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Bed-and-Breakfast Mysteries #20
This Old Souse
The incomparable Daheim returns, increasing the property value of her delightfully daffy, USA Today bestselling Bed-and-Breakfast mystery series with a sturdy new addition -- a well-constructed tale of murder, milk delivery, and seamy secrets locked behind the closed doors of ...
A nostalgic trip back to Renie's old neighborhood wasn't meant to get B&B hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn's snooping engine revved up. But there it is: the exotic and decrepit manse on Moonfleet Street that the cousins always thought was deserted, even way back in Renie's junior high school days. And since Judith's ex-cop hubby, Joe, is out of town private-eyeing, and her duties at Hillside Manor are strictly routine, what's wrong with giving the creaky old house a closer look?
Lo and behold, the imposing architectural antiquity actually is occupied -- and has been since 1947 -- by the seldom seen and rarely heard Dick and Jane Bland along with Jane's spinster sister, Sally. At least that's the scoop according to the Blands' chatty milkman, who says he's been making deliveries to the address for as long as he can remember. Apparently, the Bland bunch gets mail, groceries, and cow juice dropped off regularly, and they pay their bills in cash that's left in the milk box -- a rather odd arrangement that intrigues Judith and Renie, unfortunately.
It's a curious situation to be sure, but there's certainly nothing sinister going on. At least not until Judith opens the trunk of her car ... and discovers a dead body. To her dismay, the corpse, when animated, had been tightly wrapped up in this Bland business.
Suddenly Judith's gone from being suspicious to being a suspect. And to extricate herself, she'll have to sort through a fine mess of skeletons that the whole blamed Bland family has stuffed away in their many closets.
A nostalgic trip back to Renie's old neighborhood wasn't meant to get B&B hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn's snooping engine revved up. But there it is: the exotic and decrepit manse on Moonfleet Street that the cousins always thought was deserted, even way back in Renie's junior high school days. And since Judith's ex-cop hubby, Joe, is out of town private-eyeing, and her duties at Hillside Manor are strictly routine, what's wrong with giving the creaky old house a closer look?
Lo and behold, the imposing architectural antiquity actually is occupied -- and has been since 1947 -- by the seldom seen and rarely heard Dick and Jane Bland along with Jane's spinster sister, Sally. At least that's the scoop according to the Blands' chatty milkman, who says he's been making deliveries to the address for as long as he can remember. Apparently, the Bland bunch gets mail, groceries, and cow juice dropped off regularly, and they pay their bills in cash that's left in the milk box -- a rather odd arrangement that intrigues Judith and Renie, unfortunately.
It's a curious situation to be sure, but there's certainly nothing sinister going on. At least not until Judith opens the trunk of her car ... and discovers a dead body. To her dismay, the corpse, when animated, had been tightly wrapped up in this Bland business.
Suddenly Judith's gone from being suspicious to being a suspect. And to extricate herself, she'll have to sort through a fine mess of skeletons that the whole blamed Bland family has stuffed away in their many closets.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 27, 2004
34 people are currently reading
498 people want to read
About the author
Mary Daheim
94 books440 followersMary Rene Richardson Daheim was an American writer of romance and mystery novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 2, 2018
To me it wasn't your typical murder for Judith and her cousin Renee. Renee had a fixation on a house since grade school and dragged her cousin into investigating the creepy house. Judith ends up with a body in the trunk of her car while her husband Joe is out of town. Didn't see the ending coming but the author closed it up neatly.
April 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this adventure of Judith’s. Definitely some surprises at the end. I did make some connections on my own and felt as smart as Judith.
July 24, 2016
I have an affinity for cozy mysteries. They generally aren't written in pursuit of a spot on the bestseller list; rather, cozies are written to give the reader a sense of comfort and calm (ironically, by way of murder).
