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Passport to Peril #2
Top O' the Mournin'
WHEN IRISH EYES ARE LYIN'...Emily Andrew is earning some much-needed green by navigating the twisting roads of Ireland with a group of seniors, including her beloved Nana. But once the hearty troupe from Iowa lands on Irish sod, trouble starts brewing: there's a death-defying incident with a horse-drawn carriage . . . and a gender-bending encounter with Emily's ex-husband Jack, now known as Jackie. No wonder Emily has come down with a smarting case of hives!
The plot thickens like Irish stew when the group settles into Ballybantry Castle, where a ghost is said to wander the halls. But it's no blarney when a very real corpse turns up in one of the guest rooms. While the murderous malarkey has Emily step-dancing as fast as she can, one sure thing emerges from the mists: not even St. Paddy himself could drive out the spiteful serpent that slithers among them!
The plot thickens like Irish stew when the group settles into Ballybantry Castle, where a ghost is said to wander the halls. But it's no blarney when a very real corpse turns up in one of the guest rooms. While the murderous malarkey has Emily step-dancing as fast as she can, one sure thing emerges from the mists: not even St. Paddy himself could drive out the spiteful serpent that slithers among them!
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2003
17 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
June 8, 2016
I read the first book in this series earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I related to how Midwestern the characters were, all their little quirks were super accurate. The romance was even tolerable, which for me, says a lot.
So I was looking forward to getting to this one, the second in the series.
I dropped it two chapters in.
You can call me oversensitive if you need to but basing an entire book about being a raging transphobe...isn't funny. Misgendering a transwoman every time you speak to her...isn't funny. Calling her by her dead name instead of chosen name...isn't funny. The snide comments, the jokes at her expense, the constant drivel that I would only expect from an elderly Southern woman... None of this is funny.
I guess if you aren't educated on trans issues or you don't care or you don't like trans people this will be an excellent choice of cozy mystery for you. I, however, will pass. Thank you, ma'am.
So I was looking forward to getting to this one, the second in the series.
I dropped it two chapters in.
You can call me oversensitive if you need to but basing an entire book about being a raging transphobe...isn't funny. Misgendering a transwoman every time you speak to her...isn't funny. Calling her by her dead name instead of chosen name...isn't funny. The snide comments, the jokes at her expense, the constant drivel that I would only expect from an elderly Southern woman... None of this is funny.
I guess if you aren't educated on trans issues or you don't care or you don't like trans people this will be an excellent choice of cozy mystery for you. I, however, will pass. Thank you, ma'am.
October 1, 2015
After surviving a trip to Switzerland, Emily flies her way to Ireland with a group of seniors and a new waterproof watch in tow in the second installment of the Passport to Peril series. She finds herself staying in a haunted castle with her ex, her group of seniors, and a (allegedly) webbed foot killer. I cannot stress how hilarious this series is. Every time I think I’m all laughed out, a new series of hilarious events unfold.
All of the characters are hilarious in their own way. I think that everyone can find at least one character that reminds them of someone they know. It’s highly possible that many of us know a real life Bernice, with or without her terrible luck. One of the things that I love about this series is that Emily is such a realistic protagonist. She never knows who the real killer is until the revelation nearly smacks her in the face. She gets into all kinds of crazy hijinks, many of which can actually happen, and she is a well-rounded character. I love reading about her and all of her shenanigans as a budding amateur sleuth. Don’t quit your day job, Emily! I say this with love because she is how I picture a budding amateur sleuth shortly after randomly falling into the new jig. If you like humorous novels and cozy mysteries, I think this is a book for you!
All of the characters are hilarious in their own way. I think that everyone can find at least one character that reminds them of someone they know. It’s highly possible that many of us know a real life Bernice, with or without her terrible luck. One of the things that I love about this series is that Emily is such a realistic protagonist. She never knows who the real killer is until the revelation nearly smacks her in the face. She gets into all kinds of crazy hijinks, many of which can actually happen, and she is a well-rounded character. I love reading about her and all of her shenanigans as a budding amateur sleuth. Don’t quit your day job, Emily! I say this with love because she is how I picture a budding amateur sleuth shortly after randomly falling into the new jig. If you like humorous novels and cozy mysteries, I think this is a book for you!
September 12, 2017
Can we talk about how much I hate puns?
I HATE THEM.
