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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
3.0
High Kicks, Hot Chocolate and Homicides by Mary McHugh is the fifth book in The Happy Hoofer Mystery series. The Happy Hoofers have been invited to do a special routine with the Rockettes for their Christmas show. It will mean a lot of hard work for the Happy Hoofers. The Happy Hoofers consists of Mary Louise, Gini, Janice, Tina, and Pat. They are in their 50s and have danced in various places around the world (Russia, France and Spain for example). Mary Louise is glad for the diversion. Mary Louise has been married to George for 30 years, but she has been unhappy lately. Mary Louise met Dr. Mike Parnell on the Happy Hoofers adventure in Spain. He is the opposite of George and makes her happy. Mary Louise will have to make a decision. In the meantime, the group is off to New York for their first meeting with the Rockettes. They are greeted by Glenna Parsons. Glenna introduces them to the rest of the Rockettes. The Happy Hoofers will be doing a short routine with the Rockettes in Santa Claus outfits (that weigh 40 pounds). After meeting the rest of the performers, the group heads out to enjoy the afternoon in New York. There afternoon is cut short when they get a call to return to Radio City Music Hall. Glenna was found dead (and in does not look like an accidental death). Who wanted Glenna dead and why? The Happy Hoofers start their training the next day, but the manage to get in a little investigating and sightseeing at the same time. Unfortunately, Glenna was just the first victim. Can the Happy Hoofers solve the murders before there are no more Rockettes left to perform? Join Mary Louise, Gini, Janice, Tina, and Pat in New York for High Kicks, Hot Chocolate and Homicides!
High Kicks, Hot Chocolate and Homicides is an easy to read novel. It can be a stand-alone book. Mary McHugh rehashes what happened in the first four books of the Happy Hoofers Mystery series. The mystery is not prominent in the book. It plays out in the background, and it is simple to figure out. The way the crime plays out near the end is actually very similar to what happened in another book in this series. The book reads more like a romance novel as Mary Louise figures out what she wants to do with her life (stay with George or divorce him). We also get updates on the other characters and what is happening in their lives. There are recipes and Mary Louise’s cooking tips included in the book. We are also taken to see several of the sights in New York. I give High Kicks, Hot Chocolate and Homicides 3 out of 5 stars. I just found the novel to be predictable. I wanted more mystery and less romance (which dominated this novel).
I received a complimentary copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
High Kicks, Hot Chocolate and Homicides is an easy to read novel. It can be a stand-alone book. Mary McHugh rehashes what happened in the first four books of the Happy Hoofers Mystery series. The mystery is not prominent in the book. It plays out in the background, and it is simple to figure out. The way the crime plays out near the end is actually very similar to what happened in another book in this series. The book reads more like a romance novel as Mary Louise figures out what she wants to do with her life (stay with George or divorce him). We also get updates on the other characters and what is happening in their lives. There are recipes and Mary Louise’s cooking tips included in the book. We are also taken to see several of the sights in New York. I give High Kicks, Hot Chocolate and Homicides 3 out of 5 stars. I just found the novel to be predictable. I wanted more mystery and less romance (which dominated this novel).
I received a complimentary copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
qu33nofbookz's review against another edition
1.0
Not very impressed with this story. It's told through main character Mary Louise aka Wheezie (an idiot of a woman!). First off the description is a bit off but that is par the course these days. The happy Hoofers, a group of 5 ladies in their middle 50's or so (who must be rich to live the lives they do) are asked to perform a dance number with the Rockettes of New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. The "sexy Santa suits" are not sexy at all and have a 40 pound ball for a belly and full beards to cover their faces. The dazzling diva of a dancer who is found dead is not a diva and seemed fairly nice for the few pages we see her compared to the rest of the Rockettes we meet and the new leader, Marlowe, who all the others say is great but is a real bitch, they were better off with the nice one who they are all bitching about after she has died. One Rockette even bad mouths the dead one for in her words telling her she'd lay her off if she got pregnant, which she is and almost losses the baby at rehearsal and has already lost one (at 3 months). (Well no shit I'd lay you off or at least bench you until you delivered! Dancing 4 or 5 shows a day, not to mention hours of rehearsal wearing a 40 pound ball on my stomach with high steps and kicks in heels will cause damage to any pregnant woman!)
