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Deader Homes and Gardens (Claire Malloy Mystery #18)
by
Joan Hess
Claire Malloy discovers that house-hunting can be murder—literally—in the latest entry in Joan Hess's "wildly entertaining series." (Mystery Scene)
Back from her somewhat unusual honeymoon, Claire Malloy must face the harsh reality of life with her new husband, police chief Peter Rosen, and her teenage daughter Caron—three people simply can’t fit into her cosy two bedroom a...more
Back from her somewhat unusual honeymoon, Claire Malloy must face the harsh reality of life with her new husband, police chief Peter Rosen, and her teenage daughter Caron—three people simply can’t fit into her cosy two bedroom a...more
Hardcover, 291 pages
Published
February 14th 2012
by Minotaur Books
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If I remember correctly, I had decided not to read any more "Claire Malloy" mysteries. However, I read the book jacket and thought I would give them another chance. It seems that Claire has married her long time 'friend' Police Chief Peter Rosen. I thought perhaps Ms. Hess was going to let the marriage segue into this series with Chief Rosen as the main character. Wrong...at least for this book. I was still subjected to Ms. Malloy's annoying, interfering style in order to solve a mystery that re...more
Claire Malloy is now married to Deputy Chief Peter Rosen. They are house hunting. Claire finds the perfect house but her real estate agent disappeared and then the owner dies after he agrees to sell the house to her. Of course, as in almost all of Joan Hess's books, there is a whole group of weird and wacky people around. She decides that she will get her house and solve the mystery. This is another case of a nosy woman who does things that would make sure that anyone she accused of a crime woul...more
Claire Malloy is one of my favorite cozy characters. Joan Hess is really great at making murder a laugh out loud event! In this edition, Claire has married Peter, member of the local police department, who also works with the FBI, son of a wealthy New England family. The two of them plus her teenage daughter, Caron, are all crammed into a 2 bedroom apartment above Claire's bookstore. Claire starts looking at houses with an agent. However nothing suits until the agent, Angela, tells her about an...more
This was a delightful read. The Claire Malloy series is always a joy to read.
Claire is married and finding her flat just too small for herself, her new husband, and her teenaged (almost college-aged)daughter, Caron. Solution? A new house and preferably one already built and ready to move into.
As these things happen, Claire's realtor, Angela, finds the best house ever. There are some legal issues to solve, but, it is the one! As Claire dreams through the house, Angela drives off and leaves her st...more
Claire is married and finding her flat just too small for herself, her new husband, and her teenaged (almost college-aged)daughter, Caron. Solution? A new house and preferably one already built and ready to move into.
As these things happen, Claire's realtor, Angela, finds the best house ever. There are some legal issues to solve, but, it is the one! As Claire dreams through the house, Angela drives off and leaves her st...more
In #18 of the series, Claire Malloy has returned from her honeymoon to find that the apartment she shares with her teenaged daughter, Caron, has become too small now that a husband has been added. Afted some house-hunting, she finds the perfect house. Unfortunately, her real estate agent disappears in the middle of the showing. In her quest to obtain her dream home, Claire gets involved with her would-be neighbors in Hollow Valley.
The quirky cast of characters and the intricate storyline kept me...more
The quirky cast of characters and the intricate storyline kept me...more
Home from her honeymoon, living in a cramped apartment with her handsome new husband and snarky teen-age daughter, Claire Malloy longs for a home of her own.
Not just any home, mind you. A big, beautiful house with a garden, a porch and room to breathe. She finds one, too - only that's when things start going wrong. The real estate agent disappears, leaving her stranded on the property. And when Claire hunts down the closest thing to an owner, he practically collapses at her feet.
But that's only...more
Not just any home, mind you. A big, beautiful house with a garden, a porch and room to breathe. She finds one, too - only that's when things start going wrong. The real estate agent disappears, leaving her stranded on the property. And when Claire hunts down the closest thing to an owner, he practically collapses at her feet.
But that's only...more
My book interview with her is here:
http://sbutki.newsvine.com/_news/2012...
It's worth reading - the interview and the book
I'm interviewing Joan for this, which should be interesting because she's a friend and someone I play backgammon with every Monday and sometimes drive to the backgammon tournaments. But i'll try to be as objective as need be while admitting my personal bias.
Ironically I interviewed her once before 15 or so years ago when I was still a newspaper reporter and we were both in f...more
http://sbutki.newsvine.com/_news/2012...
It's worth reading - the interview and the book
I'm interviewing Joan for this, which should be interesting because she's a friend and someone I play backgammon with every Monday and sometimes drive to the backgammon tournaments. But i'll try to be as objective as need be while admitting my personal bias.
Ironically I interviewed her once before 15 or so years ago when I was still a newspaper reporter and we were both in f...more
Joan Hess is one of my favorite mystery writers. In this book, after recently getting married, Clair is house hunting for the perfect home. When she finds one, it comes with a murderous family and mysterious disappearances. She is forced to step in and solve the case, in hopes of getting the perfect home. Joan Hess always has plenty of humorous characters in her mysteries. This book is from the series is about Clair Malloy, a bookstore owner that has a penchant for getting involved in murders an...more
Very well written tongue-in-cheek yet believable thriller.