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I think this book is an improvement over the first, but there's still a ways to go. The screwball comedy attempts are less forced; on the other hand, there's a trans character, & I'm not sure how to feel about her portrayal. It seems like Hunter's mining the I'm-new-to-this-body stuff for comedic effect, not to mention that main character/terrible amateur sleuth Emily used to be married to her, before she came out as trans. I'm trying to remember that the book is over 10 years old & things have changed a little, but I don't think I like that Jackie's transition seems more about laughs than anything else. Still, there isn't any reaction to Jackie other than acceptance, so I guess it's ahead of its time there?
I still have complicated feelings about it, but as I recall, I'll have plenty of time to think about Jackie later on.
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The mystery is more a subplot here, as Emily's main concerns are dealing with Jackie & making time for her boyfriend? I guess? Etienne, who was out of line in the first book (I thought) & has been sending steamy messages to Emily across the Atlantic for four months. Supposedly, this is enough of a relationship ("relationship") for him to tell her he loves her, even though they see each other for approx. 6 hours on this trip. 🙄
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There are lots of stereotypes about midwesterners, New Yorkers, & the Irish. Also one of my greatest pet peeves of all time: use of "y'all" as a singular when clearly it is a contraction of YOU and ALL, which denotes a plural FOR THE LOVE OF GOD IT'S NOT THAT HARD.
December 24, 2021
I started reading Maddie Hunter's "Passport to Peril" mystery series a long time ago -- probably at least a decade. I'm not sure why I didn't immediately start reading earlier in the series but it definitely wasn't because I didn't like the book or Emily Andrew, its main character. I suspect it was because the paperbacks had gone out of print and the one I did read -- Hula Done It -- was the only one I could find.
It's taken me years but I finally requested the first in the series from my library. I was worried that it would feel dated but nope -- it felt like it could have happened just a year or so ago. And I finally got to find out how Emily ended up shepherding Iowa senior citizens on these vacations around the world!
I've already read the first two in the series and have borrowed the third and fourth (it's Hula but I read it long enough ago that I need a re-read) to read over the coming weeks. If reading about a New Yorker who had to return to her hometown in Iowa -- and her one-of-a-kind grandmother -- as they travel around the world doesn't sound too odd to you, trust me. Find copies of these books and start reading.
It's taken me years but I finally requested the first in the series from my library. I was worried that it would feel dated but nope -- it felt like it could have happened just a year or so ago. And I finally got to find out how Emily ended up shepherding Iowa senior citizens on these vacations around the world!
I've already read the first two in the series and have borrowed the third and fourth (it's Hula but I read it long enough ago that I need a re-read) to read over the coming weeks. If reading about a New Yorker who had to return to her hometown in Iowa -- and her one-of-a-kind grandmother -- as they travel around the world doesn't sound too odd to you, trust me. Find copies of these books and start reading.
February 12, 2019
The humor in this series is just my cup of tea, especially when I need a lift. Emily Andrew, a young, unemployed actress, takes a job leading her grandmother and friends from Iowa on paid tours around the world—the first book through Switzerland, and this one through Ireland, including a haunted Irish castle. Now, generally, I dislike humor at the expense of seniors, especially now that I am one, but this writer makes me LOL. I find the seniors endearing and the voice of the first-person narrator, Emily, very amusing, even if the mystery is somewhat light-footed. The dialog, the situations, and the characters make for a fun, comedic read. And the seniors are remarkably spry, as well as funny and comprise a lively, entertaining tour group. The romance element is held to a minimum, as I prefer in a cozy, but it can get a little bawdy at times, in case you find that objectionable. I find it all uproarious.
March 3, 2017
This series strikes me as what Emily Toll didn't quite manage to do with her Booked for Travel stories. I like the characters, and bits of it are laugh-out loud funny. I knocked off a star as it dragged slightly towards the end and the running joke of the heroine and her boyfriend trying to get together was getting a bit stale by then.
April 25, 2022
This is a fun series and I'm looking forward to the next book.
January 10, 2014
Join Emily in her trip to greener then green Ireland in this second book by Maddy Hunter! I loved the first book which was set in Switzerland and I couldn't wait to start with this one either.
After Emily has lived through the Switzerland vacation it's now time for her, Nana and the troupe of Iowan Seniors to set out to Ireland. At the hotel where they will spent their first night, Emily meets her ex-husband Jack, who we learned in the first book loved to wear Emily's lingerie. Now, he is better known as Jackie. Also Emily's new Beau, Swiss Police Inspector Etienne Micelli decided to join the tour to spent more time with Emily.