The seasonal sightseeing of the ladies is stuff they already visit and love and is presented here as if this were a travel book about the best places to visit in New York, it's all advertising. Plus everything they eat is described, what it is and how good it was, and so forth. What also bugged me about that aspect of the story is Mary Louise asked for the recipe for pretty much everything she ate. Now I have only visited New York and didn't go to too many fancy restaurants but they don't go handing out their recipes if they even cook everything, half the time most of the food is already made or mixed or whatever and just put in an oven. One part that confused me is that one of the hoofers decides on a whim to go to the Statue of Liberty. That's all well and good but she talks about going into the crown, and that is the problem. You can only do so with an advance reservation by phone or online (I have been) but she and she lover and her son just magically pop in? More advertisement and false stuff at that.
At the beginning to the story Mary Louise is having some marital problems with her husband, George, of 30 years. Their children are grown and gone (which she reminds us constantly and also what they are doing now that they are gone, numerous times with the same sentences!) and she has taken up dancing. She has met a man named Mike who she has begun an affair with while having this tough time. She complains that her husband isn't around or doesn't talk to her or if he does he doesn't listen. I understand the not listening so much but she never tries to stop him and just lets him go on whenever he talks about his day so that is kinda annoying of her to complain when she can do something about it but doesn't. The complaint about him not being around is unfounded as well. He works as a lawyer but seems to be home at a decent hour for her to serve him a perfect dinner every evening, but she is the one gone all the time. She explains and it's pointed out every few pages all the other countries she had been to recently to dance with her group and never thinking about him waiting at home for her while she is gone weeks at a time. Which is how she met Mike who is perfect, and kind and listens to her like her husband used to do and he is pressing her to divorce her husband to be with her. He is an OBGYN who delivers babies and is on beck and call 24/7 but she isn't worried about that and how often he'll have to leave her at a moment's notice or be gone for long periods of time. (The very thing she is accusing her husband of doing...) She is undecided because her upbringing tells her to work on marriage when it gets tough and not just throw in the towel....didn't they also teach/say not to cheat on your husband in those old values? She has no problem with that part.
Anyway...the lead Rockette is dead (it's very obvious who did it, no mystery there) and one Rockette is down for the count and Mary is running around the city with Mike everyday. The injured Rockette says she must talk to Mary about who killed the first Rockette and they make a lunch date. But when Mary gets there the injured Rockette is now dead. You guessed it, it was murder! Dun, dun, dun! The police would like to question Mary but she calls her lawyer husband who just happens to be in the area for help. She says she'll do everything to help the police but then withholds information and only replies what her husband says is okay to answer. It's stuff that the police should know by now or will within hours but still, why withhold this info? She and her husband go to lunch where she decides she does love her husband dearly and isn't so unhappy. She goes back to the theater and gossips about the murder before deciding she is going to see Mike (not even an hour after deciding she loves George!) They go out and she is confused again about should she stay with George or be with Mike. She gets back to the theater and guess what...another dead Rockette, the next one to be training them. (Between the murders, constant lunch breaks and sightseeing these ladies never get any practice in). As she is leaving the scene she gets pulled aside by yet another Rockette who wants to talk to her about the other murdered Rockettes. She says she must talk to Mary and tell her everything because she is afraid that she is going to be murdered next. If she knows this or fears this why the hell would she tell Mary and not the police?!?!
So Mary and the confessing Rockette go for coffee and the Rockette tells her everything! That the new lead Rockette Marlowe didn't like the first leader and so decided to kill her to get her job. Marlowe told her and the new other dead Rockettes that she would get the old leader fired and they all set up the murder. Now Marlowe is killing off every Rockette who was in on the murder. Again more bad-mouthing of the old leader for the reasons for each of the Rockettes picked to help in the murder. One for the no baby policy which I think is totally reasonable, one because she had a side job she was more interested in and it was cutting into dance practice, and the last because she was black and the leader didn't like black people, yet we have no evidence of this except this Rockette's word. Now that the confession is over she says that she isn't going to the police she is fleeing to Canada. Mary tells her she should go to the police and George can help her get a lawyer but the Rockette declines. Mary says she'll go to the police with the information.....tomorrow because it's 5:30 and she needs to go home and cook for George!?!?! What does she think that the police are gone from their jobs for the day? That she'll wait till business hours to call and tell them the identity of a murderer who has killed 3 people in 2 days! The Rockette thanks her for giving her time to get away and Mary goes home, gossiping all to her friends on the trip back and then discussing the upcoming wedding of 2 of the Hoofers. None of her friends or the driver tells her to call the police this minute or go to the police, no it can wait till tomorrow! Her husband the lawyer agrees and says call the police in the morning too! WTF is wrong with these people!
Morning and Mary finally calls the police but the detective is busy at the moment. Mary doesn't tell the officer who she is talking to the information or leave a message for the detective or wait to call back, instead she'll just find him sometime during the day as he'll have to be out investigating the murders. When they get to the theater the detective is there but so is the Rockette who was going to Canada. She hasn't told the detective anything and wants to talk to Mary. So Mary leaves her friends to talk and the Rockette leads her outside at gunpoint to Marlowe and another Rockette helping her. They take Mary away telling her that the confessing Rockette is again in league with Marlowe and that they are going to kill her. They take her to a cruise boat but the confessing Rockette now thinks that Marlowe will kill both her and Mary so they escape by pushing Marlowe and her helper into the water at the pier. Mary and Rockette catch a cab back to the theater and FINALLY tell the detective everything. The detective takes the Rockette away and puts out the alert for Marlowe and her helper who have gotten away from the cops at the pier. To feel better the Hoofers are all going out for a sunset cruise on a boat of one of the Hoofer's fiance. They all call their partners to join them and in 30 minutes they are at the boat waiting (wasn't it just morning a few paragraphs ago?) The fiance jokes about falling into the water and has to be reminded about Mary's ordeal (which she told him about not 30 minutes ago!) soon all the partners arrive. They must have been sitting around doing nothing all day just waiting for this boat ride to be there so fast. (Do any of these people have jobs besides George?) So off they go describing the sights as if for a travel brochure as the sun sets when it was only morning just a hour or so ago...
The next day they go back to the theater for more dancing lessons and after an hour decide it's time for lunch. Everyone leaves except Mary who is waiting for Mike. While she waits she is taken hostage by Marlowe who is hiding in the bathroom with a gun. They leave the theater and Marlowe tells her they are going to Cuba but Mary see's Mike's car and stops him by throwing a shoe at it. They all get into an altercation and the police come. Even though the police are on the lookout for Marlowe this cop is clueless and has to call in before arresting Marlowe. Without being questioned Mary and Mike go off for coffee and Mary tells Mike she is staying with George but still wants to be friends. Mike is the perfect man about this and declares his love saying he's okay with friendship and waiting until she will someday be free or if George is upset about what they have been doing he'll be happy to marry her if she leaves him over it. Mary decides she needs to pray a bit in thanks for not dying 2 days in a row (typo in the book says 2 times in one day which is a tip off to...) When she is in the church Marlowe's helper from the day before sits next to her and points a gun at her taking her hostage (Really!?!? and how the hell are they getting all these guns anyway?) She says she is mad at Mary for almost killing her (she can't swim but managed to get out of the water just fine?) Mary manages to knock the gun away and it goes off when it hits the floor (totally unbelievable!) and Marlowe's helper runs away. The priest comes out from the back and tells off Mary rudely and refuses to call the police. He gives her the gun from the floor and tells her to get out of his church! She calls her friends to pick her up and when they do they tell her to give the gun to the police...tomorrow...like they work 9-5 or something or wouldn't be interesting in Mary being threatened by a murder suspect they are looking for? Nope, everything can wait till tomorrow, Mary will go home and be fine. It's not like the woman knows where she lives and will find her (total spoiler BTW).
Once home she begins to cook dinner for George and when he gets home she tells him about Mike (he isn't happy to hear this) and about her day with Marlowe and her helper. George convinces her to call the detective (at last something similar to reality) and she does. The detective says he'll have someone come by to watch over them. Not long after someone is at the back door and Mary thinks it's the police (at the back door? riiiight!) She answers and it's Marlowe's helper with yet another gun (where are they getting guns so easy and for free?) She wants Mary as a hostage again but she'd like some food first because she took all day running around looking for Mary, oh and she found where Mary lives by using google...(not sure how and side note it is creepy how much information about a person is on google!!!!!!) So Mary who was just about to pull dinner off the stove offers it to her and then promptly throws a pot of boiling water and noodles in her face. George gets the gun as the helper goes to the sink for cold water and the police come waltzing in just then. They are here to protect Mary and George and be on the lookout for the helper but are confused by George with the gun and want to arrest him and have to call in to get clarification as to what is going on and who to really arrest (are all the cops idiots?) The helper is arrested and taken away to the precinct for questioning but not to the hospital because she's fine even with a pot of boiling water to the face. And yet again Mary and George are not questioned...at all...about anything.
The last 3 chapters go like this. 2 pages about how they dance in the show and are good comic relief, 7 pages of the Hoofer's and loved ones having dinner and about Mary's perfect Martha Stewart set up and her great grandmother's china. The last chapter is a list of all the best things to do in New York, cheap things to do in New York, and what not to do in New York before the Hoofers decide they are going to do a job in London and everyone rearranges plans they made months ago and their partners (who must also be rich) rearrange their schedules to go as if they don't have important jobs.
INCLUDES COOKING TIPS AND TASTY RECIPES says the description and inside of the book. First there are no tips, those are just some fun wit (not really) or silliness that involves food. As for the recipes they were almost all seafood based and would cost a pretty penny to make half of them. So unless you have a lot of cash for groceries and are Martha Stewart in the kitchen cooking for a party half of these are of no use to you.
I know that these women are in their 50's and possibly closer to 60 but they have an annoying habit of saying "oh! other character's name" every time they talk! Who does that? Not even my grandmother or great-grandmother does that. Maybe every great once in a while but not every time they address someone. And everyone keeps kissing one of the hoofer's finance even when the angle is impossible he gets a kiss just for whatever reason any time they see him.
So to sum up this whole MYSTERY (not!) story a string of murders happen that the main character does not see, is basically told about and half of the people involved decide they want to tell her about it instead of the cops and finally one does and then the main murderer decides to kill her and makes several attempts that are just too ridiculous to believe before finally being arrested.
The seasonal sightseeing of the ladies is stuff they already visit and love and is presented here as if this were a travel book about the best places to visit in New York, it's all advertising. Plus everything they eat is described, what it is and how good it was, and so forth. What also bugged me about that aspect of the story is Mary Louise asked for the recipe for pretty much everything she ate. Now I have only visited New York and didn't go to too many fancy restaurants but they don't go handing out their recipes if they even cook everything, half the time most of the food is already made or mixed or whatever and just put in an oven. One part that confused me is that one of the hoofers decides on a whim to go to the Statue of Liberty. That's all well and good but she talks about going into the crown, and that is the problem. You can only do so with an advance reservation by phone or online (I have been) but she and she lover and her son just magically pop in? More advertisement and false stuff at that.
At the beginning to the story Mary Louise is having some marital problems with her husband, George, of 30 years. Their children are grown and gone (which she reminds us constantly and also what they are doing now that they are gone, numerous times with the same sentences!) and she has taken up dancing. She has met a man named Mike who she has begun an affair with while having this tough time. She complains that her husband isn't around or doesn't talk to her or if he does he doesn't listen. I understand the not listening so much but she never tries to stop him and just lets him go on whenever he talks about his day so that is kinda annoying of her to complain when she can do something about it but doesn't. The complaint about him not being around is unfounded as well. He works as a lawyer but seems to be home at a decent hour for her to serve him a perfect dinner every evening, but she is the one gone all the time. She explains and it's pointed out every few pages all the other countries she had been to recently to dance with her group and never thinking about him waiting at home for her while she is gone weeks at a time. Which is how she met Mike who is perfect, and kind and listens to her like her husband used to do and he is pressing her to divorce her husband to be with her. He is an OBGYN who delivers babies and is on beck and call 24/7 but she isn't worried about that and how often he'll have to leave her at a moment's notice or be gone for long periods of time. (The very thing she is accusing her husband of doing...) She is undecided because her upbringing tells her to work on marriage when it gets tough and not just throw in the towel....didn't they also teach/say not to cheat on your husband in those old values? She has no problem with that part.
Anyway...the lead Rockette is dead (it's very obvious who did it, no mystery there) and one Rockette is down for the count and Mary is running around the city with Mike everyday. The injured Rockette says she must talk to Mary about who killed the first Rockette and they make a lunch date. But when Mary gets there the injured Rockette is now dead. You guessed it, it was murder! Dun, dun, dun! The police would like to question Mary but she calls her lawyer husband who just happens to be in the area for help. She says she'll do everything to help the police but then withholds information and only replies what her husband says is okay to answer. It's stuff that the police should know by now or will within hours but still, why withhold this info? She and her husband go to lunch where she decides she does love her husband dearly and isn't so unhappy. She goes back to the theater and gossips about the murder before deciding she is going to see Mike (not even an hour after deciding she loves George!) They go out and she is confused again about should she stay with George or be with Mike. She gets back to the theater and guess what...another dead Rockette, the next one to be training them. (Between the murders, constant lunch breaks and sightseeing these ladies never get any practice in). As she is leaving the scene she gets pulled aside by yet another Rockette who wants to talk to her about the other murdered Rockettes. She says she must talk to Mary and tell her everything because she is afraid that she is going to be murdered next. If she knows this or fears this why the hell would she tell Mary and not the police?!?!
So Mary and the confessing Rockette go for coffee and the Rockette tells her everything! That the new lead Rockette Marlowe didn't like the first leader and so decided to kill her to get her job. Marlowe told her and the new other dead Rockettes that she would get the old leader fired and they all set up the murder. Now Marlowe is killing off every Rockette who was in on the murder. Again more bad-mouthing of the old leader for the reasons for each of the Rockettes picked to help in the murder. One for the no baby policy which I think is totally reasonable, one because she had a side job she was more interested in and it was cutting into dance practice, and the last because she was black and the leader didn't like black people, yet we have no evidence of this except this Rockette's word. Now that the confession is over she says that she isn't going to the police she is fleeing to Canada. Mary tells her she should go to the police and George can help her get a lawyer but the Rockette declines. Mary says she'll go to the police with the information.....tomorrow because it's 5:30 and she needs to go home and cook for George!?!?! What does she think that the police are gone from their jobs for the day? That she'll wait till business hours to call and tell them the identity of a murderer who has killed 3 people in 2 days! The Rockette thanks her for giving her time to get away and Mary goes home, gossiping all to her friends on the trip back and then discussing the upcoming wedding of 2 of the Hoofers. None of her friends or the driver tells her to call the police this minute or go to the police, no it can wait till tomorrow! Her husband the lawyer agrees and says call the police in the morning too! WTF is wrong with these people!
Morning and Mary finally calls the police but the detective is busy at the moment. Mary doesn't tell the officer who she is talking to the information or leave a message for the detective or wait to call back, instead she'll just find him sometime during the day as he'll have to be out investigating the murders. When they get to the theater the detective is there but so is the Rockette who was going to Canada. She hasn't told the detective anything and wants to talk to Mary. So Mary leaves her friends to talk and the Rockette leads her outside at gunpoint to Marlowe and another Rockette helping her. They take Mary away telling her that the confessing Rockette is again in league with Marlowe and that they are going to kill her. They take her to a cruise boat but the confessing Rockette now thinks that Marlowe will kill both her and Mary so they escape by pushing Marlowe and her helper into the water at the pier. Mary and Rockette catch a cab back to the theater and FINALLY tell the detective everything. The detective takes the Rockette away and puts out the alert for Marlowe and her helper who have gotten away from the cops at the pier. To feel better the Hoofers are all going out for a sunset cruise on a boat of one of the Hoofer's fiance. They all call their partners to join them and in 30 minutes they are at the boat waiting (wasn't it just morning a few paragraphs ago?) The fiance jokes about falling into the water and has to be reminded about Mary's ordeal (which she told him about not 30 minutes ago!) soon all the partners arrive. They must have been sitting around doing nothing all day just waiting for this boat ride to be there so fast. (Do any of these people have jobs besides George?) So off they go describing the sights as if for a travel brochure as the sun sets when it was only morning just a hour or so ago...
The next day they go back to the theater for more dancing lessons and after an hour decide it's time for lunch. Everyone leaves except Mary who is waiting for Mike. While she waits she is taken hostage by Marlowe who is hiding in the bathroom with a gun. They leave the theater and Marlowe tells her they are going to Cuba but Mary see's Mike's car and stops him by throwing a shoe at it. They all get into an altercation and the police come. Even though the police are on the lookout for Marlowe this cop is clueless and has to call in before arresting Marlowe. Without being questioned Mary and Mike go off for coffee and Mary tells Mike she is staying with George but still wants to be friends. Mike is the perfect man about this and declares his love saying he's okay with friendship and waiting until she will someday be free or if George is upset about what they have been doing he'll be happy to marry her if she leaves him over it. Mary decides she needs to pray a bit in thanks for not dying 2 days in a row (typo in the book says 2 times in one day which is a tip off to...) When she is in the church Marlowe's helper from the day before sits next to her and points a gun at her taking her hostage (Really!?!? and how the hell are they getting all these guns anyway?) She says she is mad at Mary for almost killing her (she can't swim but managed to get out of the water just fine?) Mary manages to knock the gun away and it goes off when it hits the floor (totally unbelievable!) and Marlowe's helper runs away. The priest comes out from the back and tells off Mary rudely and refuses to call the police. He gives her the gun from the floor and tells her to get out of his church! She calls her friends to pick her up and when they do they tell her to give the gun to the police...tomorrow...like they work 9-5 or something or wouldn't be interesting in Mary being threatened by a murder suspect they are looking for? Nope, everything can wait till tomorrow, Mary will go home and be fine. It's not like the woman knows where she lives and will find her (total spoiler BTW).
