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Bed-and-Breakfast Mysteries #3
Holy Terrors
Catering the annual brunch and Easter egg hunt is a hair-raising hassle for Judith McMonigle, hard-working hostess of the Hillside Manor Inn - especially when the reclusive wife of a local moneybags is fatally perforated by a scissors-wielding fiend dressed in a bunny suit. Never one to pass up a good murder, Judith joins forces with her ex-beau, Lt. Joe Flynn, and her irrepressible Cousin Renie to investigate the crime. But their list of suspects multiplies faster than a hutch-full of rabbits and Judith soon realizes that her own life is in serious peril...when her unsolicited snooping puts the killer hot on her tail.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
79 people are currently reading
521 people want to read
About the author
Mary Daheim
94 books441 followersMary Rene Richardson Daheim was an American writer of romance and mystery novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
April 11, 2015
The mystery wasn't bad but I loathed almost all of the characters. Mean, bigoted, hypocritical or just plain crazy.
December 19, 2019
The scissors-wielding Easter Bunny was the best part of the entire book...plus the green cover that I needed for...you guessed it...another challenge. The book description sounded fun and interesting...a murder by a bunny-suit clad perpetrator to be solved by the Bed-and Breakfast owner. Had the look of a laugh out loud book because a few reviewers described the book as hilarious. I was wrong or we were all reading a different book. There were way too many characters and keeping up with them was cumbersome. It still got 3 stars for a novel idea and a really cute rabbit even if it was a bit psychotic.
April 8, 2016
Better than her latest book. The characters didn't seem quite so crazy. I don't like the mom. She's mean. Hopefully the author kills her off. The storyline took place around Easter so I think that made it more interesting.
April 5, 2025
https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...#
Holy Terrors by Mary Daheim-(Bed-and-Breakfast Mysteries #3)
This book kept me wondering who the murderer was. Anyone will enjoy this series by Mary Daheim,
she is a wonderful writer, I love how she makes me feel like I'm right there. Read this book it's great.
Holy Terrors by Mary Daheim-(Bed-and-Breakfast Mysteries #3)
This book kept me wondering who the murderer was. Anyone will enjoy this series by Mary Daheim,
she is a wonderful writer, I love how she makes me feel like I'm right there. Read this book it's great.
November 24, 2011
This is the 4th of a long series of Bed and Breakfast mysteries, involving two friendly cousins and their warring septuagenarian mothers, who provide a comic relief. Judith runs a B & B from her renovated dilapidated family homestead. She is a widow of 4 years standing, who escaped from a bad marriage after the death of her cribbing and hugely obese husband. Her former lover, Joe Flynn (am not sure of the name) had re-entered her life in the first book, and they are on the verge of getting married. A rich old lady of the parish dies, leaving her wealth to her estranged nephew who has become close to her only recently. There are a few provisions in her will, which are questioned when the 'wife' of her nephew John is found stabbed in the church one day. The beginning was interesting, but the interest and pace couldnot be sustained and the I felt the book lacked some zing half way through. Still, I managed to complete it as I loved the main characters, Judith and Serena and wanted to follow the story of their lives.
June 12, 2016
I don't know why I keep reading these books; almost every character in them makes me irrationally angry and annoyed. I think, I just keep hoping that the mystery will be worth it -- sort of like Charlene Harris' books about a small Texas town. The mystery in this book wasn't too bad, actually - nothing special, nothing awful, but honestly the protagonist is so unlikeable, I'm incapable of cheering for her. Probably the most hilariously ironic part of the book was when the author makes this statement about Judith: "(...) a warm, genuine human being, she had a knack with people, that raised hospitality into an art form." Judith is probably one of the meanest characters I've ever read. She makes cruel and disparaging remarks about EVERYONE else in the book. Everyone. Repeatedly. The author can tell me Judith is a warm and genuine human being until the cows come home, but until she writes her that way, it's just a laughable statement.
October 6, 2019
Another book in the Judith McMonigle cozy series. I haven't read one in a while and found that I still enjoy Dahiem' writing.
This time out it is Easter and murder is on the menu. Did the Easter Bunny do the crime?
This book is the third in the series. Judith and Joe Flynn's romance is in the early stages, but Judith has shown, previously, that she is adept in finding clues and solving mysteries. Judith's mother, Gerturude, is living in the house with Judith and not in her own little flat, later built on the property. The mother is cantankerous and demanding. (A spoiled brat, in my opinion.)
During pre-Easter event at the church, the reclusive wife of one of the monied families is found stabbed to death in the church. Not one to pass up a mystery, Judith starts right in investigating. The suspect list seems to grow bigger and bigger and the secrets she finds are deeper and deeper.
I enjoyed it but like some of her later books better. All in all, a fun and quick read.
This time out it is Easter and murder is on the menu. Did the Easter Bunny do the crime?
This book is the third in the series. Judith and Joe Flynn's romance is in the early stages, but Judith has shown, previously, that she is adept in finding clues and solving mysteries. Judith's mother, Gerturude, is living in the house with Judith and not in her own little flat, later built on the property. The mother is cantankerous and demanding. (A spoiled brat, in my opinion.)