I really enjoyed this book as Maddy Hunter is a great writer and has a real knack for writing funny. The book is loaded with fun elements (like when Emily and Jackie go searching for the dungeon when the power cuts out or the fantastic dining room scene where the group finds out who Jackie really is), conversations and situations, you can't help but smile or laugh at the things Emily needs to go through. Never mind her many attempts of trying to be alone with Etienne which are hilarious.
Let's also not forget Nana, Emily's grandmother. In this book she is even funnier then in the first. Nana photographs everything, really everything, no matter what happens or what the situations is. I also love the way Nana lets Emily know that there's a body in the room. I wish I had a Nana like that! Not with the murder of course, but just the way she is, a lovely and funny woman.
As a reader you quickly get soaked into the story! It's a quick read because you just want to continue and you really read a lot of pages in a short time.
The book has an extra cozy feeling because you join the same group of Iowan seniors as in book one. I like that a lot because you know the people and their tricks (which they apply vividly throughout the book). There are also a few new characters which we get to know. Hopefully some will be on the next book as well. The ending was very surprising, I had no idea of the real murderer and was wrong the whole time! Love it when that happens! Also, at the end of the book, we learn a whole new side of Nana!
After Emily has lived through the Switzerland vacation it's now time for her, Nana and the troupe of Iowan Seniors to set out to Ireland. At the hotel where they will spent their first night, Emily meets her ex-husband Jack, who we learned in the first book loved to wear Emily's lingerie. Now, he is better known as Jackie. Also Emily's new Beau, Swiss Police Inspector Etienne Micelli decided to join the tour to spent more time with Emily.
I really enjoyed this book as Maddy Hunter is a great writer and has a real knack for writing funny. The book is loaded with fun elements (like when Emily and Jackie go searching for the dungeon when the power cuts out or the fantastic dining room scene where the group finds out who Jackie really is), conversations and situations, you can't help but smile or laugh at the things Emily needs to go through. Never mind her many attempts of trying to be alone with Etienne which are hilarious.
Let's also not forget Nana, Emily's grandmother. In this book she is even funnier then in the first. Nana photographs everything, really everything, no matter what happens or what the situations is. I also love the way Nana lets Emily know that there's a body in the room. I wish I had a Nana like that! Not with the murder of course, but just the way she is, a lovely and funny woman.
As a reader you quickly get soaked into the story! It's a quick read because you just want to continue and you really read a lot of pages in a short time.
The book has an extra cozy feeling because you join the same group of Iowan seniors as in book one. I like that a lot because you know the people and their tricks (which they apply vividly throughout the book). There are also a few new characters which we get to know. Hopefully some will be on the next book as well. The ending was very surprising, I had no idea of the real murderer and was wrong the whole time! Love it when that happens! Also, at the end of the book, we learn a whole new side of Nana!
December 29, 2016
I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the first.
I'm from the South. And I say "y'all." A lot. After the pet peeve of spelling y'all wrong, using it to refer to one person is at the top of my list. Y'all is a contraction for "you all." Contracting it, it appears thus: y'all. NOT ya'll. This mistake is super common. Luckily, this book didn't make THIS mistake. But the annoying Southern woman CONSTANTLY referred to one person as y'all. It's a contraction of YOU ALL. Referring to one person with is is just dumb.
Now, on to the rest of the book. The first one was ridiculous, but fun. This one just fell on the ridiculous side. The making fun of the ex-husband, now a female, was annoying, but because she was written so horribly, it didn't bother me quite as much. I didn't enjoy it, but she was such an awful, shallow person that it felt like the insults were mostly for her current personality and not as much the fact that she used to be a man. But maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention.
The mystery was just...dumb. Etienne being there didn't make a whole lot of sense. The whole things was just rather stupid. I own the next one, so I'll obviously read it, but this one wasn't great.
I'm from the South. And I say "y'all." A lot. After the pet peeve of spelling y'all wrong, using it to refer to one person is at the top of my list. Y'all is a contraction for "you all." Contracting it, it appears thus: y'all. NOT ya'll. This mistake is super common. Luckily, this book didn't make THIS mistake. But the annoying Southern woman CONSTANTLY referred to one person as y'all. It's a contraction of YOU ALL. Referring to one person with is is just dumb.
Now, on to the rest of the book. The first one was ridiculous, but fun. This one just fell on the ridiculous side. The making fun of the ex-husband, now a female, was annoying, but because she was written so horribly, it didn't bother me quite as much. I didn't enjoy it, but she was such an awful, shallow person that it felt like the insults were mostly for her current personality and not as much the fact that she used to be a man. But maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention.