Once home she begins to cook dinner for George and when he gets home she tells him about Mike (he isn't happy to hear this) and about her day with Marlowe and her helper. George convinces her to call the detective (at last something similar to reality) and she does. The detective says he'll have someone come by to watch over them. Not long after someone is at the back door and Mary thinks it's the police (at the back door? riiiight!) She answers and it's Marlowe's helper with yet another gun (where are they getting guns so easy and for free?) She wants Mary as a hostage again but she'd like some food first because she took all day running around looking for Mary, oh and she found where Mary lives by using google...(not sure how and side note it is creepy how much information about a person is on google!!!!!!) So Mary who was just about to pull dinner off the stove offers it to her and then promptly throws a pot of boiling water and noodles in her face. George gets the gun as the helper goes to the sink for cold water and the police come waltzing in just then. They are here to protect Mary and George and be on the lookout for the helper but are confused by George with the gun and want to arrest him and have to call in to get clarification as to what is going on and who to really arrest (are all the cops idiots?) The helper is arrested and taken away to the precinct for questioning but not to the hospital because she's fine even with a pot of boiling water to the face. And yet again Mary and George are not questioned...at all...about anything.
The last 3 chapters go like this. 2 pages about how they dance in the show and are good comic relief, 7 pages of the Hoofer's and loved ones having dinner and about Mary's perfect Martha Stewart set up and her great grandmother's china. The last chapter is a list of all the best things to do in New York, cheap things to do in New York, and what not to do in New York before the Hoofers decide they are going to do a job in London and everyone rearranges plans they made months ago and their partners (who must also be rich) rearrange their schedules to go as if they don't have important jobs.
INCLUDES COOKING TIPS AND TASTY RECIPES says the description and inside of the book. First there are no tips, those are just some fun wit (not really) or silliness that involves food. As for the recipes they were almost all seafood based and would cost a pretty penny to make half of them. So unless you have a lot of cash for groceries and are Martha Stewart in the kitchen cooking for a party half of these are of no use to you.
I know that these women are in their 50's and possibly closer to 60 but they have an annoying habit of saying "oh! other character's name" every time they talk! Who does that? Not even my grandmother or great-grandmother does that. Maybe every great once in a while but not every time they address someone. And everyone keeps kissing one of the hoofer's finance even when the angle is impossible he gets a kiss just for whatever reason any time they see him.
So to sum up this whole MYSTERY (not!) story a string of murders happen that the main character does not see, is basically told about and half of the people involved decide they want to tell her about it instead of the cops and finally one does and then the main murderer decides to kill her and makes several attempts that are just too ridiculous to believe before finally being arrested.
kimmiereadsalot's review
2.25
I didn’t hate this book. But it wasn’t for me. I ended up skimming the entire thing in one evening because that’s all the attention it required to get the gist (kind of like a hallmark movie). But the skimming started with the first fat phobic statement (there were only a handful in total but that’s still a handful too many imo). Then the skimming continued with all the tedious side info. But the real kicker was the semi-affair throughout that drove me crazy. Admittedly, far phobia and adultery are triggers for me, so there’s that.
The murder mystery was a bit outlandish but could have been fun if done better. But again. This just didn’t work for me.
The murder mystery was a bit outlandish but could have been fun if done better. But again. This just didn’t work for me.
jodyladuemcgrath's review
2.0
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
High Kicks, Hot Chocolate, and Homicides is the fifth book in Mary McHugh’s A Happy Hoofers Mystery series. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but I don't think you need to really. They do mention a lot of things that happened in previous books, but each book is a separate story. I guess the rotate narrators and this one is narrated by Mary Louise who is a housewife and of course part of the Happy Hoofers.
The Happy Hoofers, a group of 5 dancers in their early 50s, are hired by the Rockettes to dance with them in their Radio Coty Music Hall Christmas performance. When the head Rockette, Glenna is found dead, her body mangled by machinery under the stage, the girls find themselves embroiled in another murder mystery.
I don't think this book was a mystery. It was more like a murder happened and the Happy Hoofers happened to be there and then Mary Louise happened to be told who the murderer was. There was no sleuthing or clues. The murderer was completely obvious and even the twist was obvious from before the murder even happened. Mostly the story centered on her deciding if she loved her husband or the man she was seeing on the side more. First the made her husband a complete jerk, then the did a 180 and made him a sweetheart. Still she was totally stepping out on him. And if she said, "Oh George" or "Oh Mike" or "Oh Peter" any more than she already did, it would have been in every paragraph. I pictured her as Mrs. Brady. The story also went into way to much detail about where everyone went for lunch, and what they had, and what the recipe was, and what the place looked like. Then she took us for a tour of New York. Describing everything. At the end they even spent a chapter talking about free things people. Isiting New York could do. Was this published by the New York PR firm? Even the climax of the story was bad. It started and stopped and started and stopped and started and stopped. And then it was over.
