May 28, 2012
Daheim’s cute 27th mystery featuring Seattle B&B owner Judith Flynn (after 2011’s All the Pretty Little Hearses) takes Judith and her cousin Renie Jones to Little Bavaria, Wash. for an Oktoberfest celebration. There elderly Dietrich Wessler, the town’s most respected and most productive citizen, is soon stabbed to death amid festivities at Wolfgang’s Gast Haus. The bumbling Little Bavaria police chief, “Fat Matt” Duomo, wants Judith not only to solve Wessler’s murder but also ferret out who killed another local months earlier. A few inquiries reveal Wessler’s abundant illegitimate progeny scattered throughout Little Bavaria. When a second town elder meets an untimely demise, Judith knows she’s on the right track and making a dangerous killer very nervous. Though readers may struggle to keep track of the numerous characters and connections, Judith’s investigative skills and Renie’s razor-sharp sarcasm make it worth the effort. Agent: Maureen Moran, Maureen Moran Agency.