the unsinkable mrs. blossom

When Muriel Blossom found a piece of paper in the parking lot of the Circle K, she had no idea it would change her life. But it turned out to be an $8 million willing lottery ticket. She tried to find the owner, but no one came forward to claim it. (Well, no one legitimate.) So the money is hers.

Mrs. Blossom has a good head on her shoulders, so she sets aside money in a trust for her grandchildren and invests carefully. But she decides to take a trip to Europe with her good friend Elinor. For this one week, Mrs. Blossom is not going to worry about how much things cost. She has booked them onto a river voyage along the Seine, but first she is spending a few days in Paris by herself.

She gets to the airport early to check in and is offered an upgrade to business class. She’s not sure what to say at first, but the kind gentleman behind her in line explains that the airline has oversold the seats in the plane, and so they offer to bump early customers to a better seat to correct their own mistake. He offers to help Mrs. Blossom find the airport lounge that her upgrade entitles her to and to help her out through the flight. He introduces himself as Allan and explains that he has to fly a lot.

Mrs. Blossom accepts the upgrade and Allan’s offer to help guide her to the lounge and then the plane. She is delighted to find that she is flirting with him, something she hadn’t expected to do. She had been happily married for many years, and alone after her husband’s death for ten years. She hadn’t expected to meet someone who could make her want to flirt again. She’s starting to think that her vacation may turn to be something altogether different.

But then Allan is murdered, and someone is watching Mrs. Blossom. Her hotel room gets searched, and she can’t figure out why. She stays on schedule, wanting to take that cruise on the Seine, but there is clearly something else going on. Mrs. Blossom had worked for a private investigator in Baltimore by the name Tess Monaghan, before she retired and moved to Arizona to be near her daughter, so she has some skills to draw on. But when she is befriended by Danny, who claims to work for the FBI and tells a story of arson, insurance fraud, and stolen art, Mrs. Blossom isn’t sure if she can trust him or not. As she cruises down the Seine, she has to stay alert and pay attention in order to figure out what’s going on around her and to keep herself and her friend safe from danger.

Murder Takes a Vacation is a new mystery novel from bestselling Laura Lippman. She has taken one of the lesser known characters from her Tess Monaghan series and expanded her world. Mrs. Blossom is an older woman who has always carried a few extra pounds. She has learned to live with it and loves herself, but she is aware of the reactions and judgment of others. But mostly, she is smart and resilient and gives off all the main character energy.

I absolutely loved Murder Takes a Vacation. Mrs. Blossom is a hero, and I admired her for her strength and generosity of spirit. She always thought the best of those around her, until they proved her wrong. She is smart, not afraid of research, and determined. Mrs. Blossom is the hero I’ve been wanting to read about, and I’m so happy I got to go to France with her for a short vacation.

Egalleys for Murder Takes a Vacation were provided by William Morrow through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.