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MAID FOR MURDER
by Barbara Colley
Kensington Books, January 2003
286 pages
$5.99
ISBN: 1575668742


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Charlotte LaRue runs a successful cleaning service in the elite Garden District of New Orleans. She chose this venerable neighborhood because elaborate old houses need two things to keep them presentable: maids and gardeners. At age 59, Charlotte has operated her successful Maid-for-a-Day company for over 30 years and shows no signs of retiring despite her son-the-doctor¹s gentle hints to take it easier. Her organized life includes a routine roster of cleaning clients, a daily walk to clear the mind, and the company of a pet parakeet named Sweety Bird.(No cats in this cozy!).

Business policy demands a low-key but efficient demeanor with her clients, but this is put to the test when Charlotte arrives at the Dubuisson home for their weekly cleaning. Finding the murdered body of Jackson Dubuisson in his study, Charlotte feels she must reach out to his wife, Jeanne Dubuisson and her young daughter, Anna-Maria. Although in shock herself, Charlotte rushes upstairs to check on Jeanne¹s mother, the bedridden and crotchety ³Miss Clarice² who is not surprised to learn that the philandering Jackson has met a violent end. In fact, she starts dropping hints of family secrets to Charlotte hoping to enlist her help in proving Jeanne innocent since the wife is usually the first suspect. Charlotte agrees to help because she¹s ³never been able to walk away from a mess.²

She's put in a bind, however, when the investigating officer turns out to be her own niece. Charlotte is torn between betraying the Dubuisson family secrets and helping the police with their inquiries. So, she takes on her own investigation like all good amateur sleuths, and puts her cleaning skills to work full time. Although Charlotte mismanages some parts of the investigation and talks to herself an awful lot, it is her first murder, after all. In time, I'm sure she will hone her detective skills and apply her seamless organizational skills to future crime-solving experiences.

This novel was a good, comfortable read although some might balk at the coincidence of a cop and her aunt being involved in the same case. However, this is New Orleans, and families are close no matter what their occupations. (And someone has to be related to all those cops.) Also, the author avoids the stereotypical images of New Orleans and shows the reader the everyday persons, places and food that abound in this unpredictable city. I'm eager to follow Charlotte LaRue in her future cleaning and detecting adventures.

Reviewed by Tess Allegra, March 2003

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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