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June 23, 2025

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman ~ a Review

by Donna Huber


Mrs. Blossom is not the kind of woman to play the lottery. She is practical, a devoted grandmother, and has a knack for blending into the background, which was an asset during her days assisting private investigator Tess Monaghan. But when Mrs. Blossom finds a winning ticket in a parking lot, everything changes...including Mrs. Blossom. She is determined to see the world that sometimes feels as if it’s passing her by.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

book cover of mystery novel Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
June 2025; William Morrow; 978-0062998101
audio, ebook, print (272 pages); mystery


Murder Takes a Vacation
 is the perfect vacation read. I read it while I was on vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains. It is a delightful read with enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages, but not angsty, so there was no second-hand stress.

I have read (well, listened to) another book by Laura Lippman. I listened to the first book in the Tess Monaghan series, Baltimore Blues, back in 2017. If it wasn't for Goodreads, I wouldn't have remembered that I had read it. Muriel Blossom was introduced in one of the books in that series.

Mrs. Blossom is a fun character. She is a bit of a Miss Marple but I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a cozy mystery. She isn't actively investigating the strange events that keep occurring around her. More it is that she gets pulled into the mystery and it is natural curiosity to think about the strange things happening around you. 

Mostly, she is a woman who is trying to figure out how to live life after being widowed and enjoying a vacation on a Parisian river cruise. The reader gets to shop, visit, and eat right alongside Muriel. 

There is something universal in the character of Mrs. Blossom. I don't think you need to be in your 60s, widowed, or overweight to relate to the insecurities and self-consciousness she experiences. I know I'm not any of those things, but I still understood her hesitation to travel or eat alone.

It is a great novel. While I would like to see more of Mrs. Blossom (perhaps she and Danny could pair up on investigations), I also liked that this is a stand-alone mystery novel.



Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.



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