During pre-Easter event at the church, the reclusive wife of one of the monied families is found stabbed to death in the church. Not one to pass up a mystery, Judith starts right in investigating. The suspect list seems to grow bigger and bigger and the secrets she finds are deeper and deeper.
I enjoyed it but like some of her later books better. All in all, a fun and quick read.
July 13, 2017
#3 in the Judith McMonigle bed and breakfast (Judith is the owner/operator of one) mystery series set in the Pacific Northwest. There is a murder at Judith's parish church and school area and Judith is one the last people to speak to the victim. There are secrets galore among the parishioners and Judith's quirky neighbors. These secrets and inter-relationships hinder discovering who the murderer is.
Helping to keep the lighter tone to the mystery are Judith's mother (in the running for the world's crankiest person) and Judith's flighty cousin, Renie, who also serves as Judith's "Watson."
Helping to keep the lighter tone to the mystery are Judith's mother (in the running for the world's crankiest person) and Judith's flighty cousin, Renie, who also serves as Judith's "Watson."
March 10, 2021
I kind of like the Bed-and-Breakfast Mysteries, this is the 3rd one I've read. Some humor and moves along quickly. What I absolutely detest is the main characters mother, Gertrude. I personally hope Gertrude gets murdered. She's rotten, gross and mean. Also, I hate how awful everyone treats the cat, Sweetums. I think the author could have developed the locale better, must be pretty there IRL.
April 7, 2023
Didn't age well
So, reading this as the 1992 published book that it is, it's probably pretty accurate to the times as to how I vaguely remember people in some places being. Reading it in 2023, it is pretty unlikable as a cozy mystery. I couldn't find it in myself to like any of the characters and honestly started skipping and skimming through out most of the book. Only really picked it for the Easter theme that ended up being kind of there.
So, reading this as the 1992 published book that it is, it's probably pretty accurate to the times as to how I vaguely remember people in some places being. Reading it in 2023, it is pretty unlikable as a cozy mystery. I couldn't find it in myself to like any of the characters and honestly started skipping and skimming through out most of the book. Only really picked it for the Easter theme that ended up being kind of there.
July 11, 2019
Judith Grover McGonigle and the rest of the cast of this Bed and Breakfast Mystery Series are involved in an Easter Egg Hunt murder which occurs at Star of the Sea Catholic Church. The victim turns out to be a guy living as “wife” to another guy.
July 6, 2020
I’ve read some of the reviews and I don’t agree. The craziness of the characters is what gives comedy to this cozy. There is not one “normal “ family out there. A newly found series for me and I’m devouring them.
March 28, 2021
With Easter being a week away, this Easter cozy mystery was fun. Some of the sarcasm was just mean intolerance, but the wit, humor and gossip tends to happen in close communities. Fortunately; not everyone dressed as the Easter bunny has murder in their heart.
September 7, 2025
I definitely enjoyed it, Judith is a strong protagonist. The book has a lot of overlooked humorous moments; Chuckled more than thought about the mystery. The mystery holds up as well.
Funny, Sweet, Overall a Goodread!
Funny, Sweet, Overall a Goodread!
September 1, 2017
All of Mary Daheim books are good. Easter Egg Hunts are the last place you would think that you could find a body and this time Judith was not the person to find it.
May 31, 2020
Great book and series.
October 13, 2020
Narrated by Marji Friedmann and borrowed from the National Library for the Blind and Print Disabled BARD.
Nice cozy with nice recurring characters. I prefer her Emma Lord Alpine series, though.
Nice cozy with nice recurring characters. I prefer her Emma Lord Alpine series, though.
June 23, 2022
This book is full of teaching and wisdom
April 23, 2025
It was okay, but the characters in the town were more of a focus than the actual murder, which was a significant distraction and made the book much less enjoyable.
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.)
August 18, 2008
HOLY TERRORS - Okay
Daheim - 3rd in Bed-and-Breadfast series
Catering the annual pre-Easter brunch and egg hunt is a hare-raising hassle for Judith McManigle, hard-working hostess of the Hillside Manor. And this year's egg scramble gets particularly messy when the reclusive wife of a local scion is fatally perforated my a fiend dressed in a bunny suit. Never one to pass up a good murder, Judith solicits the help of her sometime-beau policeman Joe and her irrepressible Cousin Renie to get energized and get hopping down the floppy-eared assassin's trail. But soon the list of suspects is multiplying faster than a hutch-full of rabbits. And Judith might very well end up a basket case-or worse-before this whole thing is through...now the the party-planning sleuth's unsolicited snooping has put a killer hot on her cottontail!
Too cute, too light, too much for me.
Daheim - 3rd in Bed-and-Breadfast series
Catering the annual pre-Easter brunch and egg hunt is a hare-raising hassle for Judith McManigle, hard-working hostess of the Hillside Manor. And this year's egg scramble gets particularly messy when the reclusive wife of a local scion is fatally perforated my a fiend dressed in a bunny suit. Never one to pass up a good murder, Judith solicits the help of her sometime-beau policeman Joe and her irrepressible Cousin Renie to get energized and get hopping down the floppy-eared assassin's trail. But soon the list of suspects is multiplying faster than a hutch-full of rabbits. And Judith might very well end up a basket case-or worse-before this whole thing is through...now the the party-planning sleuth's unsolicited snooping has put a killer hot on her cottontail!
