Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Book Review: Dutch Me Deadly by Maddy Hunter

Dutch Me Deadly by Maddy Hunter
Series: Passport to Peril, Book #7
Published: February 8th, 2012
Publisher: Midnight Ink
274 pages (paperback)
Genre: Adult mystery/humour
Acquired this book: Requested from author
Warning: may include spoilers
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Synopsis: As a travel escort for seniors, Emily Andrew-Miceli has led her feisty Iowa clan all over the world. This time, they're off to see historic windmills, classic Rembrandts, and picturesque canals in Holland - if they can ever unplug from their smartphones, that is. Joining them is the high school class from Bangor, Maine, whose 50th reunion celebration goes south faster than a fallen Brussel sprout soufflé as old rivalries start heating up. Worse, Emily's hopes for a 100% survival rate on this trip are dashed when an important member of the tour suffers a tragic (and highly suspicious) accident. Then the saucy seniors' wild night of drug-laced desserts and risqué shows in Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District gets even more mysterious when one unpopular reunioner goes missing…

I’d like to preface this review with a little back-story. I discovered the Passport to Peril series several years ago, loved it, and read all the books very quickly. I was so sad when the series ended, because it felt like saying goodbye to old friends. A few months ago, I was writing a post about top 10 books/series more people should know about, and I wanted to include the Passport to Peril series. When I went to look up the order of the series, I was amazed and excited to see that a new book had been added to the list - I was thrilled that I’d get to see Emily and Nana and the gang again! I immediately looked to see if Maddy had a Facebook page, and she did, so we got to chatting, and she told me that a new publisher had wanted her to continue with the series, thus Dutch Me Deadly was born. I mentioned that I was a book blogger and that if she happened to need reviewers, I’d be thrilled to get an ARC (so subtle I know, but you don’t understand how much I love this series!), so she had her publisher send me a copy! Thank you so much Maddy and Midnight Ink!


Now, onto my actual review:

The gang has reunited, as amazing as ever! I had really missed these characters, along with Maddy’s quick wit and seemingly effortless writing style.

After waiting so long to rejoin the Iowa gang, I wasn’t disappointed. The seniors are as funny as ever, and I loved that they’re all obsessed with technology, while Emily’s still so clueless she barely knows how to work a cell phone. Nana, as always, had a ton of classic lines, as did all the other seniors, and of course, Jackie, too. The scene in the Red Light District had me in hysterics - I could picture it so clearly!

There’s really not a whole lot I can say without giving away too much of the plot, but the mystery was great - I think I suspected just about everyone but the actual killer, and the killer’s motives were a great twist. Seven books in, and I don’t think I’ve figured out the killer in a single one. Maybe it’s because Emily gets so paranoid that she suspects everyone, and I’ve learned to do the same. I love it when she thinks she has it figured out, and then new facts are added - in this case by the seniors, thanks to their tech-savvy ways, which was hilarious - and she has to start all over again.

One side benefit to these books is that I get to travel the world without actually leaving my house. I love to travel, but haven’t had a chance to do much of it, so I get to see all these places through Emily’s eyes and learn interesting facts about different countries and some of their main attractions, customs, food, etc. It’s all fascinating to me.

Cute, laugh-out-loud funny, and action-packed - if you haven’t read this series, you’re really missing out!
The Passport to Peril Series
Book 1 - Alpine for You
Book 2 - Top O’ the Mournin’
Book 3 - Pasta Imperfect
Book 4 - Hula Done It
Book 5 - G’day to Die
Book 6 - Norway to Hide
Book 7 - Dutch Me Deadly
And the next book will be set in Scotland - yay!

1 comment:

  1. I don't think I ever heard of this series before. It sounds really intriguing. I love to travel too but I haven't actually went many places so I might really enjoy this! Lovely review Marie!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting Ramblings of a Daydreamer! I love hearing what you have to say, and I appreciate every single comment. I hope to see you here again soon! ♥
~Marie

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