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97th out of 146 books
—
105 voters
Miss Julia Takes Over (Miss Julia #2)
by
Ann B. Ross
When Miss Julia burst on the scene in her fictional debut, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, this proper lady of a certain age found her orderly world turned upside down when Hazel Marie Puckett appeared with her nine-year-old son, Little Lloyd, who looked disturbingly similar to Miss Julia's late husband. Now, in Miss Julia Takes Over, with her sharp tongue and iron backbone in...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
April 30th 2002
by Penguin Books
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I got this book from my sister Irene's club library. It has been sitting in my car for over two months and finally I started to read it and took two days doing so.
The beginning of the book was not very good and I thought a could of times that I did not have to finish it, but so far, I have not been able to do that except with "The Shack", the only book I decided I could not finish reading in my life... at least that I can recall...
it takes place in the south and our heroine is a well to do woma...more
The beginning of the book was not very good and I thought a could of times that I did not have to finish it, but so far, I have not been able to do that except with "The Shack", the only book I decided I could not finish reading in my life... at least that I can recall...
it takes place in the south and our heroine is a well to do woma...more
Hazel Marie is missing and Brother Vern is threatening to take Little Lloyd. Miss Julia gets no help from the police so she hires J. D. Pickens to find Hazel Marie. Pickens has never had a client like Miss Julia. She insists on knowing his every move and accompanying him everywhere he goes AND she drags Little Lloyd along. Can he find Hazel Marie because of or in spite of Miss Julia?
There’s lots of dialogue and action here which I like in a book. I like strong female protagonists and Miss Julia...more
There’s lots of dialogue and action here which I like in a book. I like strong female protagonists and Miss Julia...more
I really enjoyed "Miss Julia Speaks her Mind," so I was anxious to read the rest of the series. While I enjoyed this second installemnt, I found Miss Julia a little annoying in this one. Her "speaking out," was getting on my nerves because it was directed at someone who was trying to help her. The outspokeness was endearing in the first novel because the people really deserved to be told off. Her evasion of the law made me uncomfortable, and I couldn't get into the little romances - there wasn't...more
I have become very fond of these little books. The biggest reason is that the author lives 30 minutes away in Hendersonville, NC. Miss Julia is an elderly woman who is just now finding her place in this world and the story of her tangling with NASCAR is pretty funny. As with the first of this series, the relationship she has with her late husband's mistress and their son is the core of the story and does not disappoint. I can't wait to watch "Little Lloyd" grow up in the remaining books. Wheneve...more
Book #2 of this amusing series finds Hazel Marie Puckett and her 9 year-old son, Little Lloyd, living with Miss Julia. Hazel Marie was Miss Julia's late husband's mistress and Little Lloyd belonged to him. When Hazel Marie fails to return from a date with the fundraiser hired by the church, a man that Miss Julia doesn't like or trust, she goes to the police, who refuse to do anything. Knowing that something is wrong, Miss Julis takes matters into her own hands and hires a detective. The man drin...more
In this second book in her Miss Julia series, we see Miss Julia taking charge of the search for Hazel Marie Puckett after she disappears while on a date with Wilson T. Hodge, church fundraiser. She also has to deal with Hazel Marie’s Uncle who is a lay preacher wanting to take custody over of her child that she had with Miss Julia’s late husband. While during with the custody battle she hires a private investigator to find Hazel Marie and “helps” him in his investigation. The ending is a surpris...more
In #2 of the “Miss Julia series” we find Miss Julia hiring a private detective to find Hazel Marie, who has disappeared, and then “taking over” the case herself, not fully trusting Mr. Pickens to do the best possible job of it. By now she has completely bonded with Hazel Marie and Little Lloyd as an erstwhile family unit, along with her dear friend and maid of many years, Lillian. Especially good was the scene where Miss Julia does some fancy driving on a NASCAR track. Colorful characters and th...more
Dec 20, 2011
Susan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
cozy mystery lovers who like spunky heroines
Shelves:
2013-books-in-a-series-reading-chal,
2013-cruisin-thru-the-cozies-readi,
2013-feminist-reads-challenge,
2013-mystery-crime-reading-challeng,
2013-read-52-books-in-52-weeks,
2013-reading-challenge-addict,
2013-tbr-double-dog-dare,
2013-women-challenge,
2013-southern-literature-challenge,
2013-sequel-reading-challenge,
2013-2nds-challenge,
miss-julia-mystery-series
Miss Julia Takes Over is book 2 of the Miss Julia mystery series by Ann B. Ross, set in modern-day North Carolina. Julia Springer is a very proper but spunky Southern lady who is learning to take care of everything herself since her husband’s death, and enjoying the freedom and responsibility.
