Murder on Vacation

Molly Sutton Mysteries #6

by Nell Goddin

Happy Valentine’s Day! Well, maybe not so much…
Molly Sutton’s B&B is jam-packed for the holiday, but whatever romance is in the air is quickly snuffed out when somebody turns up dead. In addition to worrying that one of her remaining guests is a killer, Molly’s not feeling tip-top and spends more time napping than sleuthing. That’s no way to catch a murderer!

Murder on Vacation is the sixth book of the Molly Sutton Mystery series. (Each mystery is standalone, though the relationships develop over the course of the series.) If you like page-turning cozy mysteries, rich characters, and a peek into French village life, you'll love Nell Goddin's tale of murder and duplicity.

Genres: Mystery, France, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, Crime, Fiction

346 pages, Paperback

Published December 14, 2016

About the author

She has worked as a radio reporter, SAT tutor, short-order omelet chef, and baker. She tried waitressing but was fired twice.

Nell grew up in Richmond, Virginia and has lived in New England, New York City, and France. Currently she's back in Virginia with teenagers and far too many pets. She has degrees from Dartmouth College and Columbia University.

Reviews

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, this is another attempt in the quest to find a mystery series from the library. A lot of people seem to love this series but I wasn’t particularly drawn to the characters or the plot. The narrator, Becket Royce was new to me and I found it disconcerting that for a book set in France, with a mixture of American and French characters, there was no attempt on the part of the narrator to make it sound French. Maybe that’s asking too much.

Anyone who would like to recommend a mystery series, along the lines of Louise Penney’s Inspector Gamache series, please do so!

[Heather Penner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Molly Sutton mysteries: They satisfy my need for armchair travel to a small town in Dordogne. The heroine of the series is a smart, middle-aged divorcee. The only downside to the series is my permanently unfulfilled craving for almond croissants.

In this installment, we have a murder on Molly's property, and suspicion falls on her own guests, who are quite the challenging cast of characters. Ben also returns, and reignites a spark with Molly, which made me happy.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 6 of these short French mysteries and I am still escaping to Castillac for another adventure with these characters. This one’s murder theme spotlights the fact that people are not always who they say they are. Isn’t that true in most murders and crimes in general? We experience the most heinous crime but the perpetrator’s family, friends and neighbors vow he/she was the most loving parent, child, neighbor? In this case, each guest at “les gîtes de Molly” had a backstory that gradually unfolded. What are the chances of this seemingly harmonious group booking a stay at the same time? Next time you book a stay somewhere, check the comments on the VRBO site. Hahaaaaa!

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just enjoying the series! I'm doing them in order! FUN

[Lilmissmolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder on Vacation by Nell Goddin is the sixth book in the Molly Sutton Mysteries, which is a light-hearted mystery set in the French countryside. Molly Sutton is an American who bought an old rundown country house in the quaint village of Castillac after a divorce, and she turned it into a bed and breakfast. Molly is also an amateur sleuth who is pretty good at unearthing the truth in murder cases.

This story begins with a full-house at Molly's B&B for the Valentine's week-end. The guests all seem to get along well until one of them is found murdered after an impromptu party the night before. In tribute to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, almost every guest has a motive for killing the victim, who is not as he first appeared. The book is intelligently written and well plotted, and the dialog flows naturally.

I listened to the Audible version of this book narrated by Beckett Royce who did a fantastic job. Her narration is easy to listen to and she really brought the characters to life. She uses a variety of accents and gives each character their own distinct voice. In short, I definitely recommend this audiobook for Agatha Christie fans and anyone enjoying cozy mysteries!

[Sarah G. Vogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just love these Molly Sutton books

This is my second time reading this series and I’ve never written a review only because I literally don’t want to take the time to write one between books. Once I finish reading one book, I immediately buy the next book and stay immersed in the ambiance of a close knit village in the Dordogne and surrounded by the quirky and colorful mix of French and expat characters that populate the village. It’s a place where I’d like to live filled with people I’d love to have as friends. From book to book friendships develop, people grow and change, and Molly becomes more of a fixture in the town. Best of all, is the plot line that connects each book to the next, that Molly is a novice detective with a mind for mysteries and puzzles and human nature, who like Miss Marple, solves village murders through her uncanny way of understanding what drives people to do what they do. I just love these books and I’m sure This is not the last time I’ll read them from book 1 to book 9.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

MURDER ON VACATION by Nell Goddin is Book #6 of her Molly Sutton Mystery series.
Molly is an American ex-pat who moved to France after a disappointing divorce and life crisis. She bought La Baraque (a gite or vacation rental property) as an income investment.
Molly has a full house this week and her guests are lively and cheerful at first, but quickly turn into very petulant, drama-seeking visitors from the ‘Dark Side’. Of course, there is a murder. And, of course, Molly is right in the middle of it.
I like this cozy mystery series. I like pretending I am in southwestern France in a small town. I like the food and pastries and wine and the colorful gossip of the Castillac residents. I like the colorful, rustic book covers. I like the glossary of French words and expressions. The characters are somewhat believable. The plots are a bit thin, but readable.
A decent ‘cozy’ mystery series.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Molly’s gîte is Full of guests, much to her delight! After receiving a sizable sum of money from the sale of the La Sfortuna emerald in the Mystery #5 The Chateau Murder, Molly has done quite a bit of remodeling and upgrading to the facilities. As a result, she has 6 guests who are nicely accommodated. They all start out partying and socializing like a Happy Family until… one of them turns up dead! Hung from a tree in the forest! Then… everyone is on edge, the local gendarmes get involved, Molly’s beloved Ben returns, Molly comes down with Lyme Disease, and the guests are required to remain in Castillac until the coroner and the police chief finish their investigation. Now, it’s not such a jovial group as everyone’s past is revealed. Molly’s character took a backseat in this one, all the guests were the focus of the story. It keep my interest, however, was not one of my favorites.

[Leeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, like all the others in the Molly Sutton series, was a brilliant read. I love the way the books are written - easy going with enough mystery and humor to keep you turning the pages. I love the setting, and I adore all the characters in the series, you feel like you are visiting with family each time you read one of the books. The story line was a little different this time around, with tiny snaps into the histories of some of Molly's guests which was nice as knowing their backgrounds helps you forgive some of their behaviors - Molly must have the patience of a saint dealing with this lot :-). I enjoy trying to figure out "who dun it" along with Molly and almost feel a little lost now that the book is finished. Hopefully book 7 will be out soon!!!!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six separate Americans came to spend their vacations at Molly's for the week of Valentines day. None of them had met before and it looked to be a fun time. But Molly was feeling unusually ill and the doctor pronounced the treatment to be difficult and bedrest essential. All well and good until one of the guests is found dead by hanging. Soon it is determined that this was no suicide, but Molly is really too ill to make a difference with the investigation. Then. Incredible twist!
I enjoyed the narration by voice artist Becket Royce who really does a fine job!
#audiobook #MollySuttonMysteries6 #AuthorSales

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally, these books keep getting better. I enjoy the characters so much, and the incorporation of the guests into the actual story was overdue.
One nagging anachronism that keeps popping up: for some reason these books take place 10+ years ago (2005-2007 or so). While I guess there were some tablet computers around prior, they weren't in widespread use until after the invention of the ipad in 2010. I don't think random Europeans were hopping into bed with their tablets to order plane tickets in 2007.
Regardless, I am looking forward to the next in the series!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the week leading up to Valentine's Day, Molly Sutton's guest rooms are filled. The various guests start out having fun and becoming good friends until one of the guests dies under suspicious circumstances. While the gendarmes are investigating, Molly become quite ill with Lyme disease. The guests all have to remain in Molly's facilities while the investigation goes on, yet Molly is unable to take care of things. Fortunately, her French friends step in and offer assistance.

[Elizabeth Desole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had the feel of an Agatha Christie. Although I appreciate that the author is trying to stretch herself ,It wasn't as much of a cozy mystery as the previous ones. There was less about an aspect of life in rural France ( unless you count tourists a part of rural French life). The relationships between the visitors got a little too convoluted for my taste. But still an enjoyable read

[Robin Reichenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am enjoying by this series. I like the setting jn a small French town and the sweet American woman at the center of the story, who always finds another murder victim. This particular story seemed a bit convoluted and the American tourists less interesting and less defined, but whatever - an enjoyable series and easy, fun books.

[Carol Eshaghy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the Molly Sutton mysteries. They just seem to get better and better. Molly decides to plan a valentine’s event at her gites. Six guests arrive and then one of them is murdered. Molly contracts Lyme disease and is not in her deductive best. The scariest thing is the culprit is probably one of her remaining five guests!

[Lanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series

I don't know if you'd consider this a cozy, but it's not a blood and guts type of mystery. I really enjoy the characters. Ms Godwin makes me feel that they are friends of mine. The story develops nicely with a number of twists. All together, a good read.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read. Molly has 6 grumpy guests. One is murdered. Molly is ill with Lyme disease. I wish there was follow up on the guest's background - we only got a taste (in order to see that any one of them could have done it?). Glad to see Ben back.

[Claudia Sauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huge spoiler!!!!
I enjoy this series in part because of where it is set. This one I enjoyed but I felt frustrated by the lack of explanation as to why the victim was using someone else’s name.
Did I miss the explanation?

[Judy Girod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading these Molly Sutton mysteries and this one did not fail to keep me interested and wondering how will it end.
These novels are easy to read and include fascinating tidbits about the French Village of Castillac and some characters that we can relate to.

[Polly Steeber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love her books. They’re pretty light reading, but very rich in character development. Her books transport me to where they take place and her Molly Sutton main character is so relatable. I read six in this series and, looking back, it felt like a warm hug🩷

[Mary Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good story

I'm very sorry there is not another book in this series. I enjoyed this one as much if not more than the rest. Love the characters and the setting.

[Charlotte Larocca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read--fun.

[Mjanethorson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read!

[Janice Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought the murderer was someone else so did not know till the end. Thanks and awesome!!

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one the most of this series so far

[Anwnh5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

still enjoying this series.

[Carril Karr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve just read the first six Molly Sutton mysteries. Enjoyed them and will buy more when I can afford to.

[Amanda Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the previous ones better, this felt a little slower moving than the others

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in the series but the ending was twisted and convoluted, I just wanted it to end. Too many people with too many motives.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing and plot lines are getting tighter. Enjoyable read. I like that they aren’t terribly graphic. Just easy reads and kind of fun.