The mystery was just...dumb. Etienne being there didn't make a whole lot of sense. The whole things was just rather stupid. I own the next one, so I'll obviously read it, but this one wasn't great.
March 4, 2013
Emily and her group of senior Iowan tourists discover murder in an Irish caste this time around. I like cozy mysteries in between angstier/darker reads. This series is fun because due to the same basic core group of travelers you get a small town cozy feel but since they are on tour you also get to hear about other places. I ended up looking up some of the sights in Ireland that they visited and certainly hope to be able to get there one day. Etienne, the hunky Swiss detective from book one, is back pursuing a relationship with Emily (or trying to in between murders and travel emergencies). The only thing I don't like about this series is that it tends to indulge a little too much in stereotyping. Nothing actually offensive, Iowans are punctual, New Yorkers are pushy, that sort of thing. Individual characters don't fall prey to this, it just gets repeated a lot in Emily's internal observations. While it's enough to take me out of the book at times, it's not enough to get me to stop reading the series. I'll pick up the next one when I'm in the mood for a cozy mystery and to do a little armchair traveling.
September 14, 2016
I am loving the Maddy Hunter Passport to Peril series! Our heroine, Emily, is a tour escort for her little town's bank senior tours. So far she's been to Switzerland (dead bodies galore!) and now visits the Emerald Isle where dead people just magically seem to appear! Throw in a sexy Swiss-Italian hunk, assorted Midwesterners in their golden years, a bunch of New Yorkers including Emily's ex-husband, Jack... Only now she's called Jackie because of her recent gender reassignment surgery -- and hilarity ensues! The group is staying at a haunted castle turned hotel & there's plenty of excitement to keep the seniors busy....
May 19, 2016
This book had some good moments. It was funny in places and there were some interesting little twists, but the plot was odd, there were several missed opportunities to make the story more suspenseful and there was no way the reader could figure out whodunit. In short, it was an okay story that could have been much better if the author had turned down the cozy and turned up the mystery.
October 1, 2007
2nd in a series about a woman from Iowa that is an escort for senior citizens that travel to various places. This time they were in Ireland and as luck seems to follow her, there were several dead bodies and a mystery to solve!
March 14, 2015
This book was just as good as the first! What a great little series this is turning out to be. Cannot wait to see what shenanigans go on in the third book.
March 13, 2021
I loved the first in this series, so glad I found Book 2. It really is satisfying my wanderlust.
May 29, 2018
In Top O’ the Mournin’ by Maddy Hunter, Emily Andrew is leading a senior citizen tour group from Iowa to Ireland with her nana also on the tour. Upon arriving, Emily gets in the elevator to go to her room and is joined by a striking woman from the New York group. The woman soon recognizes Emily and introduces herself as Jack, now Jackie, Emily’s ex- husband who has now become a woman and is on her honeymoon. After this surprising development, Emily goes to her room, where she opens the door to a knock to Etienne Miceli, the detective from her trip to Switzerland with whom she has fallen in love but not seen in eight months. They start to get ready to make love for the first time ever, her first time having sex since her annulment with Jack. And then comes another knock on the door. And another. And yet another. Her nana has gone to her room and found some things unsatisfactory, including the dead woman lying on the floor.
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
June 25, 2019
I was curious about the second in this series, especially since we HAVE been to Ireland. Emily is now a tour guide and traveling with most of the people from the first book, this time to Ireland. I didn't realize that this was pretty much the same story, with a different locale (N. Ireland, where we have not been). Between Book 1 and Book 2, Emily and Etienne have carried on a love affair via email and he has decided to take this tour too, only despite many attempts to have a romantic evening together, they never do, The same people are still annoying, the dead bodies keep piling up, Emily is determined to find the killer(s) and the only Irish locale that is discussed in detail is something the group has decided is fake. The dialog is ridiculous and I can't believe these people actually want to visit a foreign country, much less two of them.
At the end of the book, Emily land Etienne still have not gotten together and I am ever so slightly tempted to read the next book, which is set in Rome, but I need something more substantial before I go back to this lightweight silly series.
At the end of the book, Emily land Etienne still have not gotten together and I am ever so slightly tempted to read the next book, which is set in Rome, but I need something more substantial before I go back to this lightweight silly series.
July 14, 2017
I should start out by saying that I love this series, and I'm so thrilled that it was revived by Midnight Ink. Maddy Hunter is a lovely writer and a damn funny one. Like all of the books in the Passport to Peril mysteries, this book is laugh-out-loud funny with lovable and hilarious characters.
