When she finds a wounded member of British Intelligence in her bedroom, Patricia really isn’t that surprised. I mean, it happens all the time, doesn’t it? However, she is surprised, and really not delighted, to hear that he has a secret task for her. Find his contact, hand over a harmless looking data storage device that just happens to have the details of a superweapon on it and save the world … the world from certain disaster. Her country needs her. Well, that’s just perfect.
Throw into the mix a missing grandmother who just might have been grabbed by sex traffickers, foreign agents who all want the weapon, and the return of her gin-guzzling friend Lady Mary Bostihill-Swank and her relaxing, romantic stop in Malta might be the most exciting two days of her life.
Get ready for another cozy thrill ride as Patricia, Barbie, Jermaine, and more get in and out of trouble in an ancient island paradise.
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I have read most of the books in this series, and I have really enjoyed them, but I honestly think that this is the best so far.
The real beauty of this series is the believability of the characters, none of them are super fit special agents (well apart from Barbie who is a really fit young gym instructor) and none have any real special talents, although Patricia is very good at solving mysteries and putting pieces of puzzles together. They are essentially normal people who you could meet anywhere. What all the characters do have though, is shared friendship and loyalty, which gets them through some very tough situations.
I also like the balance between humour and a good mystery story, for a humorous mystery to work, it needs to have a good story line, with humour added, rather than staring with the jokes or funny situations and working the plot around them. These books certainly get it right.
Although this book can be read as a stand-alone, I would strongly recommend that it is read in sequence with the others in the series, firstly because there are references to earlier stories, but mainly because observing the growth of the characters and their relationships is a real delight.
Finally I also liked the descriptions of Malta which were excellent.
I received an advance copy of the book, but have voluntarily written this honest review.
A laugh out loud mystery adventure!
If anyone can solve a mystery it’s Patricia Fisher, sleuth extraordinaire! For this one she is having to be creative and don a disguise! I love this series!
The Maltese Parrot: A Patricia Fisher Mystery (A Humorous Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery Book 9), my eighth read/listen from author Steve Higgs and the ninth in this highly entertaining series. I’m going to have to go backward & catch up as I’m reading books out of order because it’s what I have. Well-written & enjoyable. Sheila Daly Payson’s excellent narration adds to the book’s listening enjoyment. This is perhaps the most enjoyable of a very enjoyable series, I look forward to reading more in this series & more from this author. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
5.0 out of 5 stars Patricia is at it again!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2020
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
An extremely fun mystery with wonderful characters! This story is a great escape into Malta with a good mystery which kept me guessing. I can’t wait for the next one in this series. I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.
If you’re familiar with Patricia Fisher Mysteries, then you already know the cast of characters including Anna, the miniature Daschaund. This is the 9th book of a ten book series and works just as easily as a stand-alone.
Patricia has a knack for finding herself involved in murder and mayhem but has an intuitive mind that she uses to piece the clues together. She then manages to get most of her friends involved in the solving of her latest mystery.
I really enjoyed reading this one and can easily recommend it to anyone that appreciates a good cozy mystery. Steve has a way with words creating humour throughout even with all the shooting and bodies piling up.
This is the type of book I like to take me “away from the world”. Very humorous and had me laughing and turning the pages to see what happens next. I am exhausted by the time I finish every Patricia Fisher book . Non stop action with what appears to be impossible situations for her and her cruise ship associates to get out of. A”must read” for cozy fans.
Even though the Captain and Patrica’s getaway to an onshore hotel is derailed by passenger problems, she still gets to see quite a lot of the lovely land of Malta, due to her involvement with the international agent of Her Majesty’s government who put in a surprise appearance in her onboard suite. The loyal crew of HMS Aurelia rally round to rescue their kidnapped captain, and plenty of treachery is foiled and a love story revealed. And in the end, Patricia has the perfect solution for saving the world! This episode of her adventures is my new favourite.