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Book Review of Cancans, Croissants, and Caskets (Happy Hoofers, Bk 3)

Cancans, Croissants, and Caskets (Happy Hoofers, Bk 3)
dollycas avatar reviewed on + 704 more book reviews


Dollycas's Thoughts

I want to be a Happy Hoofer! They travel to awesome places and dance. Sometimes they tap their way right into a bunch of trouble but they always seem to shuffle their way out!

If you haven't met the Happy Hoofers they are a group of friends that love to dance.

Tina is leader of the group. She keeps everything organized. She is the Travel Editor at Perfect Bride magazine.
Janice is an actress and director in community theater. She is divorced with a daughter in college.
Pat is a family therapist and the mother hen of the group.
Mary Louise and Tina have been friends for over 30 years. She has 3 children and a very trying husband named George.
Gini is a redhead with a temper to match. She is a documentary filmmaker and while making a film in India fell in love with a little girl she hopes to adopt.

Janice narrates the story this time. The girls are in Paris and are booked to perform for a week on the Bateau Mouche, a touristy sightseeing boat that travels down the Seine. At the end of their first night passengers are guided to the top deck of the ship to see the Bastille Day fireworks but what they find is a dead body. This is not the first murder the Hoofers have found. They have become pretty well versed in police investigations and they can't stop themselves from doing a bit of investigating on their own. They are going to have to kick up more than their heels to catch this killer.

This is the second book I have read recently that takes place in Paris. Mary McHugh does an excellent job or describing the "City of Light". The dancers are staying in a rented apartment and their schedule leaves them plenty of time to see the famous landmarks and partake in some of the culinary delights from places around the city. They even take a trip to Versailles castle and gardens. I would really love to actually visit Paris someday. For now I have to settle for these virtual trips.

The mystery is fun too. Following the clues right along with the ladies. I figured it out a bit before them and I wish I could have let them know because one of them gets themselves into quite a pickle. The story wraps up almost too quickly for me though. I liked the way it played out but a few more pages of danger would have really added to the suspense level.

A very entertaining read with some tempting recipes and some amusing travel tips are included throughout the book.