Us old folks have got a lot of time on our hands on account of we’re retired, so we like to take day trips to casinos, and longer trips to faraway spots we never been before. These longer trips are called “tours,” and my granddaughter, Emily Andrew Miceli, just happens to run a travel agency in Iowa that specializes in ‘em. I’m Marion Sippel, by the way, but to my granddaughter, I’m “Nana.”
The last place Emily and her husband brung us was Scotland – a big island with a zillion sheep, one road, and a lot of grown men walkin’ around in skirts. In Edinburgh we toured the castle, then poked around the Britannia – the ship that Queen Elizabeth hung out to dry at a shopping mall when she got done sailin’ the Seven Seas in it. We made a potty stop at the place where some fella hit the first golf ball, then banded together on our assigned teams for some geocachin’ in Braemar, where folks gather once a year for them Highland Games, which is like our Windsor City Senior Olympics, only without the old people. Lookin’ back now, I think we shoulda skipped Braemar on account of that’s where all the trouble begun.
Emily’s parents come along with us this time, and I couldn’t do nuthin’ to stop it. I get along fine with Emily’s Dad. He’s a quiet fella who knows everything about farmin’ and nuthin’ about handheld electronics, which turned out to be a real bummer at Loch Ness. But it’s Emily’s Mom, my daughter Margaret, what sets my dentures on edge. She don’t wanna let me out of her sight ‘cuz she thinks she can take care of me better than I can take care of myself. So when she starts hoverin’, I gotta hightail it outta sight or risk gettin’ smothered to death with kindness. Poor Margaret. I know she don’t mean to be a nuisance, but she’s sure turned into one.
Some guests on this tour weren’t too keen on other guests ‘cuz they belonged to clans what was feudin’ with each other three hundred years ago, so they decided to take up where their dead relatives left off and talk smack to each other. That didn’t turn out real good for one of the guests, and it got even worse the farther north we drove, where there was few roads and fewer people. Makes sense now why the highland and island tour don’t score big on the popularity chart.
There’s nuthin’ there!
I’ve got a notion that all the bad stuff what happened on the trip was on account of the curse that got unleashed because of the geocachin’, which is a fancy word that means scavenger huntin’ with GPS. Tilly and Emily don’t pay no mind to curses. I never give curses a thought before Scotland, but after what happened, I got a whole different opinion now. Of course, the curse didn’t have nuthin’ to do with why folks was disappearin’, or why I got my own personal tour of the jail in Wick, or why guests was so afraid to leave the Orkney Islands once they got there. This trip was a real pip! But I can’t tell you no more about it right now ‘cuz Margaret is headed straight for me with a bottle of vitamins that’s probably s’posed to keep me livin’ forever, so I gotta run.
Maddy is giving away one (1) copy of BONNIE OF EVIDENCE. Contest open to US residents only and ends February 15. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. Book will be shipped directly from the author.
Meet the author
When Maddy Hunter travels abroad, she usually has a hidden agenda. She’s not looking for famous sites; she’s looking for places to kill people. It makes for a very exciting holiday! BONNIE OF EVIDENCE is the 8th installment in her nationally bestselling and Agatha Award nominated Passport to Peril Mystery series. Dutch Me Deadly was published in February, 2012, and Fleur De Lies, the French adventure, will be released in 2014. Maddy lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and a bunch of characters in her head who keep asking, “Are we there yet?”
Please visit her website at www.maddyhunter.com or become a follower on her Facebook Fan page. Her backlist is available on Kindle, Nook, and perhaps a few other platforms that she doesn’t know about.
Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
I can’t enter the contest 🙁 but let me be the first to post how much I enjoy this series. I was so excited when I saw that Midnight Ink had picked up the series. I’ll be reading “Bonnie of Evidence” soon as it’s waiting for me to pick up at the library.
I must look for #1 in the series, but count me in on the drawing. Thanks, Dee
This looks like a good book, thank you for the chance to win it.
another new author for me!!!!
thanx for the heads-up & for the giveaway!!!
Sounds like a real fun one! Please enter me in the contest. Thanks for posting on FB!
This series is always fun to read. Thanks for having this contest.