My mom read cozies to escape her three eccentric young daughters and grumpy husband: one daughter, the artist, painted five-foot tall green flowers on the side of the freshly painted rental when she was four; the adventurous daughter asked which way north was, and was found by neighbors five hours later walking up the beach, wearing a backpack, in pursuit of Santa in the North Pole (we lived on an island--she wasn't the brightest of the three of us); and the oldest daughter (that would be I) caused her first-year kindergarten teacher to quit by demanding that all classroom toy soldiers and toy weapons be removed from the classroom so that her classmates would not become violent adults, and that the teacher immediately stop smoking on her breaks because she would surely die of lung cancer. As to my mother's husband, he had some strange notion that feeding 40 stray cats, a stray goat, a duck, and 4 turtles (not stray) out of a 2-bedroom apartment was odd. He also became irrationally upset when the cat gave birth in his shoe. So you see, for my mother, it was either read a cozy or drink (or possibly dispose of the children and husband).
Years later, when my grandmother came to live with us (bigger house, different country, revolving pet door, dad retired and usually lost in Best Buy, girls now goth, theater geek, and raver) we slowly replaced her true crime books with cozies in order to keep her from roaming the house at night after taking her pain pills, looking for the Son of Sam whilst armed with a shoe horn.
And all this is how I came to read cozies myself, because they were always there to help me escape my crazy family, you could carry on a screaming match with a sibling and not miss much in the book, and thanks to grandma's Dahmer intervention, there were always a shitload in the house. (Serious reading was done away from the insane people.)I have an affinity for cozy mysteries. They generally aren't written in pursuit of a spot on the bestseller list; rather, cozies are written to give the reader a sense of comfort and calm (ironically, by way of murder).
My mom read cozies to escape her three eccentric young daughters and grumpy husband: one daughter, the artist, painted five-foot tall green flowers on the side of the freshly painted rental when she was four; the adventurous daughter asked which way north was, and was found by neighbors five hours later walking up the beach, wearing a backpack, in pursuit of Santa in the North Pole (we lived on an island--she wasn't the brightest of the three of us); and the oldest daughter (that would be I) caused her first-year kindergarten teacher to quit by demanding that all classroom toy soldiers and toy weapons be removed from the classroom so that her classmates would not become violent adults, and that the teacher immediately stop smoking on her breaks because she would surely die of lung cancer. As to my mother's husband, he had some strange notion that feeding 40 stray cats, a stray goat, a duck, and 4 turtles (not stray) out of a 2-bedroom apartment was odd. He also became irrationally upset when the cat gave birth in his shoe. So you see, for my mother, it was either read a cozy or drink (or possibly dispose of the children and husband).
Years later, when my grandmother came to live with us (bigger house, different country, revolving pet door, dad retired and usually lost in Best Buy, girls now goth, theater geek, and raver) we slowly replaced her true crime books with cozies in order to keep her from roaming the house at night after taking her pain pills, looking for the Son of Sam whilst armed with a shoe horn.
And all this is how I came to read cozies myself, because they were always there to help me escape my crazy family, you could carry on a screaming match with a sibling and not miss much in the book, and thanks to grandma's Dahmer intervention, there were always a shitload in the house. (Serious reading was done away from the insane people.)
My mom read cozies to escape her three eccentric young daughters and grumpy husband: one daughter, the artist, painted five-foot tall green flowers on the side of the freshly painted rental when she was four; the adventurous daughter asked which way north was, and was found by neighbors five hours later walking up the beach, wearing a backpack, in pursuit of Santa in the North Pole (we lived on an island--she wasn't the brightest of the three of us); and the oldest daughter (that would be I) caused her first-year kindergarten teacher to quit by demanding that all classroom toy soldiers and toy weapons be removed from the classroom so that her classmates would not become violent adults, and that the teacher immediately stop smoking on her breaks because she would surely die of lung cancer. As to my mother's husband, he had some strange notion that feeding 40 stray cats, a stray goat, a duck, and 4 turtles (not stray) out of a 2-bedroom apartment was odd. He also became irrationally upset when the cat gave birth in his shoe. So you see, for my mother, it was either read a cozy or drink (or possibly dispose of the children and husband).
