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Elderhostel #2
Killing Thyme
Senior citizen James P. Dandy and his lady friend, Dodee Swish, do not expect their second trip to a Baltimore, Maryland, elderhostel class to be filled with the murder and mayhem of their previous bonsai class, but they find they are quite wrong when chefs start dying all around them. Reprint.
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
1 person is currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Peter E. Abresch
22 books11 followers Born in the USA... a long, looooong time ago.
I held many knock-about jobs before going to college, and after two with the government: a geodesist traveling all over the world: and a systems computer programmer, traveling back and forth to work: and now, retired, a full-time writer which I had been doing all along. Also during this time I managed to hammer and nail a 3400 square foot house together and build three sailboats.
I sold my first story, a novella called Hi Diddle Diddle, to Analog Magazine in 1968, sold a movie option on it, and thought my career was made, but it was thirty years before I was published again with Bloody Bonsai, the first of the Elderhostel Mysteries. Four more in the series followed.
My latest novel is THE FALTESE MALCOM. Within its pages you'll find adventure, love, laughter, a hard-boiled mystery, a walk on the fantasy side with time travel. It's a humorous take-off on the Maltese Falcon, a Harry Potter entertainment for adults.
The Faltese Malcom is published through Create Space, an Amazon company, along with If They Ask for a Hand, Only Give Them a Finger, and soon to be published, Capitol Coven. Both books are available on CDs.
Some time back I started a free newsletter called BookMarc, lessons and advice in fiction writing. It led to a contract and the publishing of Easy Reading Writing, easy reading about writing easy reading, http://easyreadingwriting.com/ The BookMarc newsletter is ongoing, restarted recently, and everyone is welcome to join the list by emailing me with 'subscribe BookMarc', it's free and can be stopped anytime.
I'm still not a NYT bestseller. I'm still not a millionaire. Nor do I rule the universe.
But my Father does.
I held many knock-about jobs before going to college, and after two with the government: a geodesist traveling all over the world: and a systems computer programmer, traveling back and forth to work: and now, retired, a full-time writer which I had been doing all along. Also during this time I managed to hammer and nail a 3400 square foot house together and build three sailboats.
I sold my first story, a novella called Hi Diddle Diddle, to Analog Magazine in 1968, sold a movie option on it, and thought my career was made, but it was thirty years before I was published again with Bloody Bonsai, the first of the Elderhostel Mysteries. Four more in the series followed.
My latest novel is THE FALTESE MALCOM. Within its pages you'll find adventure, love, laughter, a hard-boiled mystery, a walk on the fantasy side with time travel. It's a humorous take-off on the Maltese Falcon, a Harry Potter entertainment for adults.
The Faltese Malcom is published through Create Space, an Amazon company, along with If They Ask for a Hand, Only Give Them a Finger, and soon to be published, Capitol Coven. Both books are available on CDs.
Some time back I started a free newsletter called BookMarc, lessons and advice in fiction writing. It led to a contract and the publishing of Easy Reading Writing, easy reading about writing easy reading, http://easyreadingwriting.com/ The BookMarc newsletter is ongoing, restarted recently, and everyone is welcome to join the list by emailing me with 'subscribe BookMarc', it's free and can be stopped anytime.
I'm still not a NYT bestseller. I'm still not a millionaire. Nor do I rule the universe.
But my Father does.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 20, 2011
Definitely what I would call a Cozy read.
Trying to become a newly enlightened man, Jim catches himself in tiny acts of chauvinism and amusingly corrects himself before Dodee can witness them. While modern woman Dodee, not being fooled, allows the sleights to pass as if unnoticed. They are cute together.
Part of the aged over fifty-five group their approach to life and each other is less frantic; they have time. Abresch, does not present sexual congress in terms of who put what appendage where, but instead as a walk in the park…Literally. I enjoyed the “scenery” without feeling like a Peeping Tom!
Elderhostel sounds like such a fun organization. This time around I learned a few culinary tips and cutlery pointers.☺ I also tried to solve a pretty convoluted stack of mysteries and murders. I wonder, does Elderhostel offer a Private Detective class?
As Jim Dandy says: “Great. Just Great!“
Trying to become a newly enlightened man, Jim catches himself in tiny acts of chauvinism and amusingly corrects himself before Dodee can witness them. While modern woman Dodee, not being fooled, allows the sleights to pass as if unnoticed. They are cute together.
Part of the aged over fifty-five group their approach to life and each other is less frantic; they have time. Abresch, does not present sexual congress in terms of who put what appendage where, but instead as a walk in the park…Literally. I enjoyed the “scenery” without feeling like a Peeping Tom!
