Author: Laura Lippman
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Format: Kindle ARC and Audio ALC
Narrator: Kimberly Farr
Length: 9 hrs 46 mins
No. of Pages: 272
Date of Publication: June 17, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Highly acclaimed New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman returns with an irresistible mystery featuring Muriel Blossom, a former private investigator and middle-aged widow whose vacation on a Parisian river cruise turns into a deadly international mystery…that only she can solve.
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.
But when Mrs. Blossom booked her cruise through France on the MS Solitaire, she did not expect to meet Allan on her transatlantic flight. He is the first man who’s sparked something inside her since her beloved husband passed.
She also didn’t expect Allan to be found, dead, twenty-four hours later in Paris, a city he wasn’t supposed to be in.
Now Mrs. Blossom doesn’t know who to trust on board the ship, especially when a new, mystifying man, Danny, keeps popping up around every corner, always present when things go awry. He claims that Allan was involved in the transport of a stolen, precious piece of art, and he’s convinced that Mrs. Blossom knows more than she lets on, regarding both the artifact and Allan’s murder.
Mrs. Blossom’s questions only increase as the cruise sails down the Seine. Why does it feel like she is being followed? Who was Allan, and why was he killed? Most alarmingly, why do these mysterious men keep flirting with her?
What follows is a charming one-of-a-kind mystery from one of Time magazine’s “essential crime writers of the last 100 years.” The perfect combination of cozy and thrilling, this novel and the delightful Mrs. Blossom are sure to be unforgettable.
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.
But when Mrs. Blossom booked her cruise through France on the MS Solitaire, she did not expect to meet Allan on her transatlantic flight. He is the first man who’s sparked something inside her since her beloved husband passed.
She also didn’t expect Allan to be found, dead, twenty-four hours later in Paris, a city he wasn’t supposed to be in.
Now Mrs. Blossom doesn’t know who to trust on board the ship, especially when a new, mystifying man, Danny, keeps popping up around every corner, always present when things go awry. He claims that Allan was involved in the transport of a stolen, precious piece of art, and he’s convinced that Mrs. Blossom knows more than she lets on, regarding both the artifact and Allan’s murder.
Mrs. Blossom’s questions only increase as the cruise sails down the Seine. Why does it feel like she is being followed? Who was Allan, and why was he killed? Most alarmingly, why do these mysterious men keep flirting with her?
What follows is a charming one-of-a-kind mystery from one of Time magazine’s “essential crime writers of the last 100 years.” The perfect combination of cozy and thrilling, this novel and the delightful Mrs. Blossom are sure to be unforgettable.
MY THOUGHTS:
68-year-old Mrs. Blossom may not play the lottery, but she certainly won the lottery by finding a winning ticket. From a private investigator who excelled at blending in when it came to surveillance, to a doting grandmother, she has now booked a cruise to France. Her journey begins with a long flight across the ocean, where she meets the charming Allan. From a shared flight to a few drinks, she can’t believe that after ten years of widowhood, she finds herself drawn to him.
However, just 24 hours later, Mrs. Blossom’s life takes a dramatic turn when she is visited by the Paris police. They are full of questions and ultimately ask her if she knows Allan. Upon confirming their brief connection, she is informed that Allan has tragically fallen off a balcony to his death. Allan is not the only new man that Mrs. Blossom meets on her trip. She soon finds herself in constant company with Danny, who practically has become her shadow. Who is Danny, and why has he stuck so closely to Mrs. Blossom?
As Mrs. Blossom delves deeper into the mystery, she discovers that something sinister is afoot. A precious artifact has been stolen, and it turns out that Allan was not the man she thought he was. Not sure how she got connected to Allan, then Danny, and is now entangled in the stolen art, Mrs. Blossom puts on her private investigator hat and sets out to uncover the truth.
This one-sitting story is a thrilling and entertaining read. Although I received a digital ARC, I was also delighted to receive an audio copy for review. Kimberly Farr’s narration is excellent, and Laura Lippmann’s writing is simply captivating. I particularly enjoyed Mrs. Blossom’s relatable character. She is not embarrassed by her age or size, and her relentless pursuit of answers is a pure joy to witness.
Many thanks to William Morrow and to Libro.fm and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Ms. Lippman grew up in Baltimore and attended city schools through ninth grade. After graduating from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md., Ms. Lippman attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her other newspaper jobs included the Waco Tribune-Herald and the San Antonio Light.
Ms. Lippman returned to Baltimore in 1989 and has lived there since. She is the daughter of Theo Lippman Jr., a Sun editorial writer who retired in 1995 but continues to freelance for several newspapers, and Madeline Mabry Lippman, a former Baltimore City school librarian. Her sister, Susan, is a local bookseller.