Years later, when my grandmother came to live with us (bigger house, different country, revolving pet door, dad retired and usually lost in Best Buy, girls now goth, theater geek, and raver) we slowly replaced her true crime books with cozies in order to keep her from roaming the house at night after taking her pain pills, looking for the Son of Sam whilst armed with a shoe horn.
And all this is how I came to read cozies myself, because they were always there to help me escape my crazy family, you could carry on a screaming match with a sibling and not miss much in the book, and thanks to grandma's Dahmer intervention, there were always a shitload in the house. (Serious reading was done away from the insane people.)I have an affinity for cozy mysteries. They generally aren't written in pursuit of a spot on the bestseller list; rather, cozies are written to give the reader a sense of comfort and calm (ironically, by way of murder).
My mom read cozies to escape her three eccentric young daughters and grumpy husband: one daughter, the artist, painted five-foot tall green flowers on the side of the freshly painted rental when she was four; the adventurous daughter asked which way north was, and was found by neighbors five hours later walking up the beach, wearing a backpack, in pursuit of Santa in the North Pole (we lived on an island--she wasn't the brightest of the three of us); and the oldest daughter (that would be I) caused her first-year kindergarten teacher to quit by demanding that all classroom toy soldiers and toy weapons be removed from the classroom so that her classmates would not become violent adults, and that the teacher immediately stop smoking on her breaks because she would surely die of lung cancer. As to my mother's husband, he had some strange notion that feeding 40 stray cats, a stray goat, a duck, and 4 turtles (not stray) out of a 2-bedroom apartment was odd. He also became irrationally upset when the cat gave birth in his shoe. So you see, for my mother, it was either read a cozy or drink (or possibly dispose of the children and husband).
Years later, when my grandmother came to live with us (bigger house, different country, revolving pet door, dad retired and usually lost in Best Buy, girls now goth, theater geek, and raver) we slowly replaced her true crime books with cozies in order to keep her from roaming the house at night after taking her pain pills, looking for the Son of Sam whilst armed with a shoe horn.
And all this is how I came to read cozies myself, because they were always there to help me escape my crazy family, you could carry on a screaming match with a sibling and not miss much in the book, and thanks to grandma's Dahmer intervention, there were always a shitload in the house. (Serious reading was done away from the insane people.)
February 8, 2010
Renie Jones has been obsessed for years with a house near her childhood home and gets her cousin, Bed and Breakfast owner Judith McMonigle Flynn, to visit the house with her. Judith has solved a few mysteries in her past and senses one now: why are the owners, Dick and Jane Bland, never seen? Why isn't Sally, Jane's sister who also lives there, ever seen? Why is there a mysterious package delivered to the house the same time every year? Judith's curiosity causes her to become a murder suspect when a body turns up in her car trunk - a body directly related to the Bland house.
"This Old Souse" is a very humorous but loosely plotted mystery. It's as if Mary Daheim had the basic idea of a story involving mysterious occupants of a house, wasn't sure how to get Judith and Renie to the house plausibly, but liked the idea so much that she decided to go ahead and have fun with it. And fun she does have, starting with the improbable names of Dick, Jane, and Sally. She delights in creating over the top characters, some of which can be fun, but some are totally unbelievable like the incompetent mailman and insensitive receptionist at the vet's office. If you've never read a book in this series, Judith and Renie can be hard to take at first. Judith claims to be interested in people, but she often comes across as just being nosy and expects people to confide in her even if they've just met for the first time. Renie can be annoying too, pushing her way around. Gertrude, Judith's ancient mother, has been abrasive in past books, but Daheim tones her down quite a bit in this book.
Despite the awkward setup, the mystery itself has some nice moments, although about two thirds of the way into the book I figured out what was in the mysterious package left on the porch. Daheim does rely a bit too much on coincidence (Judith just happens to talk with the murder victim shortly before he is killed and his body is left in her car, which conveniently has a tricky trunk latch). But there are some really nice twists in the story that will keep the reader guessing who the murderer is.
