Bonnie of Evidence: A Passport to Peril Mystery

This book is a fun, light read. The writing is good, with some really witty descriptions and authentic dialog. Something I liked about the book is that most of the characters are quite elderly, 80 years and above. I spent a lot of time with a few beloved older relatives, and I found myself laughing and truly enjoying the camaraderie of this group of travelers. Some readers may find it stereotypical, but I found it spot on to my relatives.Likewise, I totally enjoyed the Scotland locales and followed along on a map while looking up each site. I felt like I was along for the ride, but without the motion sickness. I love how after several books in the series, the tour group now expects the unexpected and is ready to conspire with Emily, their leader, at a moment’s notice.I’ve read every book in the series. All have been funny and witty with exciting destinations, interesting and likable characters, and, of course, a decent mystery. There is no graphic sex or foul language in this book. There are a couple of graphic historical descriptions of ancient violent tactics.

I work at a senior community, and yes, they can be cranky, forgetful and absolutely need to know where the bathroom is! When Emily said it was a bit like herding cats, she wasn't wrong. But like Emily's group they're also big hearted, inquisitive and loving, and they'd love a mystery to solve. Good, slightly crazy characters that you'd really like to know. Fun and lighthearted, even with the dead bodies!

I truly find this series, A Passport to Peril Mystery, to be delightfully entertaining to my book senses. I find the humor, and understanding of senior citizens, although slightly exaggerated, near the mark, especially as I'm gathering speed to becoming one of them.In this series, we find a husband, handsome Swiss former homicide detective, Etienne Miceli, and his charming wife, Emily Andrew-Miceli leading "merry globetrotting senior" citizens through the ancient lands of Scotland.Emily has added an additional feature to the usual tourist activities of shopping, eating, and viewing. She has added the new 'Geocaching' scavenger hunt to liven up the group. As in former novels in this terrific series, the results never match the intentions with this group. Not only are the strong-minded Iowans declaring their Scottish roots and reliving various feuds that have traveled down the centuries, a cheater has been found dead after releasing a curse!Now Emily and her Nana and others must disclose the killer or killers within the gang, while dealing with treacherous winds, thundering skies, and stark tour conditions.This book had me laughing so often that I truly didn't sense the motive until the Author disclosed it. That is a winning novel to me. This is the seventh novel in the series. All are fun reads. I am anxiously awaiting the eighth, "Fleur de Lies."

Emily Andrew Miceli now runs her own travel agency with her new husband, dashing ex-Swiss Police Officer, Etienne. He moved across the Atlantic to Windsor City, Iowa, to be with Emily. He went from catching international criminals to escorting mostly senior citizens on Destination Travel tours.But don't get the idea that his is a boring job. For one thing, these senior citizens are characters with a capital C. And for another, people keep getting killed on the tours.This time they're in Scotland, 29 strong, and the tour has a special theme. Divided into five teams, they are participating on an international geocache hunt. You prove you've discovered the hidden cache by taking a photo on your cell phone. To spice it up, Destination Travel will have a drawing giving away a free tour to one of the lucky seniors on the team with the most and fastest successful geocache results.A free trip! That gets their adrenaline running. And gets the sniping started. And before you know it, someone is actually cheating! No No! To make up for it, she dies the next morning. OK, it's not funny to have your stomach explode, but the rest of it is.I am a big fan of the hilarious "Passport to Peril" mystery series, and "Bonnie of Evidence", the 8th published, did not disappoint. There are red herrings galore, and naturally Emily manages to suspect the wrong people. The plotting is fine, but the star of the book is the characters.They are great, and the regulars are described with great affection, sexting Grandmas and all. Here's Emily describing one of her regulars: "Dick had to be cautious about broad gestures with his fist because his head was so big, one wrong move, and he could knock himself out."Totally unrelated trivia: This month, the Official Scrabble Dictionary announced it's first official added word in nine years. And it's "geocache".Also, Etienne is a French version of Stephen, and is usually pronounced e-TEA-yene - as in 'e' in 'pet'yen - rhymes with penVery recommended book!Happy Reader

Maddy Hunter has an eclectic and surprising sense of humor that infuses her books with delightful quirks worth waiting for--and one is likely to show up on every page! I recently found this delightful series and am addicted to it.The heroine and her husband run a travel agency for senior citizens. He, a retired police officer, runs the business. She is the travel guide. Each mystery has many of the same eccentric and lovable senior citizen travelers, keeping the stories together. Each location is a different country in Europe (except for one trip to Australia and one to Hawii) and each story has at least one senior citizen from the troupe who becomes a victim. Locals of the area are also, sometimes victims.In this story the locale is Scotland and the islands off the North coast. The fact that the group is traveling makes it difficult for the local policeman who is investigating the crime. Ancient artifacts and a man addicted to women and serial marriages complicate the story and keep it moving. Scottish language and customs as well as myths, legends and ghosts deepen the plot nicely.I recommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys funny mysteries, travelogues, the quirks of the elderly, or studying cultures and customs of various countries--in an amusing format.