Mum's the Word

Ellie Haskell Mystery #3

by Dorothy Cannell

Several pounds heavier--and gaining--blissful mother-to-be Ellie Haskell knows her days as a thin woman are numbered. Time to let out her clothes, put up her feet, and prepare to enjoy the next nine months as pampered wife. But the first pangs of morning sickness have barely passed when Ellie's handsome husband, Ben, is invited to compete for membership in the world's most exclusive secret society of chefs, and suddenly Ellie finds herself whisked off to America--to Mud Creek, Illinois--and to a gothic mansion straight out of a horror movie.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Humor, Crime, British Literature

263 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

(from Fantastic Fiction online)

Dorothy Cannell was born in London, England, and now lives in Belfast, Maine. Dorothy Cannell writes mysteries featuring Ellie Haskell, interior decorator and Ben Haskell, writer and chef, and Hyacinth and Primrose Tramwell, a pair of dotty sisters and owners of the Flowers Detection Agency.

(from Internet Book List)

Dorothy Cannell, a mother of four, grandmother of ten, and owner of a King Charles Spaniel, was born in England and moved to the United States when she was twenty. After living in Peoria, Illinois, for years, she and her husband recently moved to Belfast, Maine. Her first Ellie Haskell novel, The Thin Woman, was selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Twentieth Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hadn't read any of this series for awhile and now I remember why. Irritating, affected, incoherent and silly. I suppose that these are supposed to be farces, but like theatre of the absurd, I just find them stupid. The only redeeming feature of the series is that the setting is a small English village - and that isn't even the case here - this book takes place in Illinois! Bah.

[Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Enjoyed the first of this series, but this one...the cuteness just never stops. And Ellie, "The Thin Woman" who is first introduced 2 books ago...well, she's obsessed with being (or not) fat...but she's pregnant. Am beginning to believe the author has a real problem with women being overweight and not gorgeous, and this gets really old, really quickly..along with the absolute silliness that begins on page one.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the Ellie Haskell mystery series. In this one, Ellie is pregnant, moody, and travels to the U.S. with her husband for a chance for him to be admitted to a secret society of chefs. Story is set in a mansion on an island in Illinois, and invloves disappearing people and a possible murder which Ellie helps to unravel.

The mystery story line is good involving mysterious characters, unexplained disappearances, a possible murder, and a mother-daughter rivalry because of a Mommy Dearest Joan Crawford type best seller. The title also works on multiple levels with requirements of the chef society, Ellie the expectant mother, and mother-daughter relationships.

Though the story works well, I don't enjoy Cannell's Ellie character a lot. I don't care for Ellie's flippancy and wise cracking ways along with her constant swings back and forth between extremes regarding her husband. Gets tiresome. I also found Ellie's frequent dream sequences confusing at times, though the information revealed helped to move the story along as well as developed the various meanings of the title.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I remember liking the first book, The Thin Woman, years ago, this one in the series seemed silly and annoying. Maybe it was my mood.

[A.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapters: 18
Pages: 294

Ellie Haskell Mystery Series order [13 primary/total works]:
1. The Thin Woman
2. The Widow’s Club
3. Mum's the Word (this review)
4. Femmes Fatal
5. How to Murder Your Mother-In-Law
6. How to Murder the Man of Your Dreams
7. The Spring Cleaning Murders
8. The Trouble with Harriet
9. Bridesmaids Revisited
10. The Importance of Being Ernestine
11. Withering Heights
12. Goodbye, Ms. Chips
13. She Shoots to Conquer

First let me begin this review by saying that I read this book back in 2013. However, after I read a book, I always try to write out my feelings on the story when I finish. Sometimes, I’m moved to write a great deal to type up later. Other times, I just feel up to writing a very basic review. I never intended for it to take me seven YEARS to get it on my GoodReads account, but it has. Obviously, by now, I don’t really remember much about the story, though sometimes my notes help jog my memory. So, if the following review doesn’t really say much or deal too much with the story or plot, that’s probably because I wasn’t moved by one or the other or both to write more than I did. However, such as it is I give to you.

