Murder Takes a Vacation - A Novel

"Murder Takes a Vacation has all Laura Lippman's trademark razor-sharp insight and effortlessly absorbing writing, plus huge amounts of warmth and fun. Mrs. Blossom is a pure joy, and I'm already hoping for more." -Tana French

Highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with an irresistible mystery featuring Muriel Blossom, a former private investigator and middle-aged widow whose vacation on a Parisian river cruise turns into a deadly international mystery...that only she can solve.

A New York Times "Best Beach Reads of Summer"

One of Washington Post's "Best Mysteries to Read This Summer"

One of Boston Globe's "Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List"

One of Minneapolis Star Tribune's "24 terrific books for the beach, cabin or lawn chair you'll want to read this summer"

One of Chicago Tribune's Summer Books 2025

Mrs. Blossom has a knack for blending into the background, which was an asset during her days assisting private investigator Tess Monaghan. But when she finds a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot, everything changes. She is determined to see the world that she sometimes feels is passing her by.

When Mrs. Blossom booked her cruise through France on the MS Solitaire, she did not expect to meet Allan on her transatlantic flight. He is the first man who's sparked something inside her since her beloved husband passed.

She also didn't expect Allan to be found, dead, twenty-four hours later in Paris, a city he wasn't supposed to be in.

Now Mrs. Blossom doesn't know who to trust on board the ship, especially when a mystifying man, Danny, keeps popping up around every corner, always present when things go awry. He is convinced that Allan was transporting a stolen piece of art, and Mrs. Blossom knows more than she lets on, regarding both the artifact and Allan's death.

Mrs. Blossom's questions only increase as the cruise sails down the Seine . Why does it feel like she is being followed? Who was Allan, and why was he killed? Most alarmingly, why do these mysterious men keep flirting with her?

Rezension:

"I genuinely loved it. Laura's such a good writer - intelligent and literate - and at the same time knows how to write a compelling plot. I would say a page-turner if it wasn't such a cliche...I really hope that this isn't the last we've heard of Mrs. Blossom!"
- Kate Atkinson

"Whenever a new Laura Lippman comes out there is reason to celebrate!" - Louise Penny

"Witty and propulsive. Lippman's fans will feel like they hit the jackpot with this warm and cozy romp." - Library Journal (starred review)

"Lippman triumphs with this charming mystery.... By the time the clever conclusion rolls around, readers will be sad to see this trip come to an end." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"I loved this book. Playful and witty and completely absorbing. More of Mrs. Blossom soon please." - Ann Cleeves, New York Times bestselling author of the Vera Stanhope series

"The closest writer America has to Ruth Rendell...Extraordinary." - Stephen King

"Lippman, long recognized as a master of plot and exposition, has been serving up psychologically rich slices of karma for years. Prom Mom [is] one of her best books yet." - Wall Street Journal on Prom Mom

"I read this acid-dipped beauty in two desperate sittings. Pure James M. Cain noir at its delirious best, it moves so fast and so skillfully, you don't fully grasp what it's really saying (about men, women, desire) until its final stunning pages." - Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout, on Prom Mom

"The surprises, delivered close to Prom Mom's final pages, are the kind that might compel you to reread the whole story again, just to find out how Lippman layered this quadrangulate tale with clues and misdirection . . . . and how she managed to make such a classic form feel so of the moment." - Los Angeles Times on Prom Mom

"Laura Lippman is a seasoned pro at crafting mysteries and crime fiction." - Time on Prom Mom

"A write r at the peak of her powers." - Washington Post

"Laura Lippman is one of the best novelists working today, period. Seeing her name on the cover of a book is a guarantee of a highly satisfying reading experience...Laura Lippman is a major writer. If you don't know her, there's 25 books waiting for you." - Chicago Tribune

"Every time Laura Lippman comes out with a new book, I get chills because I know I am back in the hands of the master. She is simply a brilliant novelist." - Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl

"Lippman is a writing powerhouse." - USA Today

"Her writing is very slick and intelligent noir."
- Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"One of the smartest crime writers around." - People

"Laura Lippman delivers it all-suspenseful stories, characters so real . . . genuine emotion. I love her books."
- Harlan Coben