Elderhostel sounds like such a fun organization. This time around I learned a few culinary tips and cutlery pointers.☺ I also tried to solve a pretty convoluted stack of mysteries and murders. I wonder, does Elderhostel offer a Private Detective class?
As Jim Dandy says: “Great. Just Great!“
April 11, 2010
This is a light, fun read with likeable characters. It rolls along nicely and doesn't require too much thought. I learned a few things about cooking. The end/twist/climax was difficult for me to follow. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'm not really sure who/when/why really. This was written 10 years ago. I know the author has at least one other book in this vein, and perhaps I'll seek it out.
August 10, 2019
This is the second book in this series of elderhostel mysteries. It is the first one I've read.
Dodee Swisher, an artist, and James P. Dandy, a retired physical therapist, are meeting up once again Baltimore for a one week tour of Blatimore's top restaurants and some cooking courses from the area's famous chefs. And once again the dead bodies start appearing from the get go!
Just because they are senior citizens doesn't mean they aren't out for adventure, especially in Dodee's way of thinking. Jim tells Dodee about the first death when he meets her with the news that the lead chef died when he was tasting a dish. That puts Dodee on the hunt and Jim just has to follow in order to keep Dodee safe from harm.
The other characters in the group are quite an assortment. Elvira von Platton and her son Leslie, who jumps at her every demanding command.Otto and Francis Ottoway, he a loud and demanding man who expects his wife to wait on him hand and foot. George and Carol Kaplow who seem to have a similar marriage as the Ottoways. Chefs Morgan Wren, Cecily Featherspoon, Nina Achilles, Alphonse Rouille and a few more....all seeming to have secrets to hide.
This was a fun read. Dodee and Jim share a relationship that does contain romance and humour. There is something always going on, so the plot moves. Also there were some interesting tidbits about cooking...no recipes or such, but interesting.
Dodee Swisher, an artist, and James P. Dandy, a retired physical therapist, are meeting up once again Baltimore for a one week tour of Blatimore's top restaurants and some cooking courses from the area's famous chefs. And once again the dead bodies start appearing from the get go!
Just because they are senior citizens doesn't mean they aren't out for adventure, especially in Dodee's way of thinking. Jim tells Dodee about the first death when he meets her with the news that the lead chef died when he was tasting a dish. That puts Dodee on the hunt and Jim just has to follow in order to keep Dodee safe from harm.
The other characters in the group are quite an assortment. Elvira von Platton and her son Leslie, who jumps at her every demanding command.Otto and Francis Ottoway, he a loud and demanding man who expects his wife to wait on him hand and foot. George and Carol Kaplow who seem to have a similar marriage as the Ottoways. Chefs Morgan Wren, Cecily Featherspoon, Nina Achilles, Alphonse Rouille and a few more....all seeming to have secrets to hide.
This was a fun read. Dodee and Jim share a relationship that does contain romance and humour. There is something always going on, so the plot moves. Also there were some interesting tidbits about cooking...no recipes or such, but interesting.
December 1, 2023
Second outing in this short (5 books) series, and it continues much as the first. Here, James P. Dandy and his new paramour Dodee Swish are on another Elderhostel outing, learning cooking techniques and kitchen skills.
Once again, there’s murder and mayhem, and Dodee cannot resist investigating on her own and with Jim’s reluctant accompaniment. And of course, they run afoul of both those officially investigating the crimes, and those committing them. They do beat the police to the “punch” but at the price of almost getting their own funeral tickets “punched.”
Not great mystery fiction, but good enough with a good pace, likeable characters, and enough plot twists and red herrings for anyone. I will read the others.
Once again, there’s murder and mayhem, and Dodee cannot resist investigating on her own and with Jim’s reluctant accompaniment. And of course, they run afoul of both those officially investigating the crimes, and those committing them. They do beat the police to the “punch” but at the price of almost getting their own funeral tickets “punched.”
Not great mystery fiction, but good enough with a good pace, likeable characters, and enough plot twists and red herrings for anyone. I will read the others.
October 24, 2017
Just plain bad.
Read
July 16, 2021Jim and Dodee are on the trail of another murder.
May 18, 2012
Yet another fun and exciting mystery novel from this great book series.
December 4, 2013
Killing chefs on a Baltimore culinary elderhostel.
Jim and Dodee meet.
Cute, recipes buried in text.
Brands and locations: Lighthouse Inn, All Clad, Henkels.
Jim and Dodee meet.
Cute, recipes buried in text.
Brands and locations: Lighthouse Inn, All Clad, Henkels.
January 31, 2013
Great characters - lame story.
April 18, 2017
really 2.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews