This Old Souse

A decrepit mansion, a pair of curious (nosy, some would say) cousins, a mysterious package, a body found in the trunk of a car, and a cast of suspicious characters add up to make Mary Daheim's 'This Old Souse' a pleasant diversion for lovers of cozy mysteries. Set in the Pacific Northwest, this is the twentieth novel in the author's Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery series.

Judith McMonigle, owner of the Hillside Manor B&B, has a knack for finding murder victims. She has come across so many that the local ambulance drivers know her by name, and someone has created a website chronicling her adventures. In this story, she is coaxed by her cousin Renie to take a look at an eerie old house occupied for many years by the reclusive Bland family. Later, when the naturally inquisitive McMonigle pays a return visit to the mysterious mansion, she unknowingly drives away with a body in the trunk. Who is this person dressed as a milk deliveryman?

As clues are revealed, McMonigle must also deal with family problems, an unhappy guest at the B&B, and a lost cat. McMonigle's sometimes kooky family and the B&B's temperamental cleaning woman add spice to the stew.

This book won't tell you the meaning of life, but Daheim writes with a light touch and mixes in humor and unlikely coincidences throughout the story. To liven the proceedings, the books winds up a flurry of excitement. Pick up 'This Old Souse' at your local library.