A Holly Jolly Murder (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 12) [Hardcover]

Joan Hess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1997

My mother was a very strange woman, and so was my father, begins Malthea Hendlerson, an elderly woman whose beliefs are even odder than her manner. Claire Malloy, mild-mannered bookseller in Farberville, Arkansas, is eager for a customer, even one who claims to be the Arch Druid of the Sacred Grove of Keltria. So, when Claire's boyfriend, police lieutenant Peter Rosen, starts spending too much time with his ex-wife, Claire accepts Malthea's invitation to attend a winter solstice celebration at the Sacred Grove. The festivities and the Druids themselves all seem innocent enough, if a little quirky, until the group's wealthy benefactor, Nicholas Chunder, is found murdered. The obvious suspect is Roy Tate, a tattooed teenager living in Nicholas's carriage house. Suspicion proves correct when he confesses to the crime and then flees. But Claire soon finds that some of the Druids were furious with Nicholas, and suddenly she's not so sure that Roy is guilty. Any one of them might have done something more drastic than casting a spell or two--and may be quite willing to do it again. Deftly weaving intriguing subplots into a fast-paced suspense tale in an irresistible Christmas setting, A Holly, Jolly Murder will certainly bring Joan Hess to a new level of fame.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A few days before Christmas, bookseller Claire Malloy determines that she has heard one too many comments about being set in her ways. To quiet such complaints she accepts an invitation from an eccentric customer to a New Age celebration of the winter solstice. An early morning adventure with Malthea, Arch Druid of the Sacred Grove of Keltria, should have been enough to prove that Claire has not yet settled into middle-aged complacency. But the morning's activities provide more than she bargained for once one of Malthea's followers turns up dead. Our heroine sets out to determine whether her new acquaintances are murderous Satanists or only very odd, and, in the process, to discover just who shot whom.

Holly Jolly Murder is Joan Hess's 12th mystery featuring Book Depot proprietor and attractive widow Malloy as an inadvertent sleuth. Better known are Hess's Maggody books, which richly parody livin', dyin', and prayin' in the backwoods of Arkansas. The Malloy series is similarly witty, but its humor is a bit more subtle and less predictable than that of its country cousin. The college town that Malloy inhabits allows for occasional digs at academia as well as a broader range of quirky and seemingly less contrived characters--a Druid priestess being the obvious example. In Holly Jolly Murder, Hess has set the stage for Claire to come into her own as an accidental detective (lover-policeman Peter is conveniently away for the holidays) with suitably festive results. --K. Crouch --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Small-town bookstore owner Claire Malloy lets curiosity get the best of her: she attends a Druid winter solstice festival. When the would-be celebrants discover their wealthy benefactor murdered, the Arch Druid (a feisty old lady) asks Claire's help. A pleasant, entertaining series addition.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; 1ST edition (November 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525942408
• ISBN-13: 978-0525942405
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #850,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Subplot Was Better Than the Plot, February 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Holly Jolly Murder (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 12) (Paperback)

A pretty awful book altogether. I love the Claire Malloy series, but this novel totally missed. I never could figure out why Claire cared for the fates of those appalling secondary characters, each one more loathsome than the next, including a bunch of tiresome Druids (a plot convention indicative of a desperate mystery author). Her daughter's misadventure with the mall Santa Claus was much more interesting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very Verbal-Little Plot, January 6, 2007

By 

Dayna Keiser (Selbyville, DE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Holly Jolly Murder (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 12) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you like the mysteries which play on words then this one is for you. The story line wasn't anywhere nearly as complex as the language. Many puns, word plays and an investigator that talks to herself if no one else is around because that is how important the word play is in this book. If you prefer more crime and detection you will not like this one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to get you into the holiday spirit, October 7, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: A Holly Jolly Murder (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 12) (Hardcover)

Claire Malloy is upset with the two people she loves. Her lover is visiting his mother and perhaps his ex-wife. Her daughter is embroiled in a million dollar lawsuit. Both of them add to her agitation when they insist that Claire is to inflexible with her personality and lifestyle set in cement. When Malthea, a Druid leader, invites Claire to attend one of their rituals, she accepts to prove to her loved ones that she can do non-routine things. However, instead of a ceremony, Claire becomes involved with the murder of a wealthy cult member, Nicholas Chandler. She investigates the case and soon believes that teenager Roy Tate killed the blackmailing Nicholas. However, Roy blames Malthea's demon for putting him over the edge. Claire still needs to learn whether Roy is faking insanity and, if he is, why did he kill Nicholas?

Though for some unfathomable reason, not as popular as Joan Hess's Maggody series, the Claire Malloy mysteries are fun to read because of the way the pragmatic lead protagonist seems to always land in ludicrous situations. A HOLLY, JOLLY MURDER showcases Claire at her lovable best, struggling with a mystery just as she tries to widen her horizons by diving into the middle of