Tip-A-Canoe

by Peter E. Abresch

Book Overview

Like A Corpse Out of Water. Maryland physical therapist James P. Dandy embarks upon his third Elderhostel vacation, eager to reunite with his ladylove Dodee Swisher for some romance and outdoor... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 188517392X
• ISBN13: 9781885173928
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Write Way Publishing
• Length: 285 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Fun mystery in an unlikely setting

This time, James P. Dandy promises, he won't get involved with the police. This time he'll use the Elderhostel to relax, spend some time with his girlfriend, and enjoy the beautiful South Carolina scenery and wildlife. Uh, maybe next time, Jim.At first the bodies turning up don't really bother Jim--people have boating accidents all the time. When he finds a body under a canoe wedged upside down in a tree, he's more concerned. When one of his fellow Senior Citizens, this one an ex-FBI employee, vanishes, he has to get involved plunging both himself and his girlfriend Dodee into danger.Author Peter Abresch does a wonderful job building distinctive characters, developing a romantic relationship that complements the mystery plot, and describing both the South Carolina setting and the staff and guests in the Elderhostel. Jim's fellow Elderhostel guests are all individual and, for the most part, pieces of workAbresch writes with a light style and you'll find yourself smiling at both characters and Abresch's witty dialogue. Using Senior Citizens and an Elderhostel as the characters and setting is a nice change from the familiar twenty/thirty-something of mystery novels. Maybe TIP A CANOE won't save the world but it is one heck of a nice read.

baby boomers will love this mystery

Elderhostels are brief vacations that can be learning experiences for people over fifty-five years old. Maryland physical therapist James P. Dandy and Kansas Jayhawker artist-gallery owner Dodeee Swisher met at one and have been lovers ever since. The duo arranges to get together at an Elderhostel in South Carolina. Jim prays that this time there are no dead bodies to interrupt his romantic rendezvous. However, he and Dodee find the corpse of natural resource agent Hank Davis in a nearby swamp. One of the other participants, a former FBI agent sees conspiracy written all over the death. Soon dynamite is missing and earlier an experienced boater drowns. Now an environmentalist talks of blowing up the dam. Dodee, with a reluctant Jim as her sidekick, begins seeking answers even though she knows she probably endangers their lives by doing so. The James P. Dandy Elderhostel mysteries are funny yet exciting. The latest TIP A CANOE is one of the better entries in a strong series. Readers remain in the dark as to why the murders and who the killer is until the end of the novel due to a fabulous case of misdirection. Using passionate love between the middle age couple adds a dimension to this character-driven winning novel. Harriet Klausne

Wade into a great read

Peter Abresch has brought back everyone's favorite sleuthing seniors James P. Dandy and Dodee Swisher for another Eldershostel adventure. In Tip A Canoe, Jim and Dodee are in South Carolina for an "active" Elderhostel, canoeing on the Santee Dam lakes. Accompanying them on their journey is an assortment of colorful characters including a former FBI agent who sees a crime around every corner, an ecologist who believes all dams should be blown up, a retired Army general who isn't taking retirement well and several other odd couples. When the first body is found, the local sheriff makes it clear that he feels the death is accidental and that he doesn't need any help. But between Dodee and her natural curiosity and the suspicions of the FBI, Jim finds himself snooping around and dodging bad guys and trying to keep from incurring the wrath of the local sheriff who doesn't believe there is anything to investigate. But when the former FBI vanishes, even the sheriff admits that there might be something to investigate. When Jim and Dodee misread the clues and take off to investigate, they quickly find themselves literally up the creek without a paddle. Abresch has once again used the background of the Elderhostel program to bring us a witty, entertaining adventure.