Hazel Marie Puckett, mother of Julia’s grandson Little Lloyd, goes missing after a date with church fundraiser Wilson T. Hodges. Hazel Marie calls Miss Julia for help, but is cut off mid-sentence. Police L...more
Hazel Marie Puckett, mother of Julia’s grandson Little Lloyd, goes missing after a date with church fundraiser Wilson T. Hodges. Hazel Marie calls Miss Julia for help, but is cut off mid-sentence. Police L...more
I thoroughly enjoyed "Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind", probably because I was raised in a rural area and could relate to some of the characters and their situations. I was really expecting to enjoy this book as much, but it was a bit disappointing.
When Hazel Marie doesn't come home from a date, Miss Julia begins to panic and sets out to find her. With some help from Little Lloyd (who has grown up quite a bit from the first book) Hazel Marie is located and returned home. This happens about halfway t...more
When Hazel Marie doesn't come home from a date, Miss Julia begins to panic and sets out to find her. With some help from Little Lloyd (who has grown up quite a bit from the first book) Hazel Marie is located and returned home. This happens about halfway t...more
In the first book, Miss Julia is a widow who discovers that her husband has left her a lot more money than she thought they had and an illegitimate son. He gets left on her doorstep and she takes him in. A battle for his custody ensues between his returning mother and her uncle who wants control of what he thinks is the young boy’s inheritance. In the meantime, the preacher wants what he thinks should have been left to his church and tries to have Miss Julia declared incompetent.
The second book...more
The second book...more
Poor Mr. Pickens! Ms. Julia was determined to hold him accountable for doing his job. I love Miss Julia's relationship with Little Lloyd & Lillian. When Lillian asks Julia about Little Lloyd missing school, she said not to worry about that. "He's so far ahead of the others, his absence'll give them time to catch up." I also liked when Lillian told Miss Julia "This ain't no time to be weaken' down on us" when Miss Julia was worried about losing Little Lloyd. Lillian gave Miss Julia's arm a sh...more
An interesting follow-up to Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. Once again Miss Julia's view on the world is interesting and different from one of an Iowan in her 30s. Although our views on NASCAR aren't too different.
Rather funny at times, and it reminds the reader that manners are still important and appreciated... even in today's much more casual, relaxed, and rude world.
Rather funny at times, and it reminds the reader that manners are still important and appreciated... even in today's much more casual, relaxed, and rude world.
This series is a lot of fun, tho' it's a bit over the top...especially this book. In this story, she drives around a NASCAR track with the bad guys following. Really?
They are too much to read all at once...They are pretty silly. Miss Julia is more than a character, a proper southern woman who adjusts, not easily, to modern changes in life styles. But the way Ann Ross writes, it's laugh-out-loud funny. Miss Julia thinks the way many of us in the older generation do.
They are too much to read all at once...They are pretty silly. Miss Julia is more than a character, a proper southern woman who adjusts, not easily, to modern changes in life styles. But the way Ann Ross writes, it's laugh-out-loud funny. Miss Julia thinks the way many of us in the older generation do.
The adventures of Miss Julia is captured by Ann B. Ross in this popular series. While this is not high literature, I thoroughly enjoy the situations that Miss Julia finds herself in. She is like a madcap Angela Lansbury careening through her small southern town trying to please everyone while dealing with her many personal crazy friends and relations. These are hilarious and often you can't put them down. I don't know why they never made this into a comedy series.
All of the things I liked about Miss Julia's character in #1 are absent in Miss Julia Takes Over; her self-discovery and growth, her processing negative feelings with God, and her wit. Absent these things, what was left was not a classy, senior, Southern woman "speaking her mind", but an abrasive, overbearing, Bossy Old Broad who, in fact, does "take over" every possible circumstance in her environment.
I like the characters and series premise enough to give #3 a try, but #2 definitely didn't liv...more
I like the characters and series premise enough to give #3 a try, but #2 definitely didn't liv...more
Miss Julia is at it again!! In this one, Hazel Marie doesn't come home from a date with a man hired by her church to help raise money for it's family activity center. After Miss Julia goes to the police and gets no help there, she hires a PI, Mr. J.D. Pickens, to help find Hazel Marie. What ensues is the typical Miss Julia who cannot sit around and wait but has to get in there and act!!
I really liked the first book in this series (Miss Julia Speaks her Mind, but this book got a little implausible as Miss Julia gets involved with NASCAR, etc. Miss Julia is still a lot of fun, but her "speaking out" gets kind of annoying in this book. This book was an ok summer read and I'm moving on to the next book in the series hoping that it will be as good as the first.