"This Old Souse" is a good book for readers who like a nice, humorous, if light mystery.
"This Old Souse" is a very humorous but loosely plotted mystery. It's as if Mary Daheim had the basic idea of a story involving mysterious occupants of a house, wasn't sure how to get Judith and Renie to the house plausibly, but liked the idea so much that she decided to go ahead and have fun with it. And fun she does have, starting with the improbable names of Dick, Jane, and Sally. She delights in creating over the top characters, some of which can be fun, but some are totally unbelievable like the incompetent mailman and insensitive receptionist at the vet's office. If you've never read a book in this series, Judith and Renie can be hard to take at first. Judith claims to be interested in people, but she often comes across as just being nosy and expects people to confide in her even if they've just met for the first time. Renie can be annoying too, pushing her way around. Gertrude, Judith's ancient mother, has been abrasive in past books, but Daheim tones her down quite a bit in this book.
Despite the awkward setup, the mystery itself has some nice moments, although about two thirds of the way into the book I figured out what was in the mysterious package left on the porch. Daheim does rely a bit too much on coincidence (Judith just happens to talk with the murder victim shortly before he is killed and his body is left in her car, which conveniently has a tricky trunk latch). But there are some really nice twists in the story that will keep the reader guessing who the murderer is.
"This Old Souse" is a good book for readers who like a nice, humorous, if light mystery.
November 3, 2010
AUTHOR: DAHEIM, Mary
TITLE: This Old Souse
DATE READ: 11/02/10
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Mystery/2004/Harper Collins/342 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: #20 in B&B series
TIME/PLACE: Late 1990's/Early 2000's
CHARACTERS: Judith Flynn/B&B owner; Renie/cousin, graphic designer
FIRST LINES: Judith McGonigle Flynn hurried to answer the front door,took one look at the hideous drooling green creature on the porch, and screamed.
COMMENTS: Since I've been reading this series for so long I probably am a bit more lenient in my opinion of this one. Overall the plot and humor were weaker than most but still a pleasant visit w/ cousins Judith & Renie. Renie becomes fixated on an older Spanish style home, Moonfleet, in her childhood neighborhood. It's sat untended but occupied for decades, no one really sees the residents but there are various deliveries made. Judith, of course, becomes more involved in the residents and becomes involved in a murder. Sweetums, the Flynn's senior, incorrigible, cranky cat has a featured role in this entry. After scaring/knocking down a guest and causing his cardiac arrest*, the cat is hauled to the vet and then banished to Uncle Al's. Sweetums goes missing for days and redeems herself by coming to the rescue. (*I really expected to hear more about these guests and how Sweetums wasn't really at fault ... and that this was the MO of this couple to get free travel expenses...since Judith seemed to really not be that concerned.)
TITLE: This Old Souse
DATE READ: 11/02/10
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Mystery/2004/Harper Collins/342 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: #20 in B&B series
TIME/PLACE: Late 1990's/Early 2000's
CHARACTERS: Judith Flynn/B&B owner; Renie/cousin, graphic designer
FIRST LINES: Judith McGonigle Flynn hurried to answer the front door,took one look at the hideous drooling green creature on the porch, and screamed.
COMMENTS: Since I've been reading this series for so long I probably am a bit more lenient in my opinion of this one. Overall the plot and humor were weaker than most but still a pleasant visit w/ cousins Judith & Renie. Renie becomes fixated on an older Spanish style home, Moonfleet, in her childhood neighborhood. It's sat untended but occupied for decades, no one really sees the residents but there are various deliveries made. Judith, of course, becomes more involved in the residents and becomes involved in a murder. Sweetums, the Flynn's senior, incorrigible, cranky cat has a featured role in this entry. After scaring/knocking down a guest and causing his cardiac arrest*, the cat is hauled to the vet and then banished to Uncle Al's. Sweetums goes missing for days and redeems herself by coming to the rescue. (*I really expected to hear more about these guests and how Sweetums wasn't really at fault ... and that this was the MO of this couple to get free travel expenses...since Judith seemed to really not be that concerned.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2008
This was a really good book. The two main characters are very funny. Their dialogue is clever. I plan to read more from this series too.
