In An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good we meet 88-year-old Maud, a Swedish woman with a penchant for murder. Maud gets away with her crimes because her act - creeping along with a walker, speaking in a quavering voice, acting confused, wearing unneeded hearing aids, etc. - fools most people into thinking she's weak and confused.
Maud doesn't dupe everybody, however, and her murder of an antiques store owner raises suspicions in the eyes of two police detectives.
The second book in the series, 'An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed', picks up where the first book left off. The police detectives keep questioning Maud about the antiques dealer's death, and - to get away from them - Maud books herself a luxury vacation in South Africa. On the way to her destination, Maud recalls some past incidents in her life, and when she arrives in South Africa, Maud racks up some new adventures. All this is told in six interconnecting tales.
🥀 - An Elderly Lady Begins to Remember Her Past
As Maud flies to South Africa, enjoying airplane food and wine along the way, she happily anticipates her tour with a Swedish-speaking guide.
The trip's itinerary includes five-star hotels, fine dining, a safari in the Kruger National park, visits to vineyards, a trip to Victoria Falls, a cruise along the Zambesi River, and a final week in Capetown.
Mauds's mind is distracted, however, by recollections of the annoying police officers who kept showing up on her doorstep to ask questions about the dead antiques dealer. Maud tried to fall back on her 'confused old lady' defense but sensed the detectives weren't buying it, and she's glad to be out of the cops' reach.
🥀 - Little Maud Sets a Trap
When Maud overhears a fellow passenger mention a boiler room, she's reminded of an incident from her childhood. Two mean brothers in Maud's building were tormenting her troubled sister Charlotte with a live rat.
Maud was infuriated and tricked the boys into searching the cellar for a cash-filled envelope her father had dropped. Maud wasn't yet a killer, but the experience wasn't pleasant for the boys.
🥀 -Lancing a Boil
During the war Maud had taken up a post at the local girl's grammar school teaching French, English, and Latin. Maud was a temporary replacement for the permanent teacher Greta Rapp, who was on leave to complete her Ph.D.
When Greta returned to the school Maud's hours and pay were cut drastically, and - since Maud liked the job and needed the salary - she decided to do something about it.
🥀 - “The Truth About Charlotte”
Maud's older sister Charlotte, who was mentally challenged, needed constant care for her entire life. A moment's inattention might result in Charlotte wandering off and putting herself in danger. After decades of helping to look after Charlotte - whose one enjoyment in life was playing the piano - Maud felt like she was serving a life sentence in jail.
Then Charlotte's death freed Maud from her sisterly responsibilities.
🥀 - "The Peter Pan Problem"
Maud had a seamstress friend called Elsa Petrén, who was devoted to her work and her little boy Johannes. In Maud's eyes, Johannes was a drooling unpleasant child who yelled when he wanted food or attention.
Johannes didn't improve with age, and even as an adult, relied on his mother to help support him. When Johannes' gambling lifestyle threatened to deprive Elsa of her home, Maud felt compelled to take steps.
🥀 - "“An Elderly Lady Takes a Trip to Africa”
Maud lands in Africa and joins her tour group, composed of couples and singles from Sweden. We follow Maud as she enjoys her vacation activities, deals with a violent man, and does a good deed.
Maud is an outrageous character we wouldn't applaud in real life, but she's fun to read about in a fictional narrative. I look forward to more of her exploits.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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