Too cute, too light, too much for me.
July 26, 2013
I have read the first books of this series and enjoyed them. This novel, however, was tedious. There were a lot of people to keep track of. I kept getting confused as to who was who. Additionally I was unclear on the ages of the previously mentioned group of people. Maybe the ages were mentioned in passing, but I don't recall. It was difficult to wrap my head around.
The plot seemed good. Started out good, but then it fizzled. Though there was no outward disapproval of the gay couple, there were serious undertones of homophobia specifically in reference to religion. Judith had a better "moral sense" than the killer because the killer was gay and because Judith wasn't. It was jarring.
Def would not read again. Will try next in series though.
The plot seemed good. Started out good, but then it fizzled. Though there was no outward disapproval of the gay couple, there were serious undertones of homophobia specifically in reference to religion. Judith had a better "moral sense" than the killer because the killer was gay and because Judith wasn't. It was jarring.
Def would not read again. Will try next in series though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2016
I bought this book at a church rummage sale for a quarter, and that was a quarter which was wisely spent. It seems odd that a murder mystery could be considered hilarious, yet this one was. Also, although there are a lot of twists and turns and a large cast of characters, each person has a distinct personality, which makes them easier to keep track of. And, like all good murder mysteries, the clues the reader needs to solve the puzzle are right there in the text...you just have to be clever enough and detailed enough to spot them (which I wasn't...oh well).
All in all, I would recommend you do yourself a favor and read this. I think I'll definitely be adding this author to my list to get more books from.
All in all, I would recommend you do yourself a favor and read this. I think I'll definitely be adding this author to my list to get more books from.
March 19, 2013
I have a love-hate relationship with these characters. The mysteries are well thought out with lots of red herrings and many different threads all woven in. I do like Judith, but I think she's a ninny sometimes! Joe alternately makes me adore him and detest him. Renie mostly makes me laugh. I still can't figure out why the characters keep the dumb cat around if they all despise him so much!!!
In any case, this book had just enough twists and turns so that I didn't put everything together before the end. I like mysteries that give enough clues to where you *could* figure it out...but leave just enough rabbit trails so that you don't. This was one of those mysteries.
In any case, this book had just enough twists and turns so that I didn't put everything together before the end. I like mysteries that give enough clues to where you *could* figure it out...but leave just enough rabbit trails so that you don't. This was one of those mysteries.
February 24, 2014
As with many of the Bed and Breakfast Series, this book is best read in order..and I am totally out of order and need to get back ..despite this ,it was easy to get back into the wild and crazy lives surrounding Hillside Manor, Judith and her cousin Reenie who live on or near Heraldsgate Hill. This book #3 in the series is lots of fun, and easy to read, woven together around the Easter Holiday and the attendees of SOTS(Star of the Sea) Church, a murder and the usual whodunnit and the mayhem that follows in the Pacific Northwest location. My head us spinning a bit but I did enjoy this book and look forward to catching up with more
June 22, 2013
Another in the series of what might be called "cozy" murder mysteries. Interesting, real characters with a continuation of their life stories and how the murder gets solved by their knowledge of the people involved and the background.
Only strange thing is - how many people are around multiple murders in their lives? Now really. They are needed for the premise of the series but.....
Probably will read more of these as they are an easy read with some thought involved to see where the story is going.
Only strange thing is - how many people are around multiple murders in their lives? Now really. They are needed for the premise of the series but.....
Probably will read more of these as they are an easy read with some thought involved to see where the story is going.
February 11, 2011
I didn't like this book as well as the first one, but better than the second. Mary Daheim introduces so many "suspects" in each book that it is a bit confusing, and this one proved even more so, but in the end the murderer wasn't a total surprise (although I didn't really expect it.) The motive was a bit weak, but the banter and repeat characters of the book made a far fetched murder worth the read.
May 29, 2009
The women in Star of the Sea parish gather to help with the annual Easter egg hunt, but all the gossip is about the recent death of a wealthy parishioner. Then a body is found, and Judith McGonigle learns that money was left to a mysterious woman. Judith is worried about the annulment request of her long-time love, Joe Flynn, but concentrates on finding a murderer.
August 13, 2013
The mystery was good, everything else not so much. Even taking into account setting, religion and time of writing, Judith is a ninny. Also, the overuse of last names on all the minor characters got tiresome by the end of the first chapter, let alone the end of the book. What kept it entertaining was Judith's interactions with Renie and Gertrude and the Duffy's secret pasts.
August 19, 2016
I have read several of this author's books and enjoy them as a quick read. You have Judith who is the owner of a B&B. Her cantankerous mother keeps her on her toes and her cousin Renie keeps her grounded. Her killed the wife of the heir of fortune after an Easter egg hunt at the church. Judith his helping her ex-flame Joe with the case.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews