FLAMENCO, FLAN, AND FATALITIES - Mary McHugh

Book two of the Happy Hoofers mystery series finds the gang of five toe-tapping 50-somethings working as entertainment on a train tour through Spain.  Narrated by budding photographer and documentary filmmaker Gini, one of the quintet, murder soon finds the Hoofers in the death of one of their fellow passengers, conservative TV talk show host Dick Shambless, who quickly lives up to his first name by bullying the crew, his fellow passengers, and even the staff at a local restaurant the tour group visits for dinner.  Poisoned soon after, there seems to be more than enough suspects aboard who detested the dead guy - including Gini, whose curiosity and general aggressive manner makes her determined to find out whodunnit.  A big cast of characters populates this novel, many of them introduced right away, and the writing is sometimes clumsy - often reading more like a first book in a series, where the writer is still coming to know her own characters and style, so things aren't a hundred percent polished yet - and even the resolution comes a bit too fast and convenient for Gini, who is sort of handed the solution of the crime as opposed to having to ferret it out.  That said, there is also a real charm to the novel, which also reminded me of old days of devouring Agatha Christie's own dialogue-heavy/description-light prose, and the depictions of "Green Spain" and its people and cuisine are rich.  The characters, especially the Hoofers but also the supporting players, are pleasant and feel almost real (even the gay couple - nice to read, in a cozy! - on board the train), and I like the idea of each novel being narrated by a different member of the dance troupe (which would also explain the sometimes awkward, still-feeling-her-way-around writing style), though this is the first and only book I've read so far in the series.  It won't be my last, though, as I did enjoy myself here overall, and do want to visit these characters and their newest exotic work locale (the first book set in Greece, the third - due out this fall - in Paris) again.  ***1/2

Note: I received a free ARC of this title via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.