Turner, who is a charming attorney. Muriel believed that romance had long passed her by, preferring to look back on her happy marriage, and also because of her plus-size figure. She then meets Danny Johnson, an American who pays her an unusual amount of attention. When he follows her onto the cruise, Muriel knows something is not right, especially after her stateroom is left in disarray after she and Elinor leave port.

Author Laura Lippman introduced the character known as Mrs. Blossom in her series about private detective Tess Monaghan. Although a minor character, Muriel excelled at surveillance work, with an ability to blend into the background. Now, as the star of Murder Takes a Vacation, Muriel is caught up in a mystery involving a stolen, bejeweled artifact worth millions, reminiscent of "The Maltese Falcon". I thoroughly enjoyed this lighter-than-usual Lippman tale. Mrs. Blossom is a wonderful character you'll cheer for. 

Many thanks to William Morrow for the advance copy.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Mystery Thriller. 

Publication Date: June 17, 2025.

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