The only reason I am giving this book two stars instead of one, is because I liked the idea behind it. That just because these gales were in their 50s didn't mean they were not still active, desirable adults. I would never recommend this book to anyone unless they were planning a trip to New York.
High Kicks, Hot Chocolate, and Homicides is the fifth book in Mary McHugh’s A Happy Hoofers Mystery series. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but I don't think you need to really. They do mention a lot of things that happened in previous books, but each book is a separate story. I guess the rotate narrators and this one is narrated by Mary Louise who is a housewife and of course part of the Happy Hoofers.
The Happy Hoofers, a group of 5 dancers in their early 50s, are hired by the Rockettes to dance with them in their Radio Coty Music Hall Christmas performance. When the head Rockette, Glenna is found dead, her body mangled by machinery under the stage, the girls find themselves embroiled in another murder mystery.
I don't think this book was a mystery. It was more like a murder happened and the Happy Hoofers happened to be there and then Mary Louise happened to be told who the murderer was. There was no sleuthing or clues. The murderer was completely obvious and even the twist was obvious from before the murder even happened. Mostly the story centered on her deciding if she loved her husband or the man she was seeing on the side more. First the made her husband a complete jerk, then the did a 180 and made him a sweetheart. Still she was totally stepping out on him. And if she said, "Oh George" or "Oh Mike" or "Oh Peter" any more than she already did, it would have been in every paragraph. I pictured her as Mrs. Brady. The story also went into way to much detail about where everyone went for lunch, and what they had, and what the recipe was, and what the place looked like. Then she took us for a tour of New York. Describing everything. At the end they even spent a chapter talking about free things people. Isiting New York could do. Was this published by the New York PR firm? Even the climax of the story was bad. It started and stopped and started and stopped and started and stopped. And then it was over.
The only reason I am giving this book two stars instead of one, is because I liked the idea behind it. That just because these gales were in their 50s didn't mean they were not still active, desirable adults. I would never recommend this book to anyone unless they were planning a trip to New York.
lunifur's review
4.0
**I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**
This is a great winter book. I can just imagine being snuggled into a blanket next to a fire, sipping a nice hot cup of coffee while snow is gently falling outside (or, since I'm a northerner, watching blizzard conditions). It's light, it's cozy, it's predictable. Pretty much, it's just that perfect mix for a cold winter's day. I do feel that it leaned a little more towards “light romantic mystery” than a straight cozy mystery, but the main characters felt so real that it didn't matter. It felt weird to me that the entire mystery was fully explained by about 2/3rds of the way in, leading to a few too many climactic scenes. Although it did get amusing when Mary Louise realizes how ridiculous it was getting. A major plus for me was the fact that this can be read as a standalone, and it also doesn't leave any unresolved plotlines.
This is a great winter book. I can just imagine being snuggled into a blanket next to a fire, sipping a nice hot cup of coffee while snow is gently falling outside (or, since I'm a northerner, watching blizzard conditions). It's light, it's cozy, it's predictable. Pretty much, it's just that perfect mix for a cold winter's day. I do feel that it leaned a little more towards “light romantic mystery” than a straight cozy mystery, but the main characters felt so real that it didn't matter. It felt weird to me that the entire mystery was fully explained by about 2/3rds of the way in, leading to a few too many climactic scenes. Although it did get amusing when Mary Louise realizes how ridiculous it was getting. A major plus for me was the fact that this can be read as a standalone, and it also doesn't leave any unresolved plotlines.