Bonnie of Evidence

Passport to Peril #8

by Maddy Hunter

Emily Andrew-Miceli, travel escort extraordinaire, and her husband, Etienne, are leading a merry band of globetrotting seniors on a tour of Scotland's highlands and islands. In addition to the usual haggis tasting and kilt shopping activities, Emily has organized a high-tech scavenger hunt—her own version of the Highland games that soon turns into all out clan warfare. When one feuding team member is found dead, Etienne—a former police detective—suspects an allergic reaction. But upon discovering that the victim's underhanded tactics may have accidentally unleashed an ancient curse, Emily realizes she'll need a truly brave heart to survive this ill-fated fling.



"Laugh along with Hunter's eighth pun-laden expedition."—Library Journal

"[A] delightfully deadly eighth Passport to Peril mystery."—Publishers Weekly

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Travel, Scotland, Fiction

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2013

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great trip to Scotland! Emily and the seniors were at their best, they get better at catching murderers every trip! I really liked that Etienne was on this tour and I liked Emily's mom and dad too. Can't wait to read their next adventure. #readforkimberly

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admittedly, I found this book at a used bookstore and, missing Scotland, decided to give it a try. I didn't realize there were already 8 books in this series and I was coming in so late, so that may have affected my thoughts while reading this. Unfortunately, I wasn't too much of a fan. I love the premise - a woman and her husband run an international travel company catering towards seniors. However, all of the seniors in the story acted like horrid children. All they did throughout the entire novel was complain and bicker (and not the cute, entertaining kind, but the really mean, awful type of arguing that really just made me dislike nearly everyone). The seniors acted in stereotypical "ugly American abroad" ways and were continuously beyond rude to their guides. Maybe the earlier books in the series were better?

[Sarah B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is without doubt one of the worse books I have read recently. I had been looking forward to a good mystery, one that would relax me. Because often reading mysteries is very relaxing. And then I can use my brain to figure out who the killer is.

But this book was the opposite of relaxing!

Truthfully I have no idea why this book has so many 5 star reviews. It's nothing but petty arguments about the most stupid stuff. It ranges from fighting about people's names (and clans - stuff that happened ages ago and had nothing to do at all with anyone currently alive) to whether or not people found the proper box in a scavenger hunt. The constant arguing got on my nerves. Very badly. It was like some all out cat fight between a bunch of little kids - except these were elderly people! They should know better!!

And the murder didn't happen until page 82. And by the time they announce the death I didn't even care who had died. Because of that arguing!

The previous pages of the book is basically one long argument between various people about different things. It's very horrible.

Maybe the author meant it to be funny or something but it's not. It's absolutely horrendous.

[Kai Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. The best part about it was that it was funny as well as a mystery. The whole premise of a group of older Iowaians on a discount tour of Scotland set me off and I laughed most of the way through. No, even older American men don't wear anything under their kilts. Mystery solved!

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lively and funny! Indomitable tour escort, Emily Andrew Miceli, is back along with Grandma, Mom& Dad & a bunch of irascible senior globetrotters from Minnesota. This time she has her hunky hubby retired detective Miceli along! They're visiting bonnie auld Scotland looking for Nessie, cultural & touristy spots alike. Now the oldsters are trying their hands at geocaching! Then the murders start...
Is everybody really what they seem? Emily is bound and determined to get to the bottom of it all -- hopefully without losing anymore of her guests!

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonnie of Evidence by Maddy Hunter is the 8th book in the Passport to Peril mystery series. Emily is leading her group of Iowan seniors on a tour of Scotland with the added incentive of a scavenger hunt, when one of the group dies after bringing back a cursed dagger. I love this series and always have a great time. There are plenty of laughs and I especially enjoyed the seniors newly acquired fighting skills which they are keen to use to help Emily. A fun and entertaining series.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beloved gang from Iowa is back, and this time their adventures take place in bonnie Scotland. The Passport to Peril series has been a favourite of mine for many years, and with Bonnie of Evidence, the eighth installment, I felt like the series had been infused with new life. Something about it felt different, while still staying true to the essence of the series and sticking with what makes the Passport to Peril books so amazing.

I was really excited to see Etienne along for the trip this time, and I thought the addition of Emily’s parents added not only more depth, but also new levels of hilarity to the story. All the old favourites who we know and love from the previous books are back, and at this point I feel like I know them so well they’re like real people. I know how they’re going to react to certain situations, but not in a ‘that’s so predictable’ way - more like they’re friends that you know really well and know their habits, but who still manage to surprise you. And while the humour is familiar, there are new elements too. This is one of those series that never fails to make me laugh out loud.

In eight books, I haven’t once been able to solve the mystery. It’s so tightly woven, and it’s always the last person you would suspect, which I love. I was glad Emily didn’t do too much of the actual sleuthing herself this time and didn’t become obsessed like she sometimes does.

