Customer Reviews

A Conventional Corpse (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 13)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Book Depot, an independent bookstore located in Farberville, Arkansas, generates enough revenue to support owner Claire Malloy and her sixteen-year old daughter Caron. Claire expects to make enough money to dramatically reduce her debts at the Murder Comes to Campus Mystery convention sponsored by the Thurber Farber Foundation for the Humanities at Farber College.

Claire's belief in her making a substantial profit ends when she is forced to replace the hospitalized convention's chairman. Claire initially enjoys talking with the authors, but only a few hours in their company pass before she realizes most of them are petty, jealous, and cranky. An attendee dies in a tragic car accident. The kidnapping of an author's cat and the murder of an editor follow. After having solved many homicides over the past few years, Claire begins her own investigation that almost leads to her own death.

Fans of the Malloy mystery series will be delighted to learn that after a long gap, a new installment is on the shelves. A CONVENTIONAL CORPSE is a witty and enchanting cozy that captures the ambiance of campus small town life. The subplot involving the heroine and her egotistical former lover is extremely humorous. There is an abundance of viable suspects that add to the complexity of Joan Hess's wonderful amateur sleuth novel.

Harriet Klausner

I think I laughed 4 or 5 times, so those are 4 or 5 laughs I wouldn't have had otherwise. But this was not a particularly good read. Ironically, the most "conventional" part of the novel was its plot. Carolyn Hart has done a similar story, just to name one version off the top of my head. The catty authors and editors, the petty disputes and backstabbing--this is all so old. Arnie the Sleazebag got the best lines. Caron's personality seems to have been toned down, maybe too much so. And, as always in this series, Claire's motivation for becoming so involved with the other characters is the biggest mystery.

his latest Claire Molloy mystery is a hoot! In addition to the usual cast of characters, we meet five mystery authors and one editor who have come to Fayetteville, Arkansas to attend the first (perhaps only) "Murder Comes to Campus" mystery convention. Claire, who had hoped to sell tons to books to the 100 convention attendees, finds herself instead roped into managing the convention when the original organizer is hospitalized. Claire must deal with the 5 mystery guests of author and a troublesome editor, all of whom are based on real-life people. Joan Hess and St Martin's Press are sponsoring a "Who Are These Characters Based On?" contest, but alas, we in Arizona are prohibited from entering. I was able to figure out the real-life identity of 3 of the 6 characters (but am I right?). See how many you can figure out! Oh, and while you're at it, see if you can figure out whodunit. I was guessing until the very last page.

I have been reading Joan Hess' books for many years now. You can always count on this author for a very fun read. A Conventional Corpse is no exception. I found many places where I laughed out loud. Claire Malloy's straight forwardness is so funny at times that I find myself re-reading the lines for another laugh. The messes that seem to find Claire are great. The supporting characters are solidly developed and used well to move the plot along. I'm so glad that Ms. Hess brought Arnie back, I love that character. In this installment, Arnie is fleshed out more and we understand him much better. Thank you for that that Ms. Hess. Oh, yes there is a murder or two. To those readers who found the ending confusing, I suggest that you read the last few pages again. I didn't find it confusing at all! I understood what had happened and what was happening. I won't give the ending away, but it was the only way for Ms. Hess to end this mystery and have the happy ending. And a very good way, I might add. So my hat is off to Joan Hess for another wonderful installment in her Claire Malloy Series. Looking forward to another one soon.

This book just didn't grab me. I finished it but the end was kind of anticlimatic. The thing that bothers me most is that the main characters never seems grow or change. Caron has been sixteen(and speaking in CAPITAL LETTERS) forever just as Claire has been Forty and in a going nowhere relationship with Peter Rosen. Enough already. This series needs a major overhaul!

I don't know if I just wasn't in the mood for Joan Hess or what, but I did not consider this as good as some of her others books. You get use to crazy people and zany things happening in a Joan Hess book, but for some reason it kind of fell flat with me and I found myself being irritated more times than amused. Where it was good, I wouldn't give it any more stars than 3. I enjoyed her earlier books more.

A new Claire Malloy mystery is a reason to celebrate. A Conventional Corpse is an excellent addition to the series. The backdrop of a convention attended a group of eccentric authors is perfect for murder. The characters are delightful and well written. The teenagers add spice. The frightfully spoiled cat was a hoot.

Joan Hess always entertains but I think her plot twists in this book were especially clever. Also her character's anger toward her on again off again boyfriend rang true. Although as an incurable romantic I wanted to see them get together. In fact it is my hope that one book will contain a wedding and another perhaps a honeymoon with murder of course.

I recommend this book to all the Claire Malloy fans.

Why not Mystery characters who are writers? I found this book truly delightful. The convention gave a very different view of authors than the public usually views. Just how much of the characterization of these writers is fiction is intriguing in itself. I found the book well written and worth the wait. Caron and Inez came through as usual - the ditzy teens. I read the book and then reread it hunting for clues I had missed. The other mystery of me as a layman would be did the character of Roxanne have a real counterpart that only authors would be privy to knowing? Perhaps! Also for those critics that don't believe the ending - maybe it's not the truth. It wouldn't be the first untruth in fact or fiction.

I'm a big fan of this series, which features widowed bookstore owner Claire Malloy, and I have been eagerly awaiting this latest entry for some time. Although it was enjoyable to visit with these characters again, the laughs were fewer and farther between than I'm used to from this writer, and the mystery was quite a let-down.

The titular "convention" is a mystery convention with five major mystery writers arrived in Farberville from out of town. Claire, who hopes to make a small fortune in book sales during the convention, ends up in charge when the organizer is hospitalized. Between herding the errant authors from one place to the next while keeping track of her own teenage daughter, Claire hardly has time to rebuff the apologetic overtures of her estranged boyfriend, Lieutenant Peter Rosen. But convention chaos becomes the least of Claire's worries when a conference attendee dies under suspicious circumstances.

There's a lot of Hess's trademark charm in this book, including the characterization of the mystery authors, each a unique and interesting personality. Claire is a wonderful character, and her relationship with her daughter is fun and realistic.

Unfortunately, the plot just isn't strong enough. Hess goes to a great deal of trouble to depict the complex and frequently hostile relationships between the authors, even though these relationships have very little to do with the mystery. The resolution of the mystery is startlingly weak and poorly thought out. And the bizarre subplot involving Peter Rosen, which is presumably meant to be humorous, is so far out of character as to be contrived and distracting. Hess doesn't need to work this hard for laughs.

Despite the disappointing ending to this book, I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next Claire Malloy mystery.

I could hardly wait for the next Claire Malloy book. I'm just glad I didn't waste money on the hardcover. Instead of funny quips and jabs Claire is just plain annoying. Has Joan Hess run out of new things to say? I finished the book because I paid money for it but it was a difficult read, I'm sad to say. I always looked forward to her Arly Hanks and Claire Malloy series, but next time I'll check them out at the library so I don't dish out the cash.