July 19, 2021
Although Mary Daheim’s characters, both in the Alpine series and the Bed-and-Breakfast series with which this review is concerned, are quirky and generally convincing, their beauty lies in their perseverance despite, sometimes deliciously frustrating, the same dead ends that keep the “real” law enforcement investigators from solving the cases. Daheim never accuses the police of being incompetent. They are always plugging away at the fringes of Emma’s (Alpine) or Judith’s (Bed-and-Breakfast) investigations. Since both Emma and Judith (spoiler alert to those new to both series) are married to law enforcement officers, there is no demeaning of said officers. They are either handicapped by bureaucracy, civility, or a more straight-forward view of the case from exploring the angles to be examined by Daheim’s protagonists.
This Old Souse offers both more and less from other novels in the series. It was interesting to remove Judith’s more comfortable rapport with the police by removing Joe and his former partner, Woody, temporarily from the scene. The police investigators, heretofore unknown to her, don’t help matters when, of course, Judith becomes a suspect due to a corpse mysteriously appearing in the trunk of her Subaru. Neither do testy, demanding guests at the B&B nor the domestic troubles of her son and daughter-in-law. Add the disappearance of “catty” and “ill-tempered” feline, Sweet’ums, and I know my blood pressure would be causing a sphygmomanometer to explode.
Renie, aka Serena, gets the mystery started, but doesn’t turn out to be very helpful once she gets her amateur sleuth in trouble. Yet, she is there at the critical moment and occasionally makes comments which spur Judith’s brain into action. Indeed, the two sisters make an interesting pair, though Renie is more like the eccentric sidekick and occasional comic relief than a full partner.
This Old Souse, as the “punful” title implies, deals with an old house and an old souse, but the mysteries that ensue when the cousins indulge their curiosity about the house are not nearly as straight-forward as the pun may imply. Identities are important. What you don’t see is important. Coincidences (even during the wrap-up during the denouement) are important. Motivation is important. And relationships are important. In fact, for this novel, even history and geography are important.
Unfortunately, there are some (at least to me) loose ends. There is a car chase which, as it is never quite resolved, makes about as much sense as O.J. Simpson’s low-speed Bronco peregrination. There are questions about exactly what who knew and when that seem unresolved, unrealistic, and unsatisfying. One finishes the book uncertain even as to how many of those involved paid a penalty for their crimes.
There was one part of the denouement that I particularly liked. One police respondent chided her partner for his ignorance regarding history. He protested, “You know, they don’t make history very interesting in school.” To which, Renie responded that the reason was “because texts and teachers don’t realize that history is really old gossip. They don’t give any personality. History is about people, as far as I’m concerned, which is far more interesting than politics and ideas.” (p. 334) I have to largely agree with that sentiment and confess that I laughed heartily to myself when I read that.
For me, This Old Souse doesn’t measure up to the rest of the Daheim canon. Even when she was accused and separated from his usual law enforcement resources, one never felt the urgency of solving this crime. So, I didn’t enjoy this volume as much as I usually do. And, since I had a similar feeling about the sequel (read out of order), I am either going through a cynical time as a reader or Ms. Daheim went through a less inspired era in her writing.
This Old Souse offers both more and less from other novels in the series. It was interesting to remove Judith’s more comfortable rapport with the police by removing Joe and his former partner, Woody, temporarily from the scene. The police investigators, heretofore unknown to her, don’t help matters when, of course, Judith becomes a suspect due to a corpse mysteriously appearing in the trunk of her Subaru. Neither do testy, demanding guests at the B&B nor the domestic troubles of her son and daughter-in-law. Add the disappearance of “catty” and “ill-tempered” feline, Sweet’ums, and I know my blood pressure would be causing a sphygmomanometer to explode.