Book Summary: Ben Haskell is offered a chance to join a secret-chefs society, the competition/initiation taking place in America, so he persuades Ellie, his wife, with the unwitting help of the Tramwell sisters, to join him—and that’s when the zany fun starts.

In Boston, Ben rushes Ellie through a “high-points” tour of the city before whisking her to the secret locale, where they learn Mary Faith, daughter of the sex-kitten actress, Theola Faith, is staying while she recoups from her mad-dash book tour, a book that’s set the world on fire: “Monster Mommy” is the fictitious “Mommy Dearest” exposé, alerting the world to the evils of growing up with Theola Faith as Mary’s mother. Surrounded by creepy help, a haunted house complete with a coffin, a backwater town with odd townsfolk, and a guest list of strange (to say the least) people—is it any wonder that Ellie and Ben are sucked into the mysteries that abound? For instance, To where are all the guests disappearing?

My Review (spoiler alert!): As always: quirky but good. Lots of laughs with Ellie Haskell especially when she and Ben come to America, as in this novel!

I will say that I had the mystery figured out fairly early (why are Clark Kent and Superman never together in the same place?), but it was still a fun ride. And I also figured out, before the ending, which confirmed it, that our beloved Ellie isn’t pregnant with one but TWO kids (that’s why she’s putting on weight at an alarming pace and why people keep calling her fat at four months!).

Grade: A (can’t wait to read the next installment)

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Mum's the Word - Ellie Haskell Mystery Book 3
Author: Dorothy Cannell
Publisher: Crimeline
Published: 3-7-2012
Pages: 272
Genre: Mystery
Sub-Genre: Cozy, Suspense, Family life, British Detectives
ASIN: B007DKXFZ2
Reviewed For Myself
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4 Stars

Ellie and Bentley Haskell are awaiting the birth of the first child. Ellie is afraid of her weight is growing to monstrous proportions. No matter what she does it continues to rise at an alarming rate. Morning sickness and tiredness hound her when Bentley is offered a chance to compete for a chance to join a exclusive chef's society. When the Trammell sisters come with dire warning about a psychic vision their maid had in which Ellie was in danger and needed to get away from Merlin's Court. All Ellie's protestations are pushed aside and she finds herself in America with Bentley at a gothic mansion after a series of mishaps. There a group of contestants begin to disappear one by one. Then a surprise attack brings a climatic scene to startling conclusion.


This, the third in the Ellie Haskell mystery series, is a change of pace in that it takes place in America. The mystery is a bit more confuted, but readers will still be looking forward to a fast paced story reminiscent of Then There Were None. Throw in a classic film reference which Ellie's mother had a part in. I was not as fond of this offering, but enjoyed it none the less.


My rating of "Mum's The Word - Ellie Haskell Mystery Book 3" is 4 out of 5 stars.


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[Brittany Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie and Ben together again on a grand adventure! This time with a trip to the USA. I don't know if Cannell was trying to poke fun at people from England who assume you'll be able to fly into New York and visit both Disneyland and Disneyworld in the same day. But that's what she did! Ben and Ellie fly into Boston "see the sights" for half of a day and then drive to a secret location "outside of Boston" which happens to be in Illinois. They always have misadventure and this book is no different. Silly and goofy. So if that's off-putting don't read this. But I do like this book and this series.
I'm excited to see how Ben and Ellie handle their 2 kids in the next book!

[Terry Polston · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd reading, advance reader copy. Very bad copy, changing fonts, bits of print missing. However, the book the author wrote was entertaining. Ben and Ellie come to the U.S. it is strange the way Ellie references U.S. traditions that would not be expected to be known by a Brit. Ellie is pregnant and if course worried about gaining weight. Ben is trying to be indoctrinated into a secret cooking society.

[Sue Zendt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tiresome, maybe. Not charming.

