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Mary McHugh
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Bossa Novas, Bikinis, and Bad Ends (A Happy Hoofers Mystery Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Mary McHugh (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 34 ratings
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"Cozy adventure for mystery buffs." --Library Journal

Murder's a showstopper…

The fancy-footed Happy Hoofers--Tina, Janice, Pat, Mary Louise, and Gini-- are kicking off Carnival by entertaining posh guests at the most elegant hotel in Rio de Janeiro. Stunning beaches and spectacular views abound. But the party is cut short for the fab five when their alluring Brazilian companion is found dead in her room, without a clue as to what killed her.

As the samba-loving sleuths sift the evidence, they realize that even in beautiful Rio, murder can set the stage--and steal the show…

Includes Travel Tips And Tasty Recipes

Praise for the Happy Hoofers Mysteries

"A fun read . . . the camaraderie between the characters is intriguing." --RT Book Reviews

"McHugh delivers murder and mayhem." --Jerilyn Dufresne

"Hilarity and hijinks." --Nancy Coco
Previous page
  1. Book 4 of 4
    Happy Hoofers Mysteries
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Kensington Cozies
  6. Publication date
    April 26, 2016
  7. File size
    1155 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary McHugh graduated from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, with a B.A. in English Literature and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris. She is the author of the first three books in the Happy Hoofers series--Chorus Lines, Caviar, Corpses; and Flamenco, Flan, and Fatalities; and Cancans, Croissants, and Caskets; nineteen nonfiction books; and two other novels. She was a contributing editor for Cosmopolitan, an articles editor at Woman's World, Travel Holiday, and Bridal Guide, and has written articles for The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, and Family Circle.  She loves to tap dance and to travel--two passions that inspired her to write the Happy Hoofers series. She lives in the New York area. Visit her at www.marymchugh.org.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0138NHBAW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies (April 26, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 26, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1155 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 34 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Mary McHugh

Mary McHugh

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So far I've written 17 books and made 22 YouTube videos, most of which show me tap dancing, to promote the books I've written.

I live in New Jersey in the United States and I'm married to a lawyer who is retired and I have one daughter left (one died ten years ago) living on Mercer Island off of Seattle, and she has three sons whom I adore.

I record for the blind and dyslexic in New York every week and I took hospice training and my last patient asked me to read poetry to her. Her favorite was "The White Cliffs of Dover" and I loved it. It's about an American woman married to a British peer in the first half of the 20th century.

I studied in Paris when I was young and I still love everything French,and sometimes get a chance to read in French when I'm recording for the blind. I hope to convince some publisher to pay me to live in Paris again and write a book about what it's like to live there as a "woman of a certain age" as the French so nicely put it as compared to living there at 21 when all I had to do was stand there.

I have two new books coming out: "If I Get Hit by a Bus Tomorrow, Here's How to Replace the Toilet Paper Roll: an Instruction Manual for Men" and "How Not to Act like a Little Old Lady.

I'm working on books about teen siblings of people with disabilities, one on labyrinths, one on hospice care, and a new novel called "Murder on Cape Cod", one of my favorite places to go, and a series of children's books called "Michael and his Magic Blackberry" which takes children to different countries and teaches them some phrases in another language phonetically and tells them about places to see.

I love hearing from other writers and other tap dancers, and I hope you'll send me a message at mmchugh655@aol.com.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
34 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Little D
5.0 out of 5 stars What a Rush
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
Oh my, this book was adrenaline pumping. First off, the ladies went to Rio which sounded just beautiful their lodging too. The ladies are sightseeing, trying different foods and having a great time until the murders start. And I mean murders!!!! Things just kept getting crazy good. The ladies are great wherever they go and this series is great. In my top five favorites. I won't tell you anything about the story cause I don't want to give any paper of it away. Believe me when I say is was excellent to read. My mistake is I read before bed and there were a couple nights it kept me up reading until the wee hours. I hope there will be plenty more books in this series.
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Retire in 1 year
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable escapist mystery
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2016
Verified Purchase
The story line is totally unbelievable, but the book is still worth reading. The characters are all women that you would like to meet and get to know and the description of Rio in this book makes you want to visit.
I like the fact that each of the books in this series is narrated by another one of the women.
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Cook Sometimes
5.0 out of 5 stars ... gift from a relative who is a librarian & good at picking out books for other people
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2016
Verified Purchase
I received her first book as a gift from a relative who is a librarian & good at picking out books for other people...she was right; I love it, was "hooked" (hoofed? sorry for the pun!) and now eagerly pre-order them. Fun & great recipes, also.
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no name
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2016
Verified Purchase
Always funny good reading
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars I could almost hear the music
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2022
This cozy was unexpected as the heroine was 50-ish, which made a nice change. The story was also LGBT friendly, without making a big deal about it. The whole story was pretty laid back and matter of fact about pretty much everything. The story takes place in Rio de Janeiro. The descriptions of 'Rio' felt like the author had been there and loved it. I could almost hear the music and taste the food. I can't wait to try the recipes included.
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LS
2.0 out of 5 stars Lazy writing and research
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2021
There were Spanish words instead of Portuguese in some places and a general lack of detail to paint the scene. Except for the places that were so detailed I think the author was reading a travel brochure or tour guide catalogue when she wrote them. I lived in the area where this was set, which was the reason I picked this book up. The plot was pretty basic. I will *not* read any of her others.
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JAR
4.0 out of 5 stars The Hoofers Hop to Rio
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2016
Bossa Novas, Bikinis, and Bad Ends is the fourth book in Mary McHugh's The Happy Hoofers mysteries. A group of five fifty something best friends, Gini, Tina, Pat, Janice, and Mary Louise have signed on to dance at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro. While being terribly excited to be in this South American playground, they have also been warned to hang on to their purses and be careful of crime.

Each of the four installments of the Happy Hoofers series has been told from the viewpoint of one of the dancers. This story is told by Pat Keeler, family therapist in her life away from the dance floor.

On their first day at the Copacabana, hotel employee Maria Oliveira, who has been tasked with showing the ladies around town, takes them to a very unusual locale in the basement of an old worn house. There are white robed women dancing and swaying to hypnotic drumbeats, while a shaven headed woman sits in a trance, beckoning their guide when she comes round. She warns Maria of imminent danger--someone wants Maria dead! And within hours, dead she is!

Over the next few days another hotel employee, Natalia, takes over the role of guide, taking the Hoofers to such locations a Corcovado and Sugar Loaf Mountains. However, during this period of time, more suspicious deaths occur at the hotel, leaving the ladies to question and speculate. Perhaps Pat's speculations are stated too loudly, or overheard by the wrong people, which ultimately puts her in the crosshairs of killers herself.

Another enjoyable romp with the Happy Hoofers, seeing beautiful landmarks through their eyes as well as the seedy side of a fascinating city. Although the plot is sometimes formulaic, it is also well woven with twists and turns that cause rapid page turning and a surprise when the clues finally all come together. This story is a recommended read for lovers of this genlre.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
Love this series!
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