Pack your bags and travel to Munich, Germany and Bavaria with this eclectic group of Iowa seniors! Emily and Etienne Miceli own Destinations Travel, and this is their tenth trip with a group of seniors. This trip is called "The Sound of Music", as they are taking four Oompah Brass Bands that will be performing for Oktoberfest at different venues in the area. Also traveling with them are Emily's parents, her Nana and a last minute addition, Zola Czarnecki, a self-proclaimed clairvoyant.

Zola reads palms and tells a couple of the men's fortunes. Both come true to some extent, so one of the members in the group decides that everyone will have their palms read that evening. That never happens, as Zola is killed by a bomb exploding in the streets on their way to their first destination. It seems this is not unusual in Germany to have a few undetonated bombs just lying around, so Zola's death is initially ruled an unfortunate accident. But when the accordion player in one of the bands suddenly collapses and dies, the Inspector begins to believe there is more to Zola's death than an accident. Is someone in the group killing the others off? And is so, what is their motive?

Hang on for a wild ride! FROM BAD TO WURST is a laugh a minute. Maddy Hunter gives us some of the zaniest characters I have ever met in a book, and with some comical character names to boot. The storyline and trip are fast-paced, but these seniors can definitely keep up. You'll get a good geography lesson on the land, architecture, castles and attractions in this part of Germany. Ms. Hunter uses such wonderfully descriptive language that she makes us feel like we are right there with them, seeing it all for ourselves. If you need a good laugh or two, FROM BAD TO WURST is a real winner!

Book Summary

It's Oktoberfest and the globetrotting Iowa seniors are sharing their Sounds of Music adventure with several oompah bands whose dream of performing in a famous German beer hall is about to be realized. But when a deadly relic from wartime Munich rains disaster on the group, their dreams are shattered—until an unlikely guest offers them new hope.

The tour hits a sour note when tragedy strikes a guest who knew the musicians' most guarded secrets. Was the death an unfortunate accident or something more sinister? As the group travels from the beer tents of Munich to the fairytale castle of Mad King Ludwig, Emily strives to restore harmony. But with the situation escalating out of control, could the gang be looking at a terrible end to their German interlude?