Renie, aka Serena, gets the mystery started, but doesn’t turn out to be very helpful once she gets her amateur sleuth in trouble. Yet, she is there at the critical moment and occasionally makes comments which spur Judith’s brain into action. Indeed, the two sisters make an interesting pair, though Renie is more like the eccentric sidekick and occasional comic relief than a full partner.
This Old Souse, as the “punful” title implies, deals with an old house and an old souse, but the mysteries that ensue when the cousins indulge their curiosity about the house are not nearly as straight-forward as the pun may imply. Identities are important. What you don’t see is important. Coincidences (even during the wrap-up during the denouement) are important. Motivation is important. And relationships are important. In fact, for this novel, even history and geography are important.
Unfortunately, there are some (at least to me) loose ends. There is a car chase which, as it is never quite resolved, makes about as much sense as O.J. Simpson’s low-speed Bronco peregrination. There are questions about exactly what who knew and when that seem unresolved, unrealistic, and unsatisfying. One finishes the book uncertain even as to how many of those involved paid a penalty for their crimes.
There was one part of the denouement that I particularly liked. One police respondent chided her partner for his ignorance regarding history. He protested, “You know, they don’t make history very interesting in school.” To which, Renie responded that the reason was “because texts and teachers don’t realize that history is really old gossip. They don’t give any personality. History is about people, as far as I’m concerned, which is far more interesting than politics and ideas.” (p. 334) I have to largely agree with that sentiment and confess that I laughed heartily to myself when I read that.
For me, This Old Souse doesn’t measure up to the rest of the Daheim canon. Even when she was accused and separated from his usual law enforcement resources, one never felt the urgency of solving this crime. So, I didn’t enjoy this volume as much as I usually do. And, since I had a similar feeling about the sequel (read out of order), I am either going through a cynical time as a reader or Ms. Daheim went through a less inspired era in her writing.
September 2, 2023
How can the Alpine series be so good and the B&B series become so bad? I've become disenchanted with this series and probably won't continue it. While I do read out of order, and some installments have been better than others, some things never change...
Even with hip replacement, Judith still complains constantly about her hip.
Phyllis still preaches and complains about her health.
Gertrude still calls Joe Lunkhead.
Renie is still outrageous.
In this installment, the B&B is full up which is good. What isn't good is that son Mike and wife Kris have split; she needs space. Mike wants to move him and the kids temporarily in the B&B. No good. But they can eat their meals there.....Renie shows Judith an old house that she used to walk by on the way to school back in the day. Looks deserted, but it isn't. Then the first dead body appears - in Judith's trunk no less.
I think this series has devolved into the characters being caricatures of themselves. Even the police are wisecracking. Every one (perhaps wih the exception of Joe) are portrayed as the extreme. Can't take it anymore!!!!
Even with hip replacement, Judith still complains constantly about her hip.
Phyllis still preaches and complains about her health.
Gertrude still calls Joe Lunkhead.
Renie is still outrageous.
In this installment, the B&B is full up which is good. What isn't good is that son Mike and wife Kris have split; she needs space. Mike wants to move him and the kids temporarily in the B&B. No good. But they can eat their meals there.....Renie shows Judith an old house that she used to walk by on the way to school back in the day. Looks deserted, but it isn't. Then the first dead body appears - in Judith's trunk no less.
I think this series has devolved into the characters being caricatures of themselves. Even the police are wisecracking. Every one (perhaps wih the exception of Joe) are portrayed as the extreme. Can't take it anymore!!!!
November 23, 2018
Another convoluted murder mystery featuring Bed & Breakfast owner Judith and her cousin/best friend Renie. Judith is depressed, Renie is obsessed, and mother Gertrude is not as ornery as usual (I liked that).
I enjoy the installments that have Gertrude's inner monologue demonstrate
her true feelings.
I enjoy the installments that have Gertrude's inner monologue demonstrate
her true feelings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2021
Renie has memories of her old neighborhood and a certain house she was always curious about. So when she happened to drive by she and her cousin Judith got curious about the people who live there. After talking to the milk man then finding him dead in the trunk of Judith's car. They had to find out more about the house and the people that live there.
