I enjoy reading about Judith but I tend to get irritated with her "Coz", Renie. Some books it isn't too bad but this book, you would think someone in their 50's would behave better, at least some of the time. Renie eats, chews, slurps and talks all at the same time, she is rude to almost everyone (including Judith) and in this one she threw a massive temper tantrum about money which apparently was more important than murder.

The rest of the story was pretty good. With plenty of characters who could be responsible for the murder, Judith eventually works her way through the mess but it wasn't easy. I had no clue, not even a guess. The family relations were convoluted and confusing and I lost track. Still, other than Renie I enjoyed the book.

As usual, I wish there was more of Judith's husband, Joe, he is a great character. ( )

Money is tight for Judith McGonigle Flynn and her cousin Renie. Judith's Bed and Breakfast isn't attracting as many customers as it used to and Renie isn't getting any offers for her graphic design work and is seriously in debt. Judith is also dealing with Rudi, a neighbor who likes to practice his violin at all hours of the night. To top it all off, Judith's latest guests are an odd bunch and she's not too happy when one of them is murdered. Add in Renie's missing credit cards and Rudi's missing violin bow and Judith and Renie are knee deep in murder and mayhem - yet again.

"Saks and Violins" is an okay entry in Mary Daheim's Bed and Breakfast cozy mystery series. All of the characters that make the series so enjoyable - Judith, Renie, Judith's husband Joe, and her mother Gertrude - are in this book. The gentle sense of humor in the series is also in this book. But this book seems over the top, even for this series. Judith's neighbor Arlene is a perfect example. She's always been nosy, but she takes it to a new level in this book with her probing. Renie's worrying about her debts never quite worked for me as she was still wearing $2,000 outfits. The reaction of the 911 operator was no doubt meant to be funny but struck me as unprofessional instead. Judith's worrying over her artificial hip wore thin quickly - isn't the point of getting a new hip that one walks better with it? As for the mystery elements, for me the biggest problem was that there were too many characters and I got confused as to who was who and how they were related to each other. However, the mystery itself is well plotted, with plenty of suspects and red herrings and readers will have a hard time figuring out whodunit.

"Saks and Violins" is an okay cozy mystery. ( )

Muddled and boring. Don't go by the back cover - though it does list plot points from the book, it gives them out of order and exaggerated to the point of sensationalism. "Musical mayhem"?

The characters are not engaging, the plot not interesting and for a continuing series, there are no tantalizing hooks for past escapades that make me want to seek them out.

Put this book back on the shelf and move on. ( )