Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
Publishing date - 06/17/25
Rating (4/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman. A fun, cozy mystery! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing until the end.

Murder Takes a Vacation is the story of Muriel Blossom, a 68 year old, widowed would be private investigator. Penned handily by Laura Lippman, this story follows Mrs. Blossom’s wild trip on a cruise after she stumbled into a winning lottery ticket. On her way to the ship, she encounters Allan, an intriguing older gentleman and feels a definite spark, the first since her husband’s untimely death. After he is found dead, a series of sinister events occur and the pattern follows her aboard. It’s up to Mrs. Blossom to solve the mystery of Allan’s death and find a valuable artifact that was in his possession.

This is definitely a cozy mystery. And while it was pleasant, I enjoy a my thrillers to be a little more dark and twisty. I also have a quibble with the amount of times the author mentioned that Mrs, Blossom was plus sized. I’m all for clearly crafting and exploiting a character, but the comments on her zaftig body seemed excessive. A little too zany for my tastes, I rate it 3.5 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

I don't read a lot of cosy's. And to be honest, I was surprised to discover this author had written one. I loved her other books. Sunburn was gripping and clever and Prom Mom blew my socks off. But this one, while the prose was sparkling, I felt lacked the sizzle of her other books. I saw the reveal of the woman with a secret past coming a mile away, and found the wrap up laborious. I'm not a fan of characters spending the final chapters of a novel explaining to each other why they did what they did, it feels a little Scooby Doo to me. Also the flip-flopping of the true identity of Danny felt convoluted. I'm all for a character pretending to be something he's not, but the decision to make him sort of what he said he was but acting in a different capacity was disorienting and left me confused how I was supposed to feel about him.
I am not sure if I will recommend this book. I think fans of the author will be disappointed by this one, and this is not the book I would recommend to readers who have not yet discovered her.
Giving 4 stars because she earned my loyalty with her other books, and because the quality of the writing is 5 star, as with all her books. But I would probably give 3 if this was written by anyone else.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman.

I am a huge Laura Lippman fan, first discovering her through her Tess Monagan novels, and have followed her somewhat religiously since. She has yet to disappoint.

I also adore France. The cruise Mrs. Blossom is on somewhat follows the itinerary of the cruise my husband and I took took last December and I felt like this was my book to love. I was not let down.

Spending time with Muriel Blossom, sharing her adventures (and misadventures) has me hoping maybe we'll travel with her again in the future. It wasn’t love from page one, but it grew, as Mrs. Blossom herself grew, to become another Lippman novel to love and recommend. Muriel attracts some interesting folks, learns to open herself to new experiences and to trust her own instincts.

During our time traveling together, we watch Mrs. Blossom grow from being an insecure woman of a certain age who depends on others to help her make it through situations outside her comfort zone to becoming one strong fierce woman. Sure of herself and the choices she's making. And learning to accept those choices already made with grace.

And it was huge fun to see what Tess and Crow have been up to!

A fun, cozy mystery! Muriel Blossom is taking the vacation of a lifetime to Paris. Along the way, she encounters Allan, who is charming and oh so helpful to Mrs. Blossom as a first-time international traveler. However, Allan may not be who he says he is. When murders and robberies begin to follow Mrs. Blossom around on her vacation, is it coincidence, or is she at the heart of a sinister plot? This was a quick, fun read.

Enjoyable read with appealing lead character. Some of the scenes were a little hackneyed, but the French setting compensated.

The main character, an elderly widower, finds a lottery ticket worth $8 million dollars. As someone who has lived frugally her whole life, she decides to take a European cruise and invites her best friend.

On the plane to Paris to start the cruise, she meets a man who befriends her. The man ends up getting murdered which sets off a whole series of events.

The beginning was a little slow but once the action started the book was very enjoyable.

Laura Lippman does it again with Mrs. Blossom. The creative whodunit story centers around a woman who thinks life has passed her by and wants to remedy that situation before it's too late. Not to give anything away, but the way in which the main character is even able to afford this luxurious vacation is so creative.
What's especially endearing is the sensitive portrayal of Mrs. Blossom. Those who are of a similar age will be able to identify with her dreams and disappointments of her life. It was especially satisfying to see a capable and effective woman at the helm. Well done!

This story takes place in the Tess Monaghan universe, but the main character is Murial Blossom, who worked for Tess. Mrs. Blossom, long widowed, has recently won the lottery and is on a European vacation for the first time in her life. She inadvertently gets involved in an international art theft situation and has to figure out who among her fellow travelers is legitimate and who is up to no good. Mrs. Blossom is a great character, both smart and very observant, as well as too trusting. It's always disappointing when I figure out the mystery too early in a book, and I'm glad to say that didn't happen this time around. I highly recommend this as a nice, quick read. Perfect for vacation.

Laura Lippman has proven once again that she can carry off any sub-genre of popular or serious fiction with skill, aplomb, control, and high artistry. This one is a cozy mystery: any doubts about its heritage should be banished by the marvelous cover art! The story is decked out with all the trappings of the cozy form—wit, humor, a picturesque setting (Paris and environs!), and a smart, outwardly naïve female protagonist who turns the tables on the arrogant miscreants who, underestimating her insight and pluck, presume to take advantage of her, even—towards the close of the story-- attempting to do her in.

Mrs. Blossom, the fetchingly named heroine, is a going-on-70 reincarnation of Agatha’s Miss Marple. She outdoes her prototype with a sententious garrulity and attitude toward life, where Marple, equally underestimated, seems to play it close to the vest until the curtain is about to fall.

Don’t look here for the Rothian ironies of Lippman’s earlier 'Dream Girl' or the feminist realism of her 'Lady in the Lake'. This is a wholly different animal. Truth be told, this may not completely please all Lippman’s fans, but if you’re looking for a beguiling, twisty plot and a lovable heroine, this is a novel for you.

A lovely story. It still had the mystery, but the characters were not crazy intense and dark. They were real. A good mystery keeps you guessing and I didn't know where we were headed. Loved the wrapped up ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for this digital ARC.

Murder Takes a Vacation was my first Laura Lippman book, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Billed as a cozy mystery, we meet Mrs. Blossom about to embark on a river cruise in France. Through a series of strange occurences starting at the airport, she dusts off her old "private investigator" skills as she is drawn into a mystery that deepens when a body is found.

Cute cozy mystery with an older female protagonist. Give it a try!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing until the end. I appreciated an older female protagonist as well!

Sweet, charming and meh is how I’d describe this latest title from Laura Lippman. Having lived in B’more I always love going down memory lane in her descriptions of the city and familiar places and restaurants. This book seemed to me to be more ofLaura Lippman’s reflection on life and what’s transpired. The story was unbelievable in many ways and a cozy mystery is another word that comes to mind. Not her best.

As a fan of Lippman, I was disappointed in this book. It was not the level of writing or plot that I expected. Mrs. Blossom takes a trip and lots of very bad stuff happens to her. There was simply too much of a reach to find any level of believability or allow me to buy into her character.

I also hated the endless use of her name, MRS. BLOSSOM, as a narrative device. It reminded me of reading children’s book where names are repeated as a cognitive device to improve reading and word recognition.

I know Lippman is a brilliant writer, but this novel certainly is not a good example of her talent.

Thank you Netgalley for this novel.