The premise is wonderful. Emily Andrews gets roped into acting as a tour escort for her Nana's midwestern senior group. Nana and her friends are a hoot. It's fun to have the books set in a different country for each installment.
Top O' the Mournin' is set on a ten-day tour of Ireland. Cue the haunted castle and dead body. Merry mayhem ensues as Emily tries to keep her eccentric seniors safe and find the killer. The addition in this book of Jackie, Emily's transgender ex-husband, is the cherry on top. Such a fun book!
The premise is wonderful. Emily Andrews gets roped into acting as a tour escort for her Nana's midwestern senior group. Nana and her friends are a hoot. It's fun to have the books set in a different country for each installment.
Top O' the Mournin' is set on a ten-day tour of Ireland. Cue the haunted castle and dead body. Merry mayhem ensues as Emily tries to keep her eccentric seniors safe and find the killer. The addition in this book of Jackie, Emily's transgender ex-husband, is the cherry on top. Such a fun book!
May 29, 2020
Major trigger warning: a lot of the comedy of this book revolves around Emily’s ex-partner who shows up in this book as a recently transitioned woman. While the book never mocks her or casts moral judgement, she is a ditzy character who is often involved in screwball antics. I found the comedy pretty enjoyable and the relationship between Emily and Jackie to be respectful, but it definitely teetered at times and I think it would be triggering for some.
I really liked this silly murder mystery. The Iowans are pretty adorable. Emily and Etienne being forced apart by fate is a great gag. I love all the Nanas. I thought Jackie was a good character. I’ll be reading more in the series mainly for the screwball antics.
I really liked this silly murder mystery. The Iowans are pretty adorable. Emily and Etienne being forced apart by fate is a great gag. I love all the Nanas. I thought Jackie was a good character. I’ll be reading more in the series mainly for the screwball antics.
September 27, 2025
I own the third book in this series (book sale bag day find) so I obviously had to read the first two. I really like a good cozy mystery but this one is just not hitting right for me. I hate when a character lets people walk all over them and that is exactly what Emily Andrew lets everyone do to her. It is shocking to me that she is so determined to solve these mysteries when she can't be forceful with anything else in her life. Also, the whole plot of this book and it's solution are absolutely absurd. I will read the third one just because I have it, but I am guessing that will be the end of me and this series.
March 9, 2020
Emily and her tour group of senior citizens are off to Ireland and stay at a haunted castle. Emily's boyfriend from Switzerland Etienne shows up as does Emily's ex husband who is transgender and now a woman.
I love this story. I love Emily, Nana, and all the assorted senior citizens who are on the trip. I loved Jackie who was Jack and the descriptions of the characters are wonderful. I love the story line what is there missed, death, ghosts, bloody footprints and an old castle. The story is humorous, entertaining and pretty fast moving.
I love this story. I love Emily, Nana, and all the assorted senior citizens who are on the trip. I loved Jackie who was Jack and the descriptions of the characters are wonderful. I love the story line what is there missed, death, ghosts, bloody footprints and an old castle. The story is humorous, entertaining and pretty fast moving.
March 25, 2021
Not a bad series. The MC is a little too self-consciously quirky and accident prone for my liking. When it reads as farce instead of fun, then I take frequent breaks. But for the most part the series is enjoyable and the side characters are usually fun. I like Nana. I like the Iowans thinking 15 minutes early is late. I didn't like the bad guy or the reason for the murders, but you can't win them all.
October 6, 2017
Another very enjoyable read! Love Emily’s funny voice and the hilarious recurring characters. This time, her ex-husband Jack now turned into Jackie is joining the cast and sure causes a lot of mayhem.
The case itself wasn’t as interesting as in the first one though, I hope this will be more thrilling again in the next one. Let’s see what Italy has in store for her and Etienne.
The case itself wasn’t as interesting as in the first one though, I hope this will be more thrilling again in the next one. Let’s see what Italy has in store for her and Etienne.
September 13, 2017
Kindle
May 16, 2018
I love this heroine, and the hijinks are laugh-out-loud funny.
May 25, 2019
I'm not sure about this one. Some parts were interesting and kept me reading, while others not so much. I did like Emily, but I don't know if I would read any others in this mystery series.
July 11, 2019
I would give this 4.5 stars... I really enjoy Emily and her Grandma... grandma is a hoot!! I can't wait to go on more trips with them!
October 2, 2019
Third book I read in this series. Always entertaining.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
February 22, 2024
A good book series to travel with!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews