The formerly rotund lead in The Thin Woman , Ellie Haskell, fears that her friends have taken their homicidal fantasies too seriously when their step-mothers end up in some dangerous situations. Reprint. AB. PW.
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From Publishers Weekly
A plague of mothers-in-law descends upon the small English village of Chitterton Fells with toxic, and hilarious, results. Ellie Haskell, seen last in Femmes Fatal , plans the perfect dinner party to celebrate the 38th anniversary of her in-laws, Magdalene and Elijah. But an evening full of domestic mishaps is capped with the elder Haskells's announcement that they had never officially been wed. After an escalating quarrel, Elijah retires to a hotel, leaving the glacial, pampered and extremely hostile Mag in residence with Ellie and her nonplussed husband Ben. On a visit to a local pub to retrieve Elijah, Ellie meets three other women with raging mother-in-law problems; the foursome, under the influence of gin and tonic, devise wickedly clever ways to murder each live-in meddler. But after a spate of accidents, one of them fatal, befalls the unfortunate older women, Ellie and friends must marshall their resources to find the murderer and a blackmailer. This droll story lurches haphazardly from one crisis to the next, sometimes revealing a lunatic edge. But Chitterton Fells, its full quota of likable, loquacious eccentrics and Cannell's frazzled, overweight heroine are rendered with zest and affection.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Ellie Haskell's mother-in-law comes for a visit, making Ellie's life a living hell. Up to her neck in criticism and crocheted doilies, Ellie seeks solace one night in the village tavern with a few friends. They, too, have serious mother-in-law problems, and the friends spend a tipsy evening plotting imaginary murders to vent their frustration. Suddenly the murders begin to occur, and Ellie races to discover the killer before it's too late. With deft humor and fine characterization, author Cannell draws a pleasant, if dense, mystery. Narrator Sharon Williams's variety and quick pacing do a good job of bringing the myriad characters to life. However, the story's many whining, irritating characters can tax the patience of the heartiest listener. Recommended for larger mystery collections.
Susan B. Lamphier, Somerville P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Susan B. Lamphier, Somerville P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Mamalinde
Format:Mass Market Paperback
A rollicking, slapstick story of four absurdly awful mother-in-laws and four put upon wives. On an evening of low spirits and hard liquor, the ladies conspire to "accidentally on purpose" knock off the old girls. The delightful Ellie Haskell, loving wife to the handsome Ben, mama to the darling twins Tam and Abby, and mistress of Merlin's Court gets the action going when she plans an anniversary celebration for the in-laws -- only to find out that the actual wedding never happened. Set in the charming English seaside town of Chitteron Falls, this story is action packed, completely over-the-top, full of delightfully eccentric characters and wickedly witty dialogue. Accidents begin to befall the mother-in-laws, and when one of them dies exactly as dreamed up by the quartet, the saga goes into high gear. A delightfully far-fetched cozy mystery sure to charm.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Well, darn; bought this book hoping for ideas! Kidding; however they did come up with some goodies with naughty results.
This mystery cozy is set in England and has the funny sign-song style I love.
When four "ticked-off" daughters-in-law, get together, they find they have much in common and chat about ways to get rid of their acquired Mothers-in-law. The end result is funny, but has a scary moment or two. Plus I was guessing up to the end, which is pretty unusual, as I'm really Sherlock Nose in disguise!
This mystery cozy is set in England and has the funny sign-song style I love.
When four "ticked-off" daughters-in-law, get together, they find they have much in common and chat about ways to get rid of their acquired Mothers-in-law. The end result is funny, but has a scary moment or two. Plus I was guessing up to the end, which is pretty unusual, as I'm really Sherlock Nose in disguise!
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Absolutely the funniest book I have read in a long time. If anyone has had to deal with a Mother-in-law then this has to stike a cord. Even if your mother-in-law was one of the best. An excellent book, one you can recommend to anyone.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not up to Cannell's usual standard
I had read two other Cannell books about Ellie Haskell, _The Thin Woman_ and _The Spring Cleaning Murders_, and liked them very much; however, I didn't think this one got going... Read more
Published on May 26 2001 by audrey
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Universal Problem. . . .
I found this book very funny and entertaining. It really kept me guessing until the end (and that's hard to say about many mysteries these days). Read more
Published on April 19 2001
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Universal Problem. . . .
I found this book very funny and entertaining. It really kept me guessing until the end (and that's hard to say about many mysteries these days). Read more
Published on April 19 2001
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lesson: never plan your mother-in-law's murder in public
The elder Mrs. Haskell is back, only we've just discovered that legally she has no claim to the name, having never actually married Ben's Jewish father due to religious... Read more
Published on Aug 15 2000 by "sarasarah"
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another fun read with Cannell's Ellie
I've only recently discovered Cannell's Ellie Haskell series and am quite thrilled with the find. I've just finished this one (How to Murder Your Mother In Law) and was again... Read more
Published on July 30 1998
5.0 out of 5 stars
Obnoxious mother-in-laws nearly become extinct.
A smart and funny cross between a comedy of manners and a murder mystery, Dorothy Cannell's How To Murder Your Mother-in-Law is a true delight. Read more
Published on May 4 1997
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