Little Lloyd will melt your heart as her learns manners, to keep his glasses pushed up and to trust in adults to watch over children.
Will he ever stop wringing his hands, grow into his clothes and outgrow his nervousness. Miss Julia befriends a child and in doing so perhaps finally has met a person she simply cannot do without in order to have happiness. Fun, great read.
Will he ever stop wringing his hands, grow into his clothes and outgrow his nervousness. Miss Julia befriends a child and in doing so perhaps finally has met a person she simply cannot do without in order to have happiness. Fun, great read.
Sophomore slump for Ann B. Ross this time around. The heroine is a little more grating and the situations a little more ridiculous for Miss Julia. This makes me wonder whether the character is a one hit wonder so will be reading the next book with some trepidation.
You will definitely though hear a southern drawl in every syllable of this narrative.
You will definitely though hear a southern drawl in every syllable of this narrative.
Wonderful book about a southern lady, Miss Julia, who is like so many of my single southern lady friends. She has gumption, wisdom, wit, says what she thinks and doesn't care what others think because she is usually right. She's alot like me. This book and the Ms. Julia series is a must-read for women 40 years and older. Fun, Fun, FUN!
I recently read the first two books in the Miss Julia series and they are fun, fun, fun! If you're looking for sweet, simple stories with a bit of a mystery and some very unforgettable characters, this series is for you. I had the pleasure of hearing Ann B. Jones speak at a library conference this year, and she is a riot!
Very funny the situation that Miss Julia gets herself into in this book. I do think continuity was lost in regards to Little Lloyd's financial guardianship. I kept thinking that some of these things should not have happened because of it. It was not explained.
Overall an enjoyable read.
Overall an enjoyable read.
This okay book would have been pretty good if it had been half as long. It's full of Miss Julia's ridiculous long-winded rants to the point of being tedious to the nth degree. (Yes, I expected some rants - it's a Miss Julia book after all!) But I did finish it amid loud whines of "Oh no, not another page!"
The formidable Miss Julia is at it again. Trying to keep everything and everyone proper despite the evil and greedy designs of others. It sure would be great to have as much money as she does. This one wasn't quite as engaging as the first one, but still light and fun to read.
On the back of this book is a review from the Richmond Times-Dispatch which says,"A delightful yar that's light enough to entertain, but deep enough to leave a lasting impression.", and I couldn't agree more. Being a Virginian who is away from the South it makes me feel a little closer to home to see people I know in Ann Ross's characters. I look forward to reading the next book. I can't wait to see what Miss Julia will do next. No matter what it is, I know it will be an enjoyable read.
I love Miss Julia. I hope when I'm her age I have as much piss and vinegar as she does.
Wished the library had this as an audiobook because the narrator from the first book was great, but, alas, there isn't an option.
I read the book with the narrators voice from the first book and still enjoyed it immensely.
Wished the library had this as an audiobook because the narrator from the first book was great, but, alas, there isn't an option.
I read the book with the narrators voice from the first book and still enjoyed it immensely.
Miss Julia is at it again. I love the fact that she will see a problem and set at work getting it resolved. She tries to be considerate and polite, but push come to shove, she takes matters into her own hands. I so can relate to a woman like that.
This series is fun loving and quick to read. I find myself laughing and cheering Miss Julia on.
This series is fun loving and quick to read. I find myself laughing and cheering Miss Julia on.
The second book in the Miss Julia series finds Julia scrambling to find why Hazel Marie didn't come home from her date and at the same time try and keep the local sheriff from taking Little Lloyd into protective custody. What follows is a rollicking good chase, fun characters and some interesting developments in interpersonal relationships.
I enjoyed this book a lot and will be looking forward to #3 in the series.
I enjoyed this book a lot and will be looking forward to #3 in the series.
A MUST read. An absolutely, beyond hysterically funny book. My mother (who although she loves to read and adores books) does not get emotional when she reads; however, she laughed so hard on this book, and most of the other books following this, that she fell off the couch. I have re-read this book more times than I can count, and I still laugh myself sick at this book.
If you just want a good laugh and a light read then this title may be for you. I can visualize Miss Julia, her helper, and little Lloyd. Ross does an adequate job of developing a light plot with some action and definitely some classic lines from Miss Julia.
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Ann B. Ross, who taught literature at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, is the author of Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, one of the most popular Southern debut novels in years, Miss Julia Takes Over, Miss Julia Throws a Wedding, and Miss Julia Hits the Road. She lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
More about Ann B. Ross...
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Jan 19, 2013 05:05pm