A cozy about seniors like me – yah!! Sounds great! This series is going on my wish list.
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
This is a very amusing series and I can’t wait to read this one. What fun.
This is such a fun series…… I love ‘traveling’ with them!
afarage(at) earthlink (dot) net
This is a great series. And this book sounds like a lot of fun!
I love this series! What a great giveaway. Thanks Maddie!
harvee44@yahoo.com
this is on my to be read list!
It’s so great that there are new books to read, I really missed Nana!
Elaine, thank you for the thumbs-up. I’m glad to know the series appeals to our neighbors to the north! And thank you to all you early birds who have left such nice comments. Emily and the gang deliver pure fluff, but sometimes, a little fluff is exactly what the doctor ordered! I’m going to be thrilled to send a book to one of you!
I love this series. I’m so glad it’s back.
Oh another mystery author to read!!! I haven’t as yet read any books in this series so I will be going back and looking up the previous books and I’m so looking forward to reading this one set in Scotland~ Love the title! ~ They all sound wonderful! Thank you for the great review and the chance to win an autographed copy~ Cheers ~
Hi Maddie,
I’ve been following this series since its inception. I love it, and I hope it runs for many more books, I’d love to be able to travel the world with Emily and her group. Anything is better then being stuck taking care of my FIL. LOL
I hope I’m the lucky winner.
I LOVE the series and am so excited that they are all traveling again!
It’s always fun to travel with Emily. I can count on laughing as I read this series. Scotland is one of my favorite places to visit even if only through arm-chair travel.
lynetteg51(at)yahoo(dot) com
Oops. I can’t type.
lynettek51(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love this series!!! My mom got me hooked. I just love the comedy in the books. Nana cracks me up!!! Thx for the giveaway!!
Sounds like a delightful read – I’ve read at least one of the previous books and enjoyed it please enter me in the givaway
Thank you , Maddy Hunter for introducing us to our good friends Emily, Nana, Jackie and the rest of the gang. Each adventure is fun and inspires me to read more about the places they have gone. I have enjoyed each of them. I am grateful for the opportunity to win a copy-my local bookstore hasn’t received it yet.
Scotland!!!! It’s near the top of my wish list! I’m sure Maddy has written another wonderful, “wish I was there” mystery.
This is one of my favorite series! 🙂
Absolutely love this series! Thanks for sharing this blog! 🙂
Absolutely love this series! Thanks for sharing this blog! 🙂 please include me in the giveaway.
This is one of my absolute favorite series. Happy to see there is a new book!
I love Nana, she makes me smile, OFTEN !
Nana sounds like a hoot, and of course the tour of Scotland would be great too. Please enter my name to win a copy of Bonnie of Evidence. Thanks. carlscott(at)prodigy(dot)net(dot)mx
I’m just getting ready to retire–so I think I should read this book to see what’s in the future for me!!
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
What a delightful posting. I’d love to spend more time with Nana, she makes me laugh. So please enter my name in the contest for Bonnie of Evidence. Thanks!
Oh my, I own ALL of the series, except for this one. Anyone who hasn’t read of Emily’s adventures is missing out on a hilarious series for her bookshelf. Crossing my fingers to win a signed copy!
A new-to-me author with travel lust. How great!
Thank you again for all the kind comments from my wonderful continuing fans and potential new ones. It’s all very heartwarming! As soon as Dru Ann lets me know who wins the giveaway book, I’ll drop it in the mail for you. I don’t even have to shop for envelopes!
A trip with Nana sounds like a real adventure.
Love your stories. Nana adds that..certain something that makes it all worthwhile!
I love this series. They always make me laugh out loud.
I have so enjoyed this series! I’d love to win a copy!
I absolutely love this series. It always makes me laugh. Travel & cozies… the perfect combination. Thanks for the giveaway! Crossing my fingers 🙂
I’d love to read a travel series. I haven’t lost my wanderlust but my air mileage has suffered since 2006! Please put me in the draw and all the best with the series. judydee22002@yahoo dot com
Thanks Maddy for letting Nana give us a glimpse into her upcoming trip.
contest is closed.