From Booklist
What sets this latest entry in Daheim's Bed and Breakfast series apart is neither its plot nor its B-and-B connection. Set in the Pacific Northwest, the mystery is somewhat predictable, and very little of the action takes place in the B and B. Apparently, protagonist Judith McMonigle Flynn can run the place and take care of her crotchety mother with plenty of time left over to investigate mysteries. None of these flaws are fatal, however--far from it. Readers clearly enjoy this warm, funny, feel-good series, thanks mostly to sexagenarian sleuth Judith and her ornery cousin, Renie. When Renie convinces Judith to investigate the elderly owners of a Spanish villa, a series of misadventures ensues. First a mysterious package is left on the villa's porch. Then Judith finds a dead milkman in her trunk. With a few white lies and help from Renie, Judith tries to find out who wants to frame her for murder. A charming cozy to enjoy on a Sunday afternoon--preferably with tea and scones. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description

The incomparable Daheim returns, increasing the property value of her delightfully daffy, USA Today bestselling Bed-and-Breakfast mystery series with a sturdy new addition -- a well-constructed tale of murder, milk delivery, and seamy secrets locked behind the closed doors of ...

A nostalgic trip back to Renie's old neighborhood wasn't meant to get B&B hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn's snooping engine revved up. But there it is: the exotic and decrepit manse on Moonfleet Street that the cousins always thought was deserted, even way back in Renie's junior high school days. And since Judith's ex-cop hubby, Joe, is out of town private-eyeing, and her duties at Hillside Manor are strictly routine, what's wrong with giving the creaky old house a closer look?

Lo and behold, the imposing architectural antiquity actually is occupied -- and has been since 1947 -- by the seldom seen and rarely heard Dick and Jane Bland along with Jane's spinster sister, Sally. At least that's the scoop according to the Blands' chatty milkman, who says he's been making deliveries to the address for as long as he can remember. Apparently, the Bland bunch gets mail, groceries, and cow juice dropped off regularly, and they pay their bills in cash that's left in the milk box -- a rather odd arrangement that intrigues Judith and Renie, unfortunately.

It's a curious situation to be sure, but there's certainly nothing sinister going on. At least not until Judith opens the trunk of her car ... and discovers a dead body. To her dismay, the corpse, when animated, had been tightly wrapped up in this Bland business.

Suddenly Judith's gone from being suspicious to being a suspect. And to extricate herself, she'll have to sort through a fine mess of skeletons that the whole blamed Bland family has stuffed away in their many closets.


About the Author
Mary Richardson Daheim is a Seattle native who started telling stories with pictures because she didn't know how to write.#160; After acquiring the rudiments in grade school, Daheim penned her first mystery novel at age eleven.#160; She admits it was terrible, but "showed promise."#160; Thus encouraged, she went on to graduate from the University of Washington's School of Communications, having acquired the knowledge and skills to support herself until she wrote a better book. In 1983, Daheim published her first historical romance, Love's Pirate, for Avon Books.#160; She followed this award-winning novel with Destiny's Pawn, Pride's Captive and Passion's Triumph, all for Avon, as well as several historicals for Harlequin.#160; An avid mystery reader, Daheim decided to try her hand at murder and mayhem with the creation of the Bed-and-Breakfast series from Avon, beginning with Just Desserts, and followed by Fowl Prey, Holy Terrors, Dune to Death, Bantam of the Opera, A Fit of Tempera and Major Vices. Daheim is married to David Daheim, an instructor of cinema, literature, and English at Shoreline Community College.#160; The Daheims have three daughters: Barbara, Katherine, and Magdalen.#160; Daheim is member of the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America and Romance Writers of America.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Mary Daheim adds another clever cozy to her bestselling Bed-and-Breakfast mystery series as B&B owner Judith Flynn investigates the clues in the case of This Old Souse. Some people always find a parking spot. Others never have to wait for a table. Judith Flynn finds bodies. Even the most innocent of outings -- in this case a visit to a spooky old house that has fascinated her cousin Renie Jones since childhood -- quickly becomes an opportunity to discover a corpse.

The house is said to have been occupied since just after WWII by a family called Bland, but they are rarely seen. When a few questions to the UPS man reveals that once a year a package is delivered from Germany, the incurably curious cousins can't resist asking the milkman for a few more details -- any details -- about the family. Shortly after that, the milkman turns up dead in Judith's car￯﾿ﾽand the chase is on. Whenever she can steal time from her eccentric mother, her B&B, and her son, who has recently turned up with his toddlers in tow and the depressing news that he and his wife are "giving up" on their marriage, the intrepid sleuth is on the trail. As she unearths more and more about the Bland clan, she finds tantalizing clues about a hidden hoard￯﾿ﾽand the search leads her into deadly danger. Sue Stone

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"A nostalgic trip back to Renie's old neighborhood wasn't meant to get B&B hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn's snooping engine revved up. But there it is: the exotic and decrepit manse on Moonfleet Street that the cousins always thought was deserted, even way back in Renie's junior high school days. And since Judith's ex-cop hubby, Joe, is out of town private-eyeing, and her duties at Hillside Manor are strictly routine, what's wrong with giving the creaky old house a closer look?" "Lo and behold, the imposing architectural antiquity actually is occupied - and has been since 1947 - by the seldom seen and rarely heard Dick and Jane Bland along with Jane's spinster sister, Sally. At least that's the scoop according to the Bland's chatty milkman, who says he's been making deliveries to the address for as long as he can remember. Apparently, the Bland bunch gets mail, groceries, and cow juice dropped off regularly, and they pay their bills in cash that's left in the milk box - a rather odd arrangement that intrigues Judith and Renie, unfortunately." It's a curious situation to be sure, but there's certainly nothing sinister going on. At least not until Judith opens the trunk of her car... and discovers a dead body. To her dismay, the corpse, when animated, had been tightly wrapped up in this Bland business. Suddenly Judith's gone from being suspicious to being a suspect. And to extricate herself, she'll have to sort through a fine mess of skeletons that the whole blamed Bland family has stuffed away in their many closets.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In Mary Daheim's This Old Souse: A Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery, the 20th entry in this popular cozy series (Suture Yourself, etc.), B&B proprietor Judith Flynn joins cousin Renie in scouting an old Seattle house inhabited by the reclusive Bland family. When a corpse turns up in the trunk of Judith's car, it proves to be that of the Blands' milkman. A thin, improbable plot, vague characterization and a myriad of irrelevant detail won't deter Daheim's many fans. Agent, Maureen Moran. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal