Passport to Murder
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Published by: Camel Press
Release Date: September 15, 2017
Pages: 272
ISBN13: 978-1603816533
Synopsis
Start with an unlucky number. Throw in a romantic location. Include a dashing Frenchman and an uncompromising professor. And you have all the ingredients for a passport to murder.
This semester, it seems that Professor Prather's dreams are about to come true. Ever since she was a young girl, she's imagined going to France, and her French colleague, André Duman, has finally made that trip possible. Over spring break, she and André are to lead a group of students and faculty to Paris to explore the City of Light. But before she can utter her first bonjour, a professor dies, and they are stuck in Minneapolis. She returns to Copper Bluff with an unstamped passport and a mystery to solve.
When André becomes the prime suspect, Emmeline puts her research skills to good use, determined to find out who really killed the professor and spoiled their spring break plans. With thirteen travelers assembled, the possibilities are varied and villainous. Luckily, her dear friend and sidekick, Lenny Jenkins, is close by. Together, they will sort through the conflicting clues even if it costs them time, trouble, or tenure.
Book 2 in the Professor Prather mystery series
Passport to Murder is available in 5×8 trade paperback at bookstores near you, including Barnes and Noble and independent booksellers. Don’t see it at your library? Ask for it! Librarians are awesome resources. Bookstores and libraries can order wholesale through Ingram, Baker & Taylor or by contacting info@camelpress.com. Libraries can also order from Brodart Company. Or find it in multiple eBook formats and online, including iBooks, Indie Bound and Kobo.
Book Club Questions for Passport to Murder
The number 13 is integral to the plot of Passport to Murder. Thirteen people are taking a trip abroad when one of them dies suddenly, and thirteen people are having dinner when Emmeline cautions against being the first one to leave. How does superstition affect Em’s decisions? What caused her to be superstitious? Is superstition the same thing as fear?
Emmeline admires French language and culture, and French professor and colleague, André Duman, happens to be knowledgeable of both. When André is suspected of murder, though, Em realizes she and André aren’t as close as she thought. Would André and Emmeline make a good couple? Why or why not? How does admiration differ from affection?
Emmeline loves France, yet she’s never been there. If her trip to Paris wouldn’t have been thwarted by murder, do you think it would have met her expectations? Does anticipation or waiting affect expectations? In what ways is imagination more powerful than reality?
Praise
Publishers Weekly, July 17, 2017: “Francophile Emmeline Prather, an English professor at the university in Copper Bluff, S. Dakota, is looking forward to a week in Paris during spring break with a group of other faculty members and students in Angela’s enjoyable sequel to 2016’s An Act of Murder. But soon after takeoff from the Minneapolis airport, Molly Jaspers, a professor who was ‘fairly well-known on campus for her work in land conservation across the state,’ dies of apparent anaphylactic shock, and the plane returns to Minneapolis. Two police detectives, overseen by FBI agent Tom Sanders, investigate what becomes a murder case. When Sanders focuses on French professor Andre Duman, Emmeline’s friend who organized the trip, as the prime suspect, Emmeline determines to prove Andre’s innocence. After the trip is canceled, the dispirited travelers return to campus, where a second death raises the stakes. Emmeline’s shrewd questioning of students and professors uncovers hidden motives and secrets in this clever academic mystery.”
RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars: "A murderer uses two distinct methods for murder in Angela’s second enthralling Emmeline Prather mystery. They are as unusual as they are different, which makes for intriguing reading. The world of academia is exciting in the way it is approached in this clandestine tale. Unique personalities abound and include more than one red herring." --Donna Brown
Long and Short Reviews, 5 stars: "Passport to Murderis an engrossing story that will pull the reader in from the first page. While taking a once in a lifetime class trip to Paris, there is a death of one of the faculty members during the flight causing an immediate change of plans and cancelling this amazing opportunity for everyone. What occurs after this murder is where the story really heats up, both literally and figuratively." Keep reading...
Affaire de Coeur Magazine, 4 Stars: “I enjoyed it. I liked the bookish heroine and her way of investigating that depends on her emotional intelligence.” Read more…. --Danielle the Book Huntress
Reviewing the Evidence: "a fun, quick read filled with characters worth spending time with, just as a cozy should be, and both the setting and the relationships offer plenty of possibilities for future installments." Read more....
Crime Fiction Lover: “Passport to Murder is an intelligent contemporary cosy which isn’t overly saccharine and should appeal to fans of the genre who like an amateur detective who approaches mysteries through the power of the intellect rather than through non-stop action.” Read more…. --Marina Sofia
Reader Views: “Passport to Murderis a strong follow-up to Angela’s debut novel, An Act of Murder. The Professor Prather mystery series is meant for mystery lovers of every age. Avid readers, like myself, will especially love and relate to a fellow bookish heroine like Professor Prather." --Amanda Crago Read more....
“Em is a terrific character—outspoken, funny and fearless except in the affairs of the heart. I hope to read more of Mary Angela’s Professor Prather books.” Read more….
—Map Your Mystery blog
Readers' Favorite Book Reviews, 5 stars: "I loved feeling the college experience again as we see Emmeline interacting with her English comp students and dealing with departmental and faculty politics. Her sleuthing is a delight. There are plenty of red herrings and clues for the armchair sleuth to consider along with Emmeline, and the grand unmasking of the killer hearkens beautifully to the familiar drawing-room exposés of classic mystery novels. Passport to Murder: A Professor Prather Mystery, Book 2 is most highly recommended." --Jack Magnus
“This is a great mystery novel that has a strong female lead, good supporting characters that offer some funny interactions, and enough action to keep the reader turning the page while guessing what will happen next. I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.” Read more….
—Books a Plenty Book Reviews
“I loved the relationship between Em and Lenny [….] They have chemistry and they understand each other. Their scenes together were my favorites. Lenny makes Em brighter, funnier and sharper. [….] This is a quick read, with a curious mystery, quite a variety of suspects and a mystery peanut.” Read more….
—Varietats Blog
“I was intrigued by the South Dakota location. [….] The reader is kept guessing who dun it all the way to the end. Passport to Murderis a great read and part of an interesting series.” Read more….
—My Reading Journeys
“Although this book focuses on a university setting and the main characters are quite well educated, that does not make them stuffy or boring. There is not a dull section in this quick paced, intriguing mystery. The characters are very relatable and interesting.” Read more….
—Laura’s Interests
“Return to Copper Bluff in this delightful second book to a series that is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. [….] As my toddler says ‘brilliant, just brilliant!’” Read more….
—Bree Herron for Bibliophile Reviews
“I connected with Emmeline instantly and I loved Lenny. The college setting was great as well. [….] I adored this book!” Read more….
—A Chick Who Reads
“I liked how the author developed the characters and how they all play off of each other. Her descriptions of places were very detailed and you can feel a part of the story.” Read more….
—A Holland Reads
Also in this series:
Excerpt
The eat-in kitchen was cheery and bright, with freshly painted yellow walls and white café curtains. In the middle was a small round table encircled by four wooden chairs and a fifth folding chair. The girls were carefully placing the napkins on the center of each plate. They had clearly done this before.
“You can sit here, next to Uncle Lenny,” giggled the youngest one with curls.
“Thank you,” I said. “Are you Adeline or Abigail?”
“I’m Abby,” she said. “She’s Adeline.” She pointed at her big sister.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you both. Thank you for inviting me to your house. Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked his sister.
“Not a thing,” she said without turning around. She was at the stove, cutting squares of breakfast casserole and placing them on a large white plate. “I’m Julia, by the way. I don’t know if Lenny told you.”
“Yes, he told me he was staying with you over spring break.”
She placed the plate on the center of the table and sat down. Fruit and muffins had already been positioned near a small vase of daisies. She smiled at Lenny, and I noticed she had the same deep dimple. She also had the same punkish hair that was just a few inches longer than Lenny’s. I was completely jealous. “We feel honored to have a genuine rock star in our presence, don’t we girls?”
“My uncle was on a stage last night,” said Abby.
“I know,” I said, taking a lemon poppy-seed muffin. “I saw him, and he was very, very good.”
“My mom refusedto let me go,” said Adeline, suspiciously poking at the egg bake Julia had placed on her plate. “She said I’m too young.”
“Nice verb choice, Addie,” said Lenny. Then quietly to me, “Julia’s a teacher, too.”
“Elementary school. Third grade,” said Julia. She placed a napkin on her lap. “When they say kids aren’t learning anything in school, it’s not my class they’re talking about.” She looked up and smiled. “So Lenny said you were on your way to France but got stuck here. What happened?”
“Do you speak French?” Adeline asked.
“Say something in French!” said Abigail at the same time.
“Vous êtes très jolies jeunes filles,” I said. “That means you are very pretty girls.”
“No wonder you adore her,” Julia said to Lenny.
“I never said that,” Lenny muttered.