I only read about a third of this, so perhaps it sparkles more toward the end. I found the narrator—indeed, all the characters—irksome, the setting dreary, and the plot disappointing. Usually the combination of a mystery and food catches me right away; not this time.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't really say I liked this book, but once I start reading, I feel compelled to finish. It just seemed like the author was trying too hard to be clever and funny. It didn't ring true. I have a couple more from this series on my Kindle, so I guess I'll be plowing my way through them and hoping for better results.

[S Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contrary to what others felt, I liked this book better than #2 in the series (The Widows Club). While main character Ellie can be a little annoying at times, her humor is delightful! Dorothy Cannell has come up with another very imaginative, unpredictable tale, far out of the ordinary and thrown in some references to books of that time and places I know which added to my enjoyment.

[Abigail · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish.
Picked this up because the premise looked interesting but the main character constantly talks about how "fat" she is/was. Nonstop. talking about being fat, gaining weight, being chubby, calories, etc etc and I just couldn't with it.
I can't tell if the author has a problem or dislike for fat people or if its just a poorly written character flaw/insecurity.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yikes. I am so torn about this author. On the one hand, I absolutely love much of her wit, her tongue-in-cheek understatements, and her unorthodox similes and metaphors. That said, her plots just try too hard. They are convoluted, confusing, and unbelievable. Her books can be very entertaining, and yet they’re downright irritating. The big question is, will I read another one?

[Martha Bratton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know if Dorothy Cannell's writing changed or if I just grew up. But I'm not so amused as I once was. Too much contrivance, too superficial. I feel a loss. Yet I finished it to find out how the author thought the mess should resolve.

[S Hay · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite book of this series is "The Thin Woman", and then the "Widows Club". I liked this book but it did seen to jump all around in the telling of the story. Ellie and Ben are an interesting and fun husband and wife. The story too was unusual, but finally all came together.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellie is getting a bit too whiney, obsessed with food, and suffering from low self-esteem in this one to really get and keep my attention. The mystery was fun, but I got tired of the Mange contestants and their problems. All of it was too much over-the-top for me.

[Lisa Coryat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not finish this one. After reading the first, The Thin Woman, I eagerly bought the first four books in the series.

The opening seems to drag on to get to the story line and I just could not get in to it.

Im hoping the author redeems herself in the next one.

[John Keeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I Gave Up About A Third Of The Way

I loved the first book of this series so much that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on book 2 and 3. Sadly I have not been able to get very far in either of them. I found both boring and slow. I will not bother with any further ones.

[Sarahs bunte Welt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hier gibt es keine klassischen Krimi a la Agatha christie, wie ich mir erhofft hatte bei dem Klappentext, sondern jede Menge essen, merkwürdige Wendungen, schwangerschaftsprobleme und blasse Charaktere. Habe es ab 155 abgebrochen und nur noch den Schluss gelesen.

[Grandma Mush · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the adventure part but some of the characters still seem pushed.

[Harry Addington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny dizzying tale.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A silly, overwrought story. Gave up half way through.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first 2 in the series, but worth reading if you like the others.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the characters in this series but this one was too full of Ellie whining and being jealous of everyone Ben talks to and not enough mystery..

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, engaging with lots of little twists throughout then a bigger one at the end

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

No buy in. No interest. Didn’t finish

[Clemmie Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother dearest

I do enjoy reading this series. Crazy quirky characters & an interesting mystery. I'm ready for the next series to read.

[Barbara Cryer · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of those annoying cozy mysteries that thinks it's super clever with annoying puns and weird little plot twists.

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dorothy Cannell sure can set a silly story in motion! In this outing in her series (following the life of Ellie Haskell, a formerly fat child and adult who finds her way to thinness by falling in love with the handsome Ben), Ellie is pregnant with every preconceived notion of what that means and Ben is asked to travel to America to join a secret chef's society. To a house in the middle of nowhere and located on a small island in the middle of a river they go to find a house teaming with odd balls and misunderstood cranks and a mystery with shades of Christie's "And Then There Were None."

Odd and crazy and silly all at once, this is a story that you'll never take seriously. If Ellie wasn't endearing, she would drive you up a wall. This time around, Cannell hit the right note with this series.