September Mourn: A Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery

fall Has Fallen Upon Judith Mcmonigle Flynn, Leaving Her Hillside Manor Nearly Devoid Of Guests. And What Better Cure For The Off-season Blahs Than A Brief Bout Of B&b Sifting For A Friend Amid The Quiet Rustic Splendor Of Secluded Chavez Island? Judith And Cousin Renie Both Are More Than Ready For Some Relaxation. But Their Peace Goes To Pieces When Renie Conks An Odious Interloping Blowhard On The Noggin With A Heavy China Dish-and, Moments Later, The Woozy Lout Takes A Fatal Tumble Down An Inconvenient Staircase. Judith Suspects That Death By Dinnerware Was Not The Real Cause Of This Fellow's Demise. But To Prove Her Cantankerous Cuz Innocent, She'll Have To Uncover The Real Killer From Among The Motley Island Crew. And That Could Pile A Lot More Nastiness On Judith's Plate Than The Harried Bed-and-breakfast Hostess Can Consume In One Sitting!publishers Weeklythe Eleventh Installment Of Daheim's Bed-and-breakfast-mystery Series Is An Unremarkable Work Set On A Pacific Northwest Coastal Island. Daheim's Heroine, Judith Mcmonigle Flynn, And Her Sidekick Cousin Renie Play Amateur Sleuths When A Murder Takes Place While They Guest-host The Only B&b On Scenic Chavez Island (population Seven By The Author's Account, Eight If You Do The Math Yourself). Opposite The Cousins Are A Skeptical Female Sheriff And A Handful Of Secretive Residents. The Dialogue Between The Cousins Is Rather Stiffly Deliberate And Renie's Penchant For Food As A Distinguishing Characteristic Grows Annoying. Other Characters, Such As The Prim School Marm And The Commandeering Businessman Are Painfully One-dimensional. Daheim Represents Her Picturesque Backdrop Well, But Her Lack Of Character Development Leaves The Reader Apathetic, Even When Flynn's Detective Skills Lead To The Murderer After Some Inventive Plot Twists. (aug.)