March 15, 2020
I enjoy this series. Love the relationship between the cousins. I liked the change of the murders being at a different house. Who doesn't have at least one house they would absolutely love to go explore . Great book.
January 6, 2021
If you are looking for a fun read this series is great I love Daheim's characters and how I can't solve it till the end. This particular book has the cousins falling into a murder with Judith being the main suspect when the dead body is found in her trunk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2025
Renie has always wondered about a house she would pass on her way to school, she thought it was haunted. She had her cousin, Julia get interested in the house too. Of course she finds a corpse and she has to get involved with the murder.
May 26, 2017
i enjoyed this book, the cousins make a good pair in solving the murder, this is a good cozy mystery.
November 6, 2018
lOVE Mary Daheim
February 24, 2020
This series has a lot of colourful characters, weir situations, a bit of mystery, a bit of murder and a quick wrap up. Enjoyable romp.
February 18, 2021
Good read. Plenty of humour and mystery. The cat Sweetums was a star for me.
January 29, 2023
I miss Mary Daheim and her screwball mystery comedies. "This Old Souce" highlights Daheim's long, engaging B&B series.
April 8, 2024
I thought that the mystery was a good one but unfortunately the way over the top characters distracted so much from the story line that I almost decided to abandon the book entirely.
April 9, 2012
This Old Souse
~Avon
A good mystery with a sense of humor, October 29, 2011
By Ellen Rappaport
This review is from: This Old Souse: A Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)
This is about my 3rd in the Bed and Breakfast series. I've come back for more because of the author's quick witted sense of humor along with the mystery.
Is the mansion on Moonfleet Street haunted? Is it really deserted or are there people inside? If so, Why is almost nothing known about them? Judith Flynn, the owner of a B&B, is going to find out no matter what it takes. Of course Judith's cousin, Renie is not far behind. The two women set out to discover the goings on in the old house.
Judith started starts by chatting up the milkman who later turns up dead in the trunk of her car. But is he who he says he is?
For that matter are the people/family living in the old mansion who they say they are? If not, then who are they and why are they hiding? Hiding from what and from who?
The character in all of Mary Daheim's Bed & Breakfast books,that steals the story, is Gertrude-Judith's aged Mother. She's more than a hoot...she's downright hilarious. I just love the crazy quirks she comes up with at the most inappropriate times.
This is a light mystery with a most welcomed sense of humor. I can highly recommend this book and this series to any reader of cozies.
A short note-I would have liked to have the Greenwalt's(especially Mrs. Greenwalt) get her comeuppence.
August 20, 2007
I like this series a lot. I look forward to the next one. However, this one seemed "off" - as though a good ghostwriter stepped in here. Renie and Bill came off as downright obnoxious, rather than the eccentrics I believe the author was intending. Mike seemed truly irresponsible. Gertrude was saved by her (ill-disguised) concern when she realized her daughter might be in trouble, but was as annoyingly over-the-top as the rest of the gang. Regarding Judith herself, she never seemed all that concerned or frightened; it seemed more that she worked at solving the murder because it "inconvenienced" her.
Two final points: 1) Judith says she "only saw Luke once, [across the room] at the Cafe ..." yet she has a face-to-face encounter with him later that day? 2) Phyliss, the fundie cleaning lady, is a HOOT!
Two final points: 1) Judith says she "only saw Luke once, [across the room] at the Cafe ..." yet she has a face-to-face encounter with him later that day? 2) Phyliss, the fundie cleaning lady, is a HOOT!
August 24, 2014
I would have a hard time explaining the plot of This Old Souse. Judith Flynn's cousin, Renie, renews her fascination with a house from her childhood neighborhood. When Judith goes there one day by herself to look around, she meets a milkman, talks with a UPS man, goes to the grocery store, and finds the milkman's body in her car trunk. From there all I can say is this offbeat, intricate story is a very enjoyable read. Though it is a part of the Bed-And-Breakfast series, there isn't much innkeeping, except for one subplot that weaves into the main story in an unexpected manner. The cousins don't bicker as much as they do other installments, and the nastiness of Judith's mother, Gertrude, isn't as off-putting as it has been in some of the other books. One of my favorites of Mary Daheim's work.
January 24, 2015
I was pleasantly surprised at this first book I've read in this series by Mary Daheim dubbed "A Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery". I was drawn in by the play on words of the title even though I didn't know what a souse was. Now I do! I'm interested in old and abandoned houses so this book was low on my reading list until I happened across a copy at the Goodwill store. It moved to the top of the list. I started it slowly, tentatively, not sure if I was going to get into two geriatric amateur sleuths. The writing style is easy, humorous and after a bit I found I was enjoying the characters more than the actual storyline itself. I'll keep this series in mind for times when I can't find anything to read.
June 6, 2016
This is one of the early Bed and Breakfast series which has Judith and Renee solving a mystery right there in their own home town. I only say that because future series has them traveling to other locales to end up with dead bodies-as seems to be Judith's fate.
The title of this book gives hint as to the culprit behind the murder mystery which you do not even get a glimpse of till the end.
This is a fast paced story that keeps Judith high tailing murder leads and still managing to run her bed and breakfast inn. As always, Ms. Daheim manages very well to weave in a whole cast of zany characters as well.
The title of this book gives hint as to the culprit behind the murder mystery which you do not even get a glimpse of till the end.
This is a fast paced story that keeps Judith high tailing murder leads and still managing to run her bed and breakfast inn. As always, Ms. Daheim manages very well to weave in a whole cast of zany characters as well.
July 22, 2009
Judith Flynn's cousin Renie has been fascinated by a house in their old neighborhood: while it seems to be occupied, no one is ever seen entering or leaving the place. Now Renie wants to use the facade in a brochure, and needs to find the owners. Despite herself, Judith's curiosity is piqued. She questions a milkman making a delivery, and shortly thereafter finds his dead body in the trunk of her car. She's a suspect, and had better solve the crime while husband Joe is on a business trip, or she'll have to explain how she came to find another corpse.
February 25, 2012
I like this series better than her Alpine series - i think because in Alpine the protagonist, although near my age, is relatively alone and in this series, she has husband and cousin who is almost a sister and they live in their hometown. there is a chumminess and LONG history here that I don't have and have not had since I left Texas.
Several of the characters are over the top in a way which reminds me of the Evanovich books. Nice wacky irreverent grandmother for one.
I will definitely read more.
Several of the characters are over the top in a way which reminds me of the Evanovich books. Nice wacky irreverent grandmother for one.
I will definitely read more.
July 16, 2009
This particular mystery didn't seem to have the same urgency to Judith as some of the others, even if there was a dead body in her trunk. I agree with what some others have written, that this one almost seemed like a place-holder, a book to get to the next book. But, you gotta love Judith & Renie!
June 11, 2012
I don't believe I have read any of the other B&B mysteries that this author writes, but this one fell flat. I wanted it to be funny and it really had all the makings of a Stephanie Plum type of read, but it wasn't very funny to me. The characters were a little older than I am so I might not have the same perspective for the humor. Just Ok.
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March 1, 2013On old Spanish style house in the neighbourhood and Renie with too much time on her hands. The BLand family who live there are never seen and the house is about to decome derelict from lack of maintenance.
Well thats just too intriguing for the girls to keep away, so once again they get involved in snooping and Judith ends up with a corpse in the trunk of her car.
Well thats just too intriguing for the girls to keep away, so once again they get involved in snooping and Judith ends up with a corpse in the trunk of her car.
April 5, 2013
This was an interesting addition to the Bed and Breakfast series. I wish there had been another chapter tying up some loose ends. I felt the resolution was rushed and didn't fill out all the details from the side mysteries and what happened with all the family members. I don't want to leave spoilers in my review, so that's all I'm saying.
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