Dude on Arrival

By J.S. Borthwick

Book Overview

English teacher Sarah Deane and her boyfriend, Dr. Alex McKenzie, leave snowy Maine to join Sarah's feisty Aunt Julia for Christmas at the exclusive Rancho del Gato Blanco resort in Arizona. But they soon realize there's no place like home for the holidays when ranch guests become the prey of a prankster whose destructive acts are tallying up like a Yuletide carol: Garden hose a-spraying...Lounge chair collapsing...Mud in the coffee...Golf carts a-stalling...Rubber snake in bathtub...Wagon wheel a-flying... The pranks take a murderous turn Christmas morning when one of the guests turns up dead among the gifts in Santa's sack. Sarah and Alex are certain the killer lurks among them. Could it be quirky clerk Cookie Logan? Aging film star Maria Cornish? Her hot-tempered beau Blue Feather Romero? Head wrangler Peter Doubler? Or someone in the entourage of U.S. Senator Leo J. Hopgood? The police even have eccentric Aunt Julia on their list of suspects-but if Sarah and Alex don't find the killer fast, they could all end up on the list of victims.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312063415
• ISBN13: 9780312063412
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Length: 306 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Formulaic, but a good formula

Once again, Sarah and Alex travel and find murder on the itinerary. This time, they are joined by Sarah's formidable Aunt Julia Clancy. Julia invites them to join her for Christmas at an upscale dude ranch where all kinds of strange things are happening. Between making the acquaintance of a movie star and her boy toy, saving horses doomed to be dogfood, and observing the odd workings of the resort, a would be presidential candidate and his secretary are murdered, and of all people, Aunt Julia is a suspect.J.S. Borthwick writes a fine mystery, very descriptive and entertaining. The characters are very human and the mystery and practical jokes were very entertaining.

Dude On Arrival

Sarah Deane's Aunt Julia is staying at an Arizona dude ranch for her arthritis. She invites Sarah and her boyfriend to come spend Christmas with her. Some dirty tricks have been played on the guests. Julia has been squirted with water, another guest finds a rubber snake in her bath, etc. Everyone takes these things in stride until the first murder occurs. A guest, Senator Hopgood is found at the bottom of Santa's wagon load of gifts. Sarah and Aunt Julia work to find out whodunit, but before they do, there are a couple more deaths. Lots of interesting characters, and an involved plot. A good read.