I liked her literate style and yet very funny way of putting words together. Her creative descriptive style is often worth a chuckle of amused recognition.
The plot starts with a lovely house available for sale in an idyllic valley owned by descendants of a local family. The previous owner died. The surviving owner dies from poison in his vodka. The real estate agent disappears and is found dead.
Ms. Malloy, the eager house buyer, is very...more
I liked her literate style and yet very funny way of putting words together. Her creative descriptive style is often worth a chuckle of amused recognition.
The plot starts with a lovely house available for sale in an idyllic valley owned by descendants of a local family. The previous owner died. The surviving owner dies from poison in his vodka. The real estate agent disappears and is found dead.
Ms. Malloy, the eager house buyer, is very...more
Okay - now I remember why I stopped reading this series. Claire Mallory is so self-absorbed, so self-centered and so full of her herself, she gets unbearable after awhile. I'm sure this is supposed to be tough in cheek and funny, but it doesn't come off that way; at least not to me.
She also seems to think she is better at investigating murders than the police; even though her new husband is a police official. (I guess she is in a sense - this is a series about her.) The police don't have the sa...more
She also seems to think she is better at investigating murders than the police; even though her new husband is a police official. (I guess she is in a sense - this is a series about her.) The police don't have the sa...more
Newly married bookseller Claire Malloy and policeman Peter Rosen badly need a new place to live. Claire's daughter Caron won't be going to college for another year, and there's just too much stuff and too little space in Claire's old apartment. Claire and her real estate agent look at virtually every house for sale in Farberville, but nothing is quite right--until they come to an ideal house in Hollow Valley. After cryptically telling Claire that it's not for sale, the agent, Angela, disappears....more
I am just not so thrilled about these recent entries in the Claire Malloy series. In this, Claire is recently married and in search of a larger domicile for her, new husband (and deputy chief) Peter Rosen, and daughter Caron. Claire falls in love with a house in a secluded valley inhabited by a nutty extended family, the Hollows. But before she can put an offer down, her real estate agent disappears.
The rest of the book involves a twisted and turning plot and various revelations. This has to be...more
The rest of the book involves a twisted and turning plot and various revelations. This has to be...more
Why is it that certain writers employ the wife of a policeman sleuth ploy? This is the first of this series that I have read--got it at the bookmobile--and probably won't pick this author again. This character, Claire Malloy is quite an annoying person about which to read. She is self centered and seems to think that everyone should do what she wants. On page 77--"I was increasingly annoyed by people's inability to remain where I wanted them to be. First Angela, then Terry, and now Nattie had ta...more
Claire Malloy must face the harsh reality of life with her new husband, police chief Peter Rosen, and her teenage daughter Caron—three people simply can’t fit into her cosy two bedroom apartment. She finally finds the perfect
place—a well preserved large house on a large plot of land in an area just outside of town called Hollow Valley. But the real estate agent disappears mid-showing and doesn't come back. And the last owner died ’mysteriously’. Oh, and it isn’t really for sale. To get the house...more
place—a well preserved large house on a large plot of land in an area just outside of town called Hollow Valley. But the real estate agent disappears mid-showing and doesn't come back. And the last owner died ’mysteriously’. Oh, and it isn’t really for sale. To get the house...more
I think my favorite part of Joan Hess's books are the comedy. Many times reading this book I laughed out loud and forced my husband to hear what had just made me laugh. This Malloy series book was ok but I found it a little bit slow in pace. Also, I have to admit I prefer the Arly Hanks series. This story revolved around a house that Clair Malloy and her husband wanted to purchase. Claire REALLY wanted it. The previous owner had died and now his gay boyfriend inherited it. The whole area had bee...more
Claire Malloy has fallen in love with the house of her dreams and there the trouble starts! The Hollow Valley has a questionable ownership and is the backdrop for several murders. There is an unusual cast of characters who inhabit Hollow Valley...would she really want these people as her neighbours?
I've always enjoyed the Claire Malloy series more than the Arly Hanks which I find a tad silly. While this book is very readable it did not excite me at all. It never got my heart racing and it was ea...more
I've always enjoyed the Claire Malloy series more than the Arly Hanks which I find a tad silly. While this book is very readable it did not excite me at all. It never got my heart racing and it was ea...more
Something wasn't right about this book. Could be it didn't take place at the college. Could be Claire seems to have a husband -- so I missed a book. Had Caron not been her usual obnoxious teenybopper self, I might not have recognized it as a Claire Malloy mystery. The cast was a bit weird for my taste and Claire's obsession didn't sit well with me either. Hess is entitled. This is number 18 and the Maggody series is a classic. You can't score 100 every time when you've written as much delightful...more
Hess is a decent writer to return to now and then...her characters are predictable and the plot is easy, though I think this book was about 50-75 pages too long. I miss Claire being in the book store and wish Hess would write this series a bit more so I can return to it more often, but this seems to be "when she has time". It's a quick read with little demanding of the reader with some interesting characters, but they really have the "been there done that" feel if you are a reader.
