2010 Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel
In MAID OF MURDER, India Hayes, a college librarian and reluctant bridesmaid, is thrown into ... read full description
In MAID OF MURDER, India Hayes, a college librarian and reluctant bridesmaid, is thrown into ... read full description
reviews
Jun 07, 2010
Lisa
rated it: 
Mystery lovers, meet India Hayes: artist, librarian, friend, sister, daughter, bridesmaid, and soon to be amateur detective. After agreeing to serve as a bridesmaid (ugly dress and all) for her childhood friend Olivia, India is torn between family and friendship loyalties, as India's brother Mark still carries a torch for his ex-girlfriend Olivia. When the wedding is canceled and a funeral scheduled instead, the cops cry murder and Mark is the prime suspect. It's up to India to come to her broth
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Jan 16, 2012
Wendy
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India Hayes is a librarian in a small town. Single, she lives with her cat, and her elderly landlord neighbor, Ina, born again Irish believer, keeps her on her toes. Ina keeps leprechauns and pots of gold scattered on her yard, names the statues, and religiously rotates them.
Back in the day when they were younger, India's friend Olivia dated her brother Mark. Mark is a math geek, but fell in love with Olivia. Unfortunately for Mark, he was the rebound guy, and Olivia coldly cast him More...
Back in the day when they were younger, India's friend Olivia dated her brother Mark. Mark is a math geek, but fell in love with Olivia. Unfortunately for Mark, he was the rebound guy, and Olivia coldly cast him More...
Apr 22, 2011
Angie
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I first heard of Maid of Murder because it was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Mystery. I like cozy mysteries, and Amanda Flowers has set up a good environment for a cozy series. India Hayes is a college librarian in a small Ohio town. Her mother is a Presbyterian minister; her father is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of an accident; both her parents are extreme social activists who will organize a protest at the drop of a non-PC hat; her brother Mark is a math professor
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Jul 21, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
My instinct is to give this book three stars, but the librarian bias is coming out here. I'll give Maid of Murder four stars for the potential it almost achieves.
I'll start by saying cozy mysteries are not this librarian's thing. I'm more of the dark, violent, cussing-up-a-storm crime novel reading type. So at times the cozy aspect was annoyingly hokey. But not everyone has the sailor vocabulary that I do, and I'm all about diversity. Once I moved past the wee bit of hokeyness, I, w More...
I'll start by saying cozy mysteries are not this librarian's thing. I'm more of the dark, violent, cussing-up-a-storm crime novel reading type. So at times the cozy aspect was annoyingly hokey. But not everyone has the sailor vocabulary that I do, and I'm all about diversity. Once I moved past the wee bit of hokeyness, I, w More...
Jul 14, 2010
Adrienne
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With a cast of wacky characters and a small-college-town backdrop, Maid of Murder isn't your typical murder mystery (at least, not the kind that I generally read). In fact, it felt more like watching a wacky murder mystery TV show like Psych than like reading an Agatha Christie novel.
India Hayes works at the library at a small liberal arts college in the middle of Ohio. When her childhood friend Olivia returns to get married, India is coerced into being a bridesmaid and will have to we More...
India Hayes works at the library at a small liberal arts college in the middle of Ohio. When her childhood friend Olivia returns to get married, India is coerced into being a bridesmaid and will have to we More...
Aug 11, 2010
Yan
rated it:
India Hayes has been a bridesmaid several times already (but never the bride), but this wedding may be the most exciting yet. The bride—a childhood friend of India’s—Olivia Blocken is killed just before her wedding and the main culprit is her brother who asked Olivia to meet him by the fountain just before her death. All the trails lead up to Mark: ex-boyfriend still pining for Olivia and a rendezvous that led to death, but India is determined that Mark had nothing to do with Olivia’s death.
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Apr 18, 2010
Linda
rated it:
India Hayes is a small town college librarian surrounded by unusual characters which include her neighbors and family. When a childhood friend turns up dead, all fingers point at India’s brother.
Maid of Murder by Amanda Flower is the first of what I hope is a long list of India Hayes mysteries. The story is a wonderfully entertaining cozy mystery. India‘s character is likeable and has an admirable tolerance level for her radical parents and rather eccentric neighbor. She also has More...
Maid of Murder by Amanda Flower is the first of what I hope is a long list of India Hayes mysteries. The story is a wonderfully entertaining cozy mystery. India‘s character is likeable and has an admirable tolerance level for her radical parents and rather eccentric neighbor. She also has More...
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Jan 19, 2012
Jennifer E.
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First, on the cover of this book Kirkus Reviews compares this new series to Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow series. This book in no way, shape, or form resembles a Meg Langslow book. The main characters' family was neither quirky nor eccentric, merely dysfunctional. I didn't find them charming at all. Her brother merely came across as sad and pathetic. The rest of the characters in the book were also not all that likeable - it felt as though the author just went that little bit too far with eac
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May 30, 2011
Liz
rated it:
I was drawn to India, an artist/librarian and her quirky family. Look forward to future installments of this fun quick who-done-it. Will add Amanda Flower to my fun mystery list: Lisa Lutz and the Spellman Files; Joan Hess Arly Hanks and Claire Malloy series; Sally Goldenbaum Seaside Knitters; Cleo Coyle Coffehouse mysteries and Marshall Karp Lomax and Biggs series.
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Apr 15, 2011
Susan
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India Hayes is reluctant to agree to be a bridesmaid for her childhood BFF Olivia, since Olivia broke the heart of India's brother Mark, a wimpy mathematician at their hometown college. But she does agree, much to her regret when Mark learns of the wedding and blames her for not telling him. She regrets it even more when Olivia suddenly dies and her (now married) older sister's high school boyfriend, a local policeman, thinks that Mark is the culprit. India's family of eccentrics, her landlad
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Aug 21, 2010
Ningerbil
rated it:
A promising debut novel which could appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich. India Hayes is a librarian and artist at a college when she has been asked -- yet again-- to be a bridesmaid for a childhood friend. The problem is India's brother still carries a torch for Olivia. When Olivia turns up dead, the brother becomes the main suspect, and India must don another hat as an amateur sleuth to prove Mark's innocence. This first novel sets the scene of India's hometown, which includes her activist parent
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Jun 30, 2010
Erin
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Maid of Murder by Amanda Flower
In a Northeastern Ohio town that “connected itself with civilized New England and distanced itself from its Midwestern-ness,” a wedding and murder threatens to tear a liberal activist family down to its very foundation. India Hayes’ childhood friend returns home to get married and instead meets a terrible end at Martin University’s campus. And, all fingers point to India’s brother, Mark.
India is the middle child of Presbyterian Reverend La More...
In a Northeastern Ohio town that “connected itself with civilized New England and distanced itself from its Midwestern-ness,” a wedding and murder threatens to tear a liberal activist family down to its very foundation. India Hayes’ childhood friend returns home to get married and instead meets a terrible end at Martin University’s campus. And, all fingers point to India’s brother, Mark.
India is the middle child of Presbyterian Reverend La More...
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Feb 08, 2011
Kirsten
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A fun debut cozy mystery. It has a lot of the elements you really look for in a cozy. Humor. A quirky family. An amateur sleuth forced into sleuthing by circumstances. A homicide detective who considers her as interfering but is also attracted. The victim actually deserved it.
I really enjoyed this one. All of the elements worked and it was a lot of fun. Unlike so many cozies these days, there was no subtext of teaching some strange arcane knowledge like cooking, brewing coffee, organi More...
I really enjoyed this one. All of the elements worked and it was a lot of fun. Unlike so many cozies these days, there was no subtext of teaching some strange arcane knowledge like cooking, brewing coffee, organi More...
Jul 24, 2010
Bonnie
rated it:
Enjoyed this light contemporary "cozy" mystery, the first in a series. It's set in a small college town in Ohio and the main character,who of necessity has to become a sleuth,is a reference librarian at the small liberal arts college there. A fun fact is that the author is also a reference librarian at a small college, etc.! A blurb on the cover compares this to Donna Andrew's Meg Langslow screwball mysteries and this would be a good fit. The eccentric family all living in the same
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Aug 24, 2010
Julia
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India Hayes is a librarian at Martin College in Ohio. It's a small campus, but prone to lots of action. Her brother Mark is accused of a crime against an old high school flame. India steps in and investigates to help her brother. Being a small town, everyone seems to know each other or has dated each other in the past. Her age-defying hippie parents are fun, as is her leprechaun loving neighbor Ina. A nice start to a mystery series.
May 25, 2011
Karen
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This is a fun, short read. India Hayes is a artist/librarian. Her brother is accused of murdering his high-school love, who also happens to be India's good friend. India is caught between trying to prove her brother innocent, keeping her parents from going off the deep end and keeping her job from a ineffective university president. There is an attractive detective, a crazy landlady and two cats who can't stand each other thrown in for good measure. Flowers creates a fun and enjoyable read
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Oct 05, 2010
Miki
rated it: 
I am very tired of reading about women who arbitrarily decide to investigate murders on their own because they believe the police are incompetent, corrupt, or just plain stupid. They always make things worse, alienate everyone around them, and then are so smug about their superior intellect that it's impossible to see why no one murders them!
Dec 30, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
At the start of the year I was asked to review Maid of Murder by Amanda Flower. I agreed to the review because a college librarian as amateur sleuth sounded interesting. Plus she has a brother who is a long time mathematics graduate student, a character I can also relate too.
India Hayes, academic librarian and reluctant bridesmaid must solve the mystery of who killed her childhood friend at the wedding.
I really expected to like this book but I found the pacing too slow. A More...
India Hayes, academic librarian and reluctant bridesmaid must solve the mystery of who killed her childhood friend at the wedding.
I really expected to like this book but I found the pacing too slow. A More...
Sep 01, 2011
Erin
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This is a lovely little mystery that introduces an fabulous new amateur dectective, India Hayes. It is a quick and charming read that will keep you happy for the whole afternoon.
Nov 29, 2010
Louise
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Donna Andrew's Meg Lanslow series is listed on the front cover. Definitely similarities. I don't like it as much, but it is a funny mystery.
Dec 15, 2010
Lisa
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Just a darling book by a sweet author. Very fun read. Who'd a thought Librarians could be so much fun.
Mar 31, 2011
Linda
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It's easy to understand why this cozy mystery has been nominated for an Agatha for Best First Mystery. Fine plotting, delightful characters, and some feisty feline furballs add to the fun and make it an all-round satisfying read.
Oct 25, 2010
Tonnie
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Enjoyable and witty mystery with a fun and quirky main character. Very entertaining...
Jun 06, 2011
Suzanna
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Loved this book. I never suspected the ending. Can't wait until the next book comes out.
Feb 06, 2011
Georgiann
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This was a really good cozy mystery for Amanda'a debut book. I'll look forward to the next offering.
Characters were well developed and there was an interesting plot.
Characters were well developed and there was an interesting plot.