Besides the humour and the mystery, my other favourite part about this series is that I get to live vicariously through other people’s travels. I’ve always been fascinated by Scotland, and I honestly felt like I was there myself. Maddy does a terrific job of dropping in details about a location - interesting facts, descriptions, history, etc. - and I find it all fascinating.

Bonnie of Evidence is definitely one of my new favourites in the Passport to Peril series. Full of humour, suspense, adventure, and wacky, loveable characters, with the lush backdrop of Scotland that will make you want to don a kilt and head for the Highlands, Bonnie of Evidence is a must read.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly find this series, A Passport to Peril Mystery, to be delightfully entertaining to my book senses. I find the humor, and understanding of senior citizens, although slightly exaggerated, near the mark, especially as I'm gathering speed to becoming one of them.

In this series, we find a husband, handsome Swiss former homicide detective, Etienne Miceli, and his charming wife, Emily Andrew-Miceli leading "merry globetrotting senior" citizens through the ancient lands of Scotland.

Emily has added an additional feature to the usual tourist activities of shopping, eating, and viewing. She has added the new 'Geocaching' scavenger hunt to liven up the group. As in former novels in this terrific series, the results never match the intentions with this group. Not only are the strong-minded Iowans declaring their Scottish roots and reliving various feuds that have traveled down the centuries, a cheater has been found dead after releasing a curse!

Now Emily and her Nana and others must disclose the killer or killers within the gang, while dealing with treacherous winds, thundering skies, and stark tour conditions.

This book had me laughing so often that I truly didn't sense the motive until the Author disclosed it. That is a winning novel to me. This is the seventh novel in the series. All are fun reads. I am anxiously awaiting the eighth, "Fleur de Lies."

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another funny addition to the Passport to Peril series, this time a trip to Scotland with the usual cast of Emily, her family, and bickering but amusing Iowa seniors.

[Sandra Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest this book was not as good at first then the others though I did love that we finally get to have more of Emily parents in a book. I wish they had a bigger part. Overall they are in Scotland, and get to know a little bit more on Grandmas Scotland heritage and two travelers die under mysterious circumstances. Now the original thought of why to me was disappointed but turned out to be false and the real reason was a bit better. Though I’m curious if we will see or hear more about Eric and Alex or if they will get a spin off someday.

[Gary L Lavalleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Senior Citizens really are like this!

I work at a senior community, and yes, they can be cranky, forgetful and absolutely need to know where the bathroom is! When Emily said it was a bit like herding cats, she wasn't wrong. But like Emily's group they're also big hearted, inquisitive and loving, and they'd love a mystery to solve. Good, slightly crazy characters that you'd really like to know. Fun and lighthearted, even with the dead bodies!

[Lori]

Emily is off to Ireland with her crazy group of senior citizens from Iowa plus a few extra people. When women start dropping dead Emily, Etienne, her grandmother and the other seniors start investigating the murders.
Who knew that a trip to Ireland could go so wrong. From boat trips in high waves to finding out about family history this book will keep you shaking your head at the unbelievable.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh every other page

Light hearted who dunnit mystery revolving around a group of senior citizens and all their quirky personalities. Add to the mayhem with a murder or two!!! What a way to run a travel agency! Any thing can happen with a bunch of old people. When one is multi-millionaire, the fun gets deeper!!!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Home sick and tired of tv, I picked up this book and could barely put it down. Finished it in 2+ days. It lightened my spirits even when I didn't fell well. This is a delightful series and this book about Scotland was very enjoyable with laughable and interesting twists. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! Emily and the Iowa gang never disappoint!

Read for the 2016 reading challenge prompt, "a book that's guaranteed to bring you joy".

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining, fluffy read. There's not much new in these, but I enjoy them for the brain vacation.

[bookreadera · Rating 4 out of 5]

The books in the Passport to Peril are always an enjoyable combination of mystery, laughter, and armchair travel. They never disappoint.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle

[Kyle Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is a delight. This outing was funny with an interesting plot.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A enjoyable cozy mystery with a sense of humor. The focus on senior citizens is also refreshing.

[Linda Lugar · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun! I need fun!

[Christa (haines) Sheridan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the poorest quality series that I can't stop reading. The books are not great, but the characters and situations always make me laugh (and sometimes cringe).

[M]

Bad.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bunch of quirky seniors tour around historic Scotland in this mystery, with the Iowa group discovering that more lurks around Loch Ness than the monster.

BONNIE OF EVIDENCE brings tour guide Emily Miceli and some of her family to Edinburgh's military tattoo, escorting a charmingly curmudgeonly party. All seem determined to see the sights, shop and win a team game. The sport of geocaching has replaced scavenger hunting, with websites giving a GPS location of a cache and the teams doing their best to track the objects. The city's castle and narrow closes give the first day's sport, with endless arguments.

