A Hard Bargain [Paperback]

Jane Tesh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009

After solving her first big murder case in the small town of Celosia, North Carolina, Madeline Maclin hopes at last to be taken seriously as a private investigator. She's opened an office in the home of her best friend Jerry Fairweather, a man haunted by his past who enjoys running harmless scams.
Jerry doesn't feel worthy of anyone's love--bad news for Madeline--although she thinks Jerry's sister Harriet knows more about the accident that killed their parents than she'll say.
Madeline is hired to find Kirby Willet, an eccentric inventor who left boxes of his belongings, including one filled with money, at Frannie Thomas house. Meanwhile Voltage Films director, Josh Gaskins, is in town and thinks Jerry's old house will be perfect for his horror film, "Curse of the Mantis Man," about Celosia's mythical beast. Is this monster actually real?
Celosia is also hopping with the Pageantoids, rabid fans from Madeline's days as a beauty queen, who have come to Celosia to produce more pageants. And then there's Rick Rialto, one of Jerry's shady con artist friends.
When Gaskins is murdered, Madeline uncovers several suspects and is forced to make--and investigate--some hard bargains. At least one of which is with Jerry.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After solving her first murder case in 2006's Case of Imagination, former North Carolina beauty queen and budding PI Madeline "Mac" Maclin is swamped with three mysteries in this charming but chaotic second installment in Tesh's cozy series. Mac's search for missing eccentric inventor Kirby Willet becomes ominous when she discovers that he hid a large sum of money before he disappeared. Meanwhile, a production company comes to Madeline's small town of Celosia, N.C., to film a horror movie, parts of which might feature the exterior of the house she shares with her romantic interest, Jerry Fairweather. But a death on the set makes the thrills and chills all too real. Finally, Madeline puzzles over the mysterious deaths of Jerry's parents two decades earlier. Tesh does a good job of juggling the various subplots, though the plethora of characters at times muddles the action. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Poor Madeline Maclin. The former beauty queen wants the people of Celosia, North Carolina, to take her seriously as a private investigator. She has already solved one case (A Case of Imagination, 2006), and she now has an office. She is also drifting toward romance with her friend Jerry Fairweather, despite his status as a relatively harmless scam artist. Things start to heat up when Madeline is hired to find eccentric inventor Kirby Willet, who left a box of money in Frannie Thomas' house. Then Voltage Films director Josh Gaskins comes to town to make a horror movie and thinks that Jerry's house is the perfect location. As if that weren't enough, the Pageantoids, rabid fans from Madeline's beauty-queen days, show up and try to recruit her for a new pageant. When Gaskins is murdered, Madeline finds herself in the middle of a murder case. Fans of Joan Hess' Maggody series will be happy to find a new sleuth on the screwball southern cozy beat. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590586522
• ISBN-13: 978-1590586525
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,052,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jane Tesh lives and works in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, Andy Griffith's home town, a real life Mayberry. She is a retired media specialist and the author of three mystery novels, as well as numerous plays for children. When not writing, Jane plays the piano for productions at the Andy Griffith Playhouse and teaches aerobics and kick boxing at the local gym.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars solid private investigative thriller, January 28, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Hard Bargain (Hardcover)

In Celosia, North Carolina former beauty queen Madeline "Mac" Maclin continues her efforts to make a living as a private investigator buoyed by her recent solving of a murder case (see CASE OF IMAGINATION). One of her cases is personal as she hopes to prove to her beloved roommate Jerry Fairweather that he is not at fault for the deaths of his parents in a fire over twenty years ago; in fact she thinks his sister is the culprit or knows more than she is letting on about the deadly inferno.

Mac's other two cases are professional. She searches for inventor Kirby Willet, who vanished without a trace but not before he hid a large cache of money. Her other investigation involves the poison death of director Josh Gaskin at a horror film shooting at a "bat" house inherited by Jerry from his late uncle. However, as she finds a wealth of suspects in the Gaskin homicide, Mac begins to see ties to her other investigations, but doubts the puzzles could mesh so well together.

Though difficult to keep score of the support cast as Mac is fully employed with her three cases, she is a delightful protagonist who holds the several subplots together and in fact brings them into a cohesive private investigative thriller. Readers will enjoy the former beauty queen's laments about no respect for her brain, which contrary to popular opinion is four-times her bra size. The inquiries are cleverly designed to bring out the best and worst traits of the heroine.

Harriet Klausner