On of the things I admire about Ms. Lippman's writing is that her novels have variety. This one falls into more of a cozy mystery vein and is also very much a character study.

I'll say this book felt really long though I don't believe it is (or the page count is incorrect). I think that comes from how much of the book is Mrs. Blossom's interior thoughts and not character dialogue. I understand the choice but it did slow things down for me.

I enjoyed her character and the setting of Paris and a river cruise. At times I felt she was a bit naive, but a person can be in their 60's and still be unaware of the ways of the world. Her friend was ditching her to purse a man so I suppose that's an ageless issue as well.

Some of the plot and the mystery 's outcome felt very obvious, but there was more to it in the end.

While I liked the book, I've read others by the author I liked much more.

I flew through this book! Mrs. Blossom (while older than myself) is still completely relatable. She is written in such a real way that it was easy to both imagine her in real life and to realize that we all know someone like her. She's smart, inquisitive, and a total go-getter (even if she doesn't believe so!). I would absolutely read another book where she is the main character.

I also really enjoyed the premise of the book and how the author (Lippman) was able to weave a convincing and twisty mystery that even surprised me at the end.

I have enjoyed several other titles by Laura Lippman and while this one is in a different vein, it's enjoyable.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Ms. Blossom is ready to expand her horizons when she takes her first international trip at the age of 68.  She encounters new friends and foes along the way and finds herself wrapped up in an international art affair while in France discovering Paris and a multi-day river cruise. There is more to meets the eye with Muriel Blossom and I think this would be adorable adapted for the small screen.

*Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I love a cozy mystery starring an older person. I really liked the main character's vibe and would read more by this author.

I have not read any of this authors, previous books, but I probably go back and do so. I really did enjoy this book and the character of Miss Blossom. She reminded me of a cross between Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher from murder she wrote. The characters were engaging and not fake. There was a lot going on, so it was hard to peace together who had committed the crime. I did do so before the end of the book however, it was still very well written and enjoyable. There were a few typos that do need to be addressed but seeing as this is an advanced reader copy I’m not too concerned about those. For example, at the end of the book where Danny and Miss Blossom meet again it says she heard a southern accident instead of a southern accent.

Set aboard a scenic river cruise down the Seine, Murder Takes a Vacation is a delightful cozy mystery that blends intrigue with heart. At its center is Mrs. Muriel Blossom, a widowed woman in her late 60s who has long played the role of plus-sized people pleaser conditioned to take up as little space as possible. But when a murder disrupts her first vacation abroad, Muriel finds herself unexpectedly drawn into the investigation—and into a new version of herself. As clues surface and suspicions swirl, she begins to shed old insecurities and discovers the power of her own voice.
It's an empowering arc of personal growth, this mystery offers more than just a whodunit—it’s a celebration of second acts and self-discovery at any age. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This was my first novel by Laura Lippman, and I’ve since learned that Mrs. Blossom is a recurring character in another series. When I read the blurb, I was excited—a woman in her 60s traveling to Paris, paired with a cozy murder mystery? It sounded like the perfect summer read. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

The book started strong and held my interest through the early chapters. But after the first death, my enthusiasm began to wane. Too many elements felt unnecessary to the plot, and there were an excessive number of comments about Mrs. Blossom's body size—especially in comparison to her much thinner best friend. While the author tries to end on a body-positive note, it didn’t really come through. In fact, it often felt quite the opposite.

The murder mystery itself seemed to drift into the background as the plot shifted focus to the theft of an item whose significance was explained way too late in the book. It left me feeling disconnected from the story and the stakes.

I really wanted to like this one more. Three stars feels generous for a book I hoped would be a perfect beach or poolside companion.

Thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow Publishing, and the author for the advanced copy.

Such a fun read starring Tess Monaghan's assistant, 68 year old Muriel Blossom. This novel is quite a departure from other mysteries by the author but I truly loved it and couldn't put it down. It's a great combination of humor and suspense with some interesting art history lessons thrown in. Recommend for readers of chick lit with quirky female protagonists rather than hardcore mystery readers. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Mrs Blossom travels from Baltimore to London to Paris for her first solo holiday. Along the way, she meets Allan and spends a wonderful 24 hours with him in London. Then Allan turns up dead and Mrs Blossom is being followed. Her new friend Danny claims Allan was involved in the theft of precious art but Mrs Blossom doesn't know who to trust.

I really wanted to love this book! It's everything I usually love in a mystery but it fell a bit flat for me. The murder happened quite early on but this is largely ignored and takes a back seat to the theft. I felt the book was more about Mrs Blossom's cruise down the Seine than any actual mystery solving. The constant mentioning of the FMC's weight and age was also too much for me. It was mentioned on every other page and not in a body positive way.

There is so much to love about this book. It is lighthearted and enjoyable with themes of forgiveness, contentment, and learning to love oneself. Mrs. Blossom was an unexpected main character. The kind of person so often in the background that they are unnoticeable, but her life changes when she unexpectedly becomes a millionaire prompting her to take a cruise on the Seine. The trip, full of interesting characters from the start, leads Mrs. Blossom to discover herself in ways she never expected.

Retired private investigator Murial Blossom takes a European vacation and is promptly enmeshed in a series of odd interactions with amorous men, an unlikely occurrence for this plus-size older woman. As she and a friend depart on a river cruise, the plot twists multiply. How many deaths will occur? Why? Will our gray-haired protagonist prevail? This quick read will punch all the buttons for readers of traditional whodunits.

I’m a long time fan of Laura Lippman and this book just seals the deal! I totally enjoyed my voyage with Mrs Blossom. What a fantastic character. I definitely relate to her age and size. Refreshing read start to finish.
Thank you NetGalley, Laura Lippman and Harper Collins/William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this absolute gem of a book.

Overall, I loved this story. The body size inclusivity was amazing. I guess the small gripe I have is the random use of really complicated words (they felt forced). I still overall enjoyed this story throughly!

while it's nicely written, I found the inner dialogue of Mrs. Blossom, the central character, rather annoying and misplaced. Not my cup of tea.

[author:Laura Lippman|60459]

Mrs. Blossom is an older woman who’s widowed and now her daughter is moving to Japan leaving her behind to find her own way. She finds a lottery ticket that changes her whole life! She plans a dream vacation but now when someone ends up dead and Mrs. Blossom is one of the last people mentioned in his texts, it starts a vacation she didn’t bargain for! I love watching Mrs. Blossom …well blossom! She meets some interesting characters but who to trust? You will just have to read to find out.

I recieved an advance copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a cute cozy mystery about Muriel Blossom who goes on a cruise in Paris. Even though there is a murder, this is not a thriller like other books by Laura Lippmann. It is a daily story of Muriel and the people she meets in Paris and on the cruise. It’s very easy to read and entertaining. There is a good ending to the story and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a follow up book to Muriel’s life in Baltimore.
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for my ARC ebook.

A sharp, engaging mystery with great characters and plenty of twists. A fun, suspenseful read overall.

Laura Lippman has written one of my all-time favorite novels: Sunburn. That is why I was thrilled to be able to read an advance copy of her latest: Murder Takes a Vacation. In this, we have a completely different kind of mystery novel: the cozy mystery. Not only that, it is a character study of an all-too often forgotten and invisible type of person: the middle-aged overweight woman. Sunburn was pure noir and this is about as far from that as you can get.

Our main character is Muriel Blossom, a delightful widow who is on a luxury vacation in France. Newly rich due to a winning lottery ticket, she discovers that she has the fortitude to set out on her own after the loss of her beloved husband. No cozy mystery would be complete without a cast of quirky characters who may or may not be who they purport to be, and of course, there will be murder and mysteries to solve.

Blossom was a character in Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series but this novel works as a standalone. Lippman’s note on why she wrote it was very touching and heartfelt. However, I just didn’t feel compelled to turn the pages the way I did with Sunburn. I am not a fan of cozy mysteries, having overdosed on Agatha Christie at a young age, but I think this will be enjoyable for many who are.

A review from Fantastic Fiction:
Meet Mrs Blossom. . .
A widower who has never left the US
A grandmother with a knack for blending in
A lottery winner with an unexpected fortune
Determined to finally see the world, she's starting with a cruise along the Seine.

Just twenty-four hours into Mrs Blossom's trip, however, a man is dead, a precious artefact is missing, and a mysterious stranger is claiming her life is in danger. Surrounded by luxury food, quaint towns and people with staggeringly high net worths, she has no idea who she can trust.

But maybe blending into the background has its perks - whoever is responsible will never see this most unlikely of detectives coming.

Readers loved Murder Takes a Vacation:

Laura Lippman’s new book is a departure from her most recent books. I have always enjoyed her fiction and nonfiction. This book is no exception.
It is different in tone, and reminds me of mysteries from the past. Muriel Blossom is the star of the show, and she is quite the character. The story revolves about Mrs. Blossom going on a cruise which is anything but relaxing. There is mystery in the story, but it’s really about Mrs. Blossom and her life. The choices she’s made and regrets she has. She is complex and struggling with how she wants to live her life. The mystery she gets entangled in comes to a satisfactory conclusion. I recommend this book for people who like mysteries with good character studies.