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Rating: 
Summary: Probably the weakest....
Review: I read both series written by Mary Daheim and I have to say, right away, that I prefer the Alpine Mysteries to this series, Bed-and-Breakfast. This series tends toward too much silliness at times and there also tends to be too many deaths in each one (Snow Place to Die, for example, was right up there on par with a slasher movie). As well, some of the guests in this series lean toward stereotypical cartoons rather than characters. That being said, this book falls right in line with the others of the series, perhaps a little worse than most of the previous ones. Both Judith and her cousin Renie are in the hospital for operations when a murder occurs, following two suspicious deaths having already taken place. The mystery in this one is fairly easy to solve and the pacing is slow - it would take a really strong writer to make a full-length novel that takes place almost entirely in one hospital room seem exciting. I found myself more interested in the personal progress of Judith's life - will Mike finally find out that Joe is his father, not Dan? How is Gertrude's progress into senility?
I rate this one 2 stars as it is less than average for this series. Have to say that I am more looking forward to the next Alpine mystery much more than the the next one in this series, "Silver Scream."
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Yet!
Review: I was getting slightly bored by her books and debated whether to even buy this one. I'm glad I did. I found it the best yet. I laughed out loud several times over Renie. I mean to me..she is the star of the book. To me this seemed more like her book and it was funnier because of it. If I am ever stuck in the hospital I plan on taking my food with me too!
Rating: 
Summary: the real mystery is why anyone bought this, ever
Review: I'm not a huge mystery fan but ... I had heard of the author and figured I'd give it a shot. Never again. Mary Daheim's writing style grated on my last nerve. The book lurches between one underdeveloped character after another, all of whom spout incredibly mannered and expository dialogue. One character, talking to her best friend in the whole world, says: "I understand that modern medicine is a mess, but it seems impossible in a country as rich and supposedly smart as the United States that we could have gotten into such a fix." No one - I repeat, NO ONE - talks that way. It's the author's voice ringing out of her character's mouth, as clanging and awkward as a broken bell. The names of some of her characters are ludicrous. This may be a small point, but have you ever met anyone named Torchy Magee? Outside of a ... Mickey Spillane novel, I haven't either. How about Johnny Boxx (with two x's)? Or the talkative Mr. Mummy? I can see where she was trying to amuse, but the names are so ludicrous, they become distractions. You lose the thread of the narrative entirely, thinking to yourself, Torchy? Huh? And then there was the appalling lack of fact-checking. As one reader pointed out, Mary Daheim may not know anything about hip surgery or rotator cuff replacement surgery. My complaint is that she just as obviously knows nothing about Ecstacy. It will not blind you, drive you crazy, or cause you to expire. You cannot kill someone by putting that particular "street drug", as she likes to call them, into a bottle of soda. Cocaine? Yes. Heroin? Yes. It would have been far simpler and much more realistic to have her various characters die of overdoses of drugs that would actually kill them. So why did she choose E as one of the linchpins of her novel? Maybe because of all the negative publicity about it. Maybe she wanted to be topical. She's obviously anti-narcotics, unless they're prescribed by a physician. One character tells us that all she knows about Ecstacy is that it "does terrible things" to you... then proceeds to pop a few Valium later that night when she can't sleep. ... Fans have said this is one of Mary Daheim's weakest works, so maybe I should give her a second chance. I'd be willing to start another book by her... and just as willing to put it down after five pages if it's as horrible as this one was. ...
Rating: 
Summary: Not one of her best books
Review: In this entry in Mary Daheim's Bed and Breakfast series, Judith McMonigle Flynn and her cousin, Serena "Renie" Jones, are operated on and hospitalized at the same time. Naturally they are nervous about undergoing surgery, but even more so when they find out that two patients at the Hospital, a baseball star and an actress, died after undergoing minor surgery. They survive their surgeries, but when the patient in the next room, an ex-football player becomes the third victim, Judith and Renie begin to investigate the murders. But when the Jones' car is stolen and Judith's husband, Joe is stabbed, Judith and Renie wonder if they've gotten in too deep.
While I usually enjoy the books in this series, I didn't like this one. Renie is at her worst, literally screaming to get attention. Judith's mother, Gertrude, was also at her most annoying, using Judith's credit card to order things such as pot bellied pigs. As for the murder itself, I found the murderer's motive very weak.
I still recommend this series, just not this particular book.
Rating:
Summary: Patients are dying after surgery, is it murder?
Review: Judith and Renie are at it again. These cousins are a hoot!
Judith is off to the hospital for hip surgery. Renie is having rotator cuff repair. Unfortunately right before they are admitted, they learn that two recent well-known patients didn't make it after they had routine surgery.
Then while they are in the hospital recuperating, the ex-pro quarterback in the next room dies after minor knee surgery. Was he killed?
The cousins begin to look into the deaths at Good Cheer Hospital. This is not easily done. Judith is pretty much bed-bound, so Renie ends up doing a lot of the leg work. Most of the staff won't talk, but they do find a few who will give them a little information. But then most of them mysteriously go on vacation or are transferred.
Plus Renie is not the best patient. She is constantly finding a way to order in better food. Their neighbor across the hall, assists in this activity on a few occasions. Then a snow storm brings the town to an almost standstill. This also means that their husbands can't visit.
The husband of the first woman to die is a reporter. He stops in and chats with the cousins. A few minutes later Renie observes him being hit by a car in the hospital parking lot.
They know someone is up to no good and hope that they can survive while working to uncover everything!
I love this series. These cousins always make me laugh. They get into some of the wildest situations! Judith's husband and her mother are not as prominent in this book. They really add to this series as well. I like how the author can weave the various characters in and out depending on the setting. They still play a part, but maybe not as big.
The author has a real winner! If you are looking for a cozy that you can fly through and enjoy, you've found it!
I highly recommend this book and the entire series!
Rating: 
Summary: Mysterious hospital deaths
Review: Judith McMonigle Flynn needs to have a hip replacement, coincidentally at the same time that her cousin Renie is having shoulder surgery. They are a little apprehensive about their admission to Good Cheer Hospital, because there seems to be a rash of deaths of basically healthy people who have recently had surgery at the hospital. There is a rumor of a takeover of Good Cheer and there are plenty of quirky hospital employees as well as relatives of the deceased which gives Judith a long list of suspects. Her husband is working on a case dealing with homeless people and Judith suspects that there is a connection to the case she's working on. Undaunted by her surgery, Judith travels around the hospital in her wheel chair and, as usual, manages to solve the mystery before the police. This is another enjoyable book in the Bed-and-Breakfast series.
Rating:
Summary: SUTURE SELF
Review: Mary Daheim has obviously NOT had a hip replaced or she would of known that you DO need a walker and not just a wheel chair to get around after and that physical therapy starts one day after surgery. Also the obnoxious Renie sounds like a real jerk with all her screaming and whatever in a hospital. One sure can not wash their hair and take a shower after shoulder surgery either. This it the first book of the series I've read and don't know if I want to read another silly one of hers. Mary Daheim should do more research on her books and quit putting them out so fast!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Not Her Best
Review: Mary Daheim's "Suture Self" is on of the most thrilling murder mysteries I have read so far. It is filled with shocking twists and turns that leave you guessing what will happen next. The main characters, Judith and Renie, provide constant comic relief in what should be a serios situation. Their quest is to find out who or what is killing the famous patient of Good Cheer Hospital.They go about it using unique "detective" prosedures,which make for some ery interesting situations.
Rating:
Summary: This one is a flatliner...
Review: Suture Self begins with two sleuthing cousins scheduled for surgery at Good Cheer Hospital. Two famous people have already ended up dead and a third expires as the cousins recuperate. There were so many weakneses in this story that when I put the book down it was hard to pick up again. First, it's unlikely that strangers would stream into their room to fill them in on things that were none of their business. Second, the drug and homeless angles were flimsy nonsense. Third, and most annoying, was that Renie person. Why would a writer, having the power to create likeable characters in prominent positions in a story spawn something like Renie Jones? The cursing, screaming, unsympathetic attitude, etc. was WAY over the top and detracted from the weak plot. Lastly, there was no element of surprise at the end. Who didn't figure out that Jim was the killer half way through the book?
This was my introduction to this B&B series. If I read any of the others they will be checked out of my local library.
CM Miller---Author, What She Left Behind
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