Ok this wasn't the best - in fact I knew who the killer was as soon as the character hit the pages - BUT...I just didn't care as this was another delightfully pleasant read. I enjoy Clair and her daughter Caron (Who Talks Like This) and Caron's friend, Inez. There is no gore, no gratuitous sex, no bad language, just a plucky heroine with a droll since of humor and her uninvited teenage sidekicks. A pleasant afternoon was had by all.
This is #18 in the Claire Malloy series. Claire owns a bookstore in a college town and has a teenage daughter who SPEAKS IN CAPITALS. She has just returned from her honeymoon with the police detective she met in book #1. While looking for a house to buy for her larger family, Claire gets involved in a series of murders in Hollow Valley where weird relatives descended from a Hollow ancestor own property.
Pretty good one.
Pretty good one.
If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, Joan Hess has two very entertaining series - the Claire Malloy series, which takes place in "Farberville," Arkansas, a fictional college town, and the Maggody series, with female sheriff Arly Hanks. I love both series, and have read them all. I recommend starting with the first one and just keeping on, but they do stand on their own, as well. Either way, enjoy!
Very strange one---Claire has turned over the running of her book store to a clerk; she and Pete are married; Caron is still obnoxious; and they are in desperate need of a house for their new family. They find their dream house but it is part of a weird family complex with VERY dysfunctional family members. Smuggling, child abuse, alternate lifestyles, lots of secrets.
I was very disappoined in this book. Now that clair is married to peter I thought he would start being a part of the books. But peter left town shortly after the book started & only got back to town at the end. The mystery really didn't hold my interest ether, To me the most interesting part of the book was the house clair wanted to buy.
I hated this book. Usually I will give up on a book that I detest, but for some reason, I kept thinking that it had to get better. It didn't.
I loathed Claire. I loathed every character in this novel, it seemed that not one of them had a redeeming feature.
Claire was quite possibly the most self-centered, egotistical, uncaring, selfish protagonist I have ever come across.
All the sentences were super short. I doubt that a comma was ever needed. The flow was stilted. Just like this paragraph.
I give...more
I loathed Claire. I loathed every character in this novel, it seemed that not one of them had a redeeming feature.
Claire was quite possibly the most self-centered, egotistical, uncaring, selfish protagonist I have ever come across.
All the sentences were super short. I doubt that a comma was ever needed. The flow was stilted. Just like this paragraph.
I give...more
Although I'm not a huge fan of the Claire Malloy books, they've always held my interest. The author's attempts at humor aren't to my taste, and I find the sleuth's teenager daughter totally irritating but the mysteries are usually diverting. However, I do not read cozy mysteries to be taught social justice lessons by a liberal author.
Love writer Joan Hess!!! I began the Maggody series thanks to my Grandmother! Overall, have found the Claire Malloy series a little dull, but loved Better Homes & Gardens!! Love her sarcasm and wit! Did miss that Peter was not involved more but then I guess she wouldn't get to work as well!!
Clair Malloy has the tenacity of a Rottweiler. Once she grabs onto an idea, or thought she will not let go till she's chewed it to death and reached her goal.
This latest adventure was fantastic. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series with baited breath. I am sooo glad I could get a copy from my local library.
This latest adventure was fantastic. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series with baited breath. I am sooo glad I could get a copy from my local library.
Out of two series that Joan Hess writes, I've always preferred the Claire Malloy series over Maggody, so I was very happy to have Claire return in Deader Homes and Gardens. The usual murder occurs and Claire does what she can to solve the crime - this time in pursuit of her dream house. If I found a house with a library like that, I'd do whatever it took to get that house too. :)
This book started off pretty well, and I thought it would be a moderately entertaining read. The further into it I got, the more cartoonish the plot development became. Between the motley assortment of offbeat family members and the increasingly unlikely events portrayed, I couldn't finish.
Buying a house is always stressful, but trust Claire Malloy to trip over weird characters and a dead body or so.
This series is no longer as funny as it has been, and I am glad to have borrowed it from the library. Still, a visit to Farberville is a comfort indeed.
This series is no longer as funny as it has been, and I am glad to have borrowed it from the library. Still, a visit to Farberville is a comfort indeed.
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Joan Hess is the author of both the Claire Malloy and the Maggody mystery series. She is a winner of the American Mystery Award, a member of Sisters in Crime, and a former president of the American Crime Writers League. She lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Joan Hess also writes a mystery series under the pseudonym of Joan Hadley.
Series:
. Claire Malloy
. Arly Hanks
Series contributed to:
. Crosswinds
....more
More about Joan Hess...
Joan Hess also writes a mystery series under the pseudonym of Joan Hadley.
Series:
. Claire Malloy
. Arly Hanks
Series contributed to:
. Crosswinds
....more
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Mar 01, 2012 06:28am