Monday, August 15, 2022

Death Plans a Perfect Trip by Mary Jane Maffini

First Line: "You two are going the wrong way."
 
It's not unusual for bestselling author Esme Adams to dash off on spontaneous trips to Europe, but when she misses two of her scheduled phone calls with her daughter, professional organizer Charlotte Adams, Charlotte knows something is wrong. Esme has never missed a phone call before. Ever. 
 
Other people think Charlotte is worrying over nothing, but she can't get over the feeling that her mother is in danger. When Charlotte's home is ransacked and set ablaze, Charlotte needs a safe place to be, and she knows just what to do: get out of town, away from the people who are after her, and head to Europe to find her mother. 

As Charlotte follows clues in Paris, Lisbon, and Milan, she finds herself a major player in a very dangerous game of cat and mouse. She keeps narrowly missing her mother while simultaneously squeaking past the people who followed her from the U.S. And the more she searches, the more secrets about her mother's past and her own childhood are uncovered.

~

I've been a fan of Mary Jane Maffini's Charlotte Adams cozy series since I picked up the first book, Organize Your Corpses-- and it's not just because I love to organize things, too. I was sad when the series stopped at the fifth book, but I soon got caught up with a series that Maffini co-wrote with her daughter. When that series ended, I was left in limbo. Imagine my delight when I learned of Death Plans a Perfect Trip!

It was great to be reunited with Charlotte and her significant other, Jack, who runs a cycle shop called CYCotics (love that name). I also liked the fact that Maffini's book is edgier than the usual cozy, the danger more palpable and scarier, without actually "crossing the line." Charlotte and her mother's backstory is quite an interesting one, and I enjoyed watching all the bits and pieces Charlotte discovers coming together. The scenes set in places like Lisbon, Portugal made me feel as though I were walking the streets with Charlotte. As always in this series, rescue dachshunds Truffle and Sweet Marie make their adorable appearance, although they did have to be left behind when Charlotte traveled to Europe. 

If you're in need of a new cozy series and haven't made the acquaintance of Mary Jane Maffini's Charlotte Adams, I recommend that you do so. And if you get a chance, the cozy series she co-wrote with her daughter under the name Victoria Abbott is an absolute delight. (The first book in the Book Collector series is The Christie Curse.) You have some good reading ahead of you!

Death Plans a Perfect Trip by Mary Jane Maffini
eISBN: 971954717978
Beyond the Page Publishing © 2022
eBook, 308 pages

Cozy Mystery, #6 Charlotte Adams Professional Organizer mystery
Rating: A-
Source: Purchased from Amazon.

6 comments:

  1. I do like that tie-in of the organizing theme with the disappearance of an author, Cathy. So often, it's hard for a fictional amateur sleuth to reasonably get involved in solving a murder (I mean, in a realistic way). But this one makes sense. And, yes, it's always cause for a happy dance when a new title from a beloved author shows up!

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    1. Even Charlotte finds it a challenge to remain organized while running for her life, which is a good thing. No Marvel Superhero here!

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  2. I used to read cozies almost exclusively but I've kind of gotten away from them in recent years. This might be the series to pull me back in.

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    1. The same thing has happened to me, Dorothy. I used to read a lot more cozies than I do now. They all started blending together. However, there are still a few trusted authors that I will stick with through thick and thin. :-)

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  3. I don't necessarily neeeed a new cozy series, but this one sounds good.

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    1. I know exactly what you mean about not necessarily needing a new series, Gretchen! (Boy, do I know what you mean! LOL)

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