Next the group tours the moored Royal Yacht Britannia and moves on to the town of Braemar, with another cache disputed over in the bar, when a small dagger, or dirk, has been found by one team who mistakenly thought it was the prize. Arguments ensue over the Battle of Glen Coe and some men appear in kilts, very pleased with themselves. So far, so usual... until the woman who held the dirk is found dead and the dirk is missing. Loch Ness nearby could have been atmospheric enough, but their hotel owner declares that the dirk is cursed, having taken the life of a chieftain. The police allow the group to continue on their journey to the top of Scotland and a ferry to the Orkney Islands, but by now Emily is starting to think that the whole trip is cursed. The dirk reappears - alongside another dead body....

Maddy Hunter in her 'Passport to Peril' series recreates all the things that have gone wrong on her own journeys, though we can hope she didn't meet quite so many murders. There is lots of historic background, and perhaps too much arguing over the relative merits of the Campbells and the McDonalds three hundred years after an act of treachery. You might even consider taking up geocaching yourself.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Andrew-Miceli and her group of Iowa seniors this time are on a tour of Scotland. To add more fun to the trip, she and her hot hubby Etienne have organized a geochaching hunt. Much to Emily's dismay, her mom and dad are also with her on the tour. But one of the teams brings a cursed dirk into their hotel on Loch Ness, which was found by Isobel Kronk a member of the tour group, who then ends up dead. Was the dagger cursed, was it an accident? Or do Emily and the gang have another murder on their hand?!

This is one of the first Cozy Mystery Series I started reading. I was drawn to all the different countries. It's one of those series that never lets you down. I love Emily and her Iowans and this adventure in Scotland is again fantastic! I always very much enjoy the other people who are on the tour next to Emily's Iowan group. This time a few people with Scottish backgrounds and of course, as usual, the Iowans don't really do well with this group. I love all the characters in these books, especially those who always go on the trip, the humor that is in these books and the storyline was also very good! I had no idea who the killer was, I was betting on the wrong horse the entire time..... I was really stunned when the murderer was revealed.

If you've never read this series, you really should! It's a light read, with lots of humor, background information on the countries and cities they visit and good storylines.

[Jenn C · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You're never right."

"That's not true! I was right in Holland." I let out a breath. "Well, kinda right." I bobbed my head. "About a few things." I sighed. "Okay. I'm never right. But there could always be a first time." (p. 343)

The fun part of Emily (besides her overactive imagination and yummy husband) is that she is sorta right - sometimes about a person, sometimes about a motive, though usually not about the correct crime.

The gang (along with yummy Etienne and ever-patience Wally) are traveling in Scotland, along with new additions that make the Mainers from Holland look like saints. To make things a little more interesting, Emily and Etienne have decided to include a geocatching challenge along the way. Unfortunately, that's when the fun really starts! ;) Add a curse, rainy weather, and incomprehensible scots, Bonnie of Evidence is a fun escape for a rainy afternoon.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 8th book in Maddy Hunter's "Passport to Peril" series takes our senior citizens to Scotland for a round of geocaching & sightseeing. As usual, the group led by Emily Andrew-Miceli ends up getting into trouble after an object is stolen & the thief eventually turns up dead due to what could be an ancient Scottish curse. Hunter's characters are as lively as ever with comments & conversations from everything to what cheating represents to what really is under a kilt as a reader had me laughing my head off. Yes, there is a double mystery here which is a treat to follow along & even as they tourists blow things off for less trivial matters, it does nothing to detract from the humor of this book. Another enjoyable entry in a very unique mystery series.

[Margaret Pinard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was about Scotland, but I was disappointed by how cheesy the story was. Maybe it's because it's a 'cozy mystery'? It held numerous lines of dialogue which made me roll my eyes. There were many instances of the action being unbelievable. And while the first few times the old people joked about being old, it didn't get better.
It started out with a funny premise--bumbling senior tour group in Scotland has a murderer in its midst--but ended up too shallow and cliche for me to appreciate. It got worse for the denouement, and I could predict all the last 10 pages' dialogue.
The author did try to throw in some nice facts about the places they visited in Scotland, though.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily and the gang are in Scotland in this eighth book in the series. This time the seniors are using their brand new smart phones to find geocached items in a contest to win a free trip. As usual the spunky Iowan seniors jump in with both feet. And of course, it is not too long before a guest turns up dead, apparently of natural causes. Emily has her doubts. But the tour must go on.

Oh, these books are some of my favorites. Emily and her gang are so much fun. Like most cozies, the characters and the setting are way more important than the mystery. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The senior citizens from Iowa are joined by some others to tour Scotland. This time Emily and Nana are joined by Etienne (Emily's husband) was well as Emily's parents. We almost have clan warfare renewed as various members of the group are found to have Scots ancestors from opposing sides at the Battle of Culloden and other historic clashes. There are lots of discussions of traditional food, the advantages of wearing a kilt, and the infamous Loch Ness monster, but not as much commentary on other areas of Scotland as I would have liked. There are lots of "laugh out loud" hilarious comments and once again an unpredictable ending.