From Publishers Weekly
Tour guide Emily Andrew, two eager suitors and an eccentric group of travel-happy Iowa senior citizens go Down Under in this fifth installment of the Passport to Peril mystery series, following pun-filled adventures to Italy (_Pasta Imperfect_), Hawaii (_Hula Done It?_) and other destinations. When biologist Claire Bellows is found dead and an exceedingly rare plantβone that's supposed to have been extinct for over a hundred million yearsβdisappears, Emily and her merrily quarrelsome band leap on the scent of murder. But was Claire killed out of professional rivalry or is a hidden motive at work? The tourists careen around Australia, racking up clues while a couple of would-be husbands battle for Emily's heart and the seniors jockey for position at every rest stop and souvenir store in the country. Nonstop wisecracks enliven the action (covered in blue zinc oxide, one tourist's "nose matched her sandals today, a striking example of how fashion savvy she'd become since her bunion surgery"), and the easygoing pace leads to a satisfying heroine-in-peril twist ending that should please those in search of a good cozy. (Nov.)
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Product Description
When Emily Andrew lands in the Land of Oz -- Australia, that is -- she and her hearty group of world-touring seniors know they're not in Iowa anymore. Winter is summer, drains drain counterclockwise, and all the comforts of home are, well, back home. Even Emily's love life is upside down: her darling detective Etienne Miceli has yet to propose, while gorgeous tour director Duncan Lazarus is vying to be more than just mates. Emily is preoccupied calming the group's jitters about the outback's killers, from sunstroke to snake bites. But when a fellow traveler turns up dead, Emily fears something far more toxic has struck: human greed. Someone has stumbled upon a natural wonder that could turn science on its head -- was this priceless discovery the catalyst for murder? Before the dust settles, a second untimely death occurs. If Emily can't stop a killer in their tracks, this Aussie adventure just may be her last.