"The tour business can be deadly"

Emily Andrew is at it again. She helps escort a trip to Italy with the senior citizens from Iowa. Even Emily's mother comes along, much to her grandmother's chagrin. They have joined a group of highly competitive aspiring romance writers. There are some seasoned writers on the trip to impart their knowledge.

First Emily's luggage is lost. After the hotel fire, Hightower Books, the trip's sponsor, decides to hold a writing contest. When the aspiring writers start falling like flies wearing Emily's clothes, Emily begins to investigate what the connection is and who is killing everyone. Is it another aspiring author who doesn't want the competition? Is it someone else on the tour with a hidden agenda she hasn't discovered yet?

With the help of her ex-husband turned woman, she begins to get to the bottom of things. Her mother is one of the judges of the contest and she is worried for her safety as well. Her grandmother, a whiz on the Internet, does some research for her and assists Emily with the investigation.

Emily also talks long distance to her Scottish boyfriend, Inspector Etienne, for assistance with this case. He was recently injured and unfortunately can't remember the important question he wanted to ask her. Between all the static and his memory loss, it makes for amusing conversations.

Can Emily figure out who the killer is before they strike again?

This is a terrific series. Emily and her tour group will keep you laughing, and out loud, too. I always enjoy this series. The fact that every book is set in a different wonderful destination is one reason. The other is that there are so many hilarious things that happen as well as plenty of bodies turning up on each tour. The characters in the stories are so well crafted and really add to the story. I especially enjoyed the aspiring writers and the published writers who were supposed to impart some of their wisdom. This author really had down the relationships between everyone involved. It was so believable. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle
Posted December 24, 2004

Summary

IT WAS AN OFFER SHE COULDN'T REFUSE....

The discount travel package to Italy seemed like a great deal: Emily Andrew could lead her globe-trotting Iowans on the trip of a lifetime and bring her family to boot. Maybe she should have read the fine print....Sharing their itinerary with a group of hyper-competitive aspiring romance writers is just a prelude to more Machiavellian drama than an Italian opera.

First, their hotel burns to the ground. Then, when Emily's lost luggage turns up found, the disgruntled literary ladies raid her clothing supply like she's a one-woman Gucci outlet. But the real killer is a contest sponsored by a publishing house -- and the depths to which the dime- novel divas will plunge to win a book contract. Amid backstabbing and catcalling, bodies start turning up -- in Emily's favorite outfits! Now, Emily will need more than a phrasebook to say ciao to someone with a hot and spicy passion for murder.