Bike Week Blues (A Daffodils Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: A story most luscious, as Poirot would say
Review: After her first successful mystery, THE TURTLE MOUND MURDER, New Smyrna Beach's Mary Clay is at it again with her DAFFODILS...that is, "Divorced and Finally Free of Deceitful, Insensitive, Licentious Scum," in BIKE WEEK BLUES. The ex-sorority pals are visiting Leigh in New Smyrna Beach, and are having as much fun as they did in their youth. Except dead bodies keep turning up. And, as Leigh's policeman buddy puts it, the "girls" have a penchant for getting into trouble.

Leigh is finding herself and worrying about her daughter. Penny Sue has outfitted herself with a Harley and new gear for BIKE WEEK and her new love. When Penny Sue's Rich unceremoniously dumps her and then calls to apologize, she is suspicious. But it's the dead body found next to her car which has a bullet hole in the license plate that really gets her going. Ruthie, the New Ager in the group, contributes sages and scents, which sometimes backfire, but add to the fun. But the real corker is the addition of Frannie May, a rich Italian widow whose MIT educated genius of a son and his Trekkie buddies join forces with ex-Navy Seals to find Penny Sue and Rich, who are eventually kidnaped by a biker named Vulture and his terrorist partners. The remaining DAFFODILS swing into action, join forces with the Trekkies and Navy Seals, and a real Klingon assault is in the making to save the entire Eastern seaboard from uncertain disaster from those dastardly cultist bikers:

"'Yes ma'am.' Klingons, Romulans, and Navy Seals-I'd try not to judge it all. On the plus side, I had to admit narrow, sheltered life had broadened considerably since my divorce."

All in all, BIKE WEEK BLUES is a delightful reprise of the DAFFODILS in action. Mary Clay expands her characters considerably in her sequel, and the addition of Star Trek enthusiasts is a stroke of genius. Her characters are carefully drawn and keep the reader laughing throughout the entire novel. The additional frequent references to menopause in the DAFFODILS as they are trying to keep up with the younger generation simply add to the mirth. There are plenty of moments of sobriety well interspersed in-between, which keep the book and plot focused on the mystery. BIKE WEEK BLUES is a story most luscious, as Poirot would say.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: A story most luscious, as Poirot would say
Review: After her first successful mystery, THE TURTLE MOUND MURDER, New Smyrna Beach's Mary Clay is at it again with her DAFFODILS...that is, "Divorced and Finally Free of Deceitful, Insensitive, Licentious Scum," in BIKE WEEK BLUES. The ex-sorority pals are visiting Leigh in New Smyrna Beach, and are having as much fun as they did in their youth. Except dead bodies keep turning up. And, as Leigh's policeman buddy puts it, the "girls" have a penchant for getting into trouble.

Leigh is finding herself and worrying about her daughter. Penny Sue has outfitted herself with a Harley and new gear for BIKE WEEK and her new love. When Penny Sue's Rich unceremoniously dumps her and then calls to apologize, she is suspicious. But it's the dead body found next to her car which has a bullet hole in the license plate that really gets her going. Ruthie, the New Ager in the group, contributes sages and scents, which sometimes backfire, but add to the fun. But the real corker is the addition of Frannie May, a rich Italian widow whose MIT educated genius of a son and his Trekkie buddies join forces with ex-Navy Seals to find Penny Sue and Rich, who are eventually kidnaped by a biker named Vulture and his terrorist partners. The remaining DAFFODILS swing into action, join forces with the Trekkies and Navy Seals, and a real Klingon assault is in the making to save the entire Eastern seaboard from uncertain disaster from those dastardly cultist bikers:

"'Yes ma'am.' Klingons, Romulans, and Navy Seals-I'd try not to judge it all. On the plus side, I had to admit narrow, sheltered life had broadened considerably since my divorce."

All in all, BIKE WEEK BLUES is a delightful reprise of the DAFFODILS in action. Mary Clay expands her characters considerably in her sequel, and the addition of Star Trek enthusiasts is a stroke of genius. Her characters are carefully drawn and keep the reader laughing throughout the entire novel. The additional frequent references to menopause in the DAFFODILS as they are trying to keep up with the younger generation simply add to the mirth. There are plenty of moments of sobriety well interspersed in-between, which keep the book and plot focused on the mystery. BIKE WEEK BLUES is a story most luscious, as Poirot would say.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: Witty, Worldly and Wonderful....
Review: Bike Week Blues is a terrificly well written mystery read...full of witticisms and wonderful twists and turns - even a touch of romance. The Florida location and biker tradition is true American! The characters are delightful...Frannie May and the southern belle gals are a gas as a team out to out maneuver the "bad guys." A perfect vacation read. Not to be missed!!

Rating:
Summary: Lordy, it's like Lula morphed into a Southern Belle!
Review: I'm a huge Evanovich fan, didn't think anything could possibly be as funny. But, Bike Week Blues is.

Imagine Stephanie is from Georgia, has lots of money, is man crazy, and carries a gun. Hm-mm, sounds more like Lula doesn't it?

Okay, a white Lula (who wears flame Harley boots) from an upper crust family, with fairly normal sorority sisters in their mid-40s trying to keep her in line. Also, they're all divorced. One is getting over a very nasty parting. One is long since over it all and into spirituality. And, then there's Penny Sue who's coninuously looking for #4.

An Italian widow from the south (South of Boston) takes these "sweet girls" under her wing. Just so happens, this widow's son is a 30ish, MIT millionaire genius who does Star Trek role-playing, paintball games with his other genius, MIT buddies.

Take that unlikely mix, throw in hot flashes, a half million bikers, cole slaw wrestling, Navy Seals, and a nuclear powered satellite and it's one heck of a hilarious mess.

Absolutely, one of the wildest capers I've ever read!


Rating:
Summary: A must read!!
Review: The Daffodils are back! A great book!! It is very entertaining and well written. I look forward to the next book in the series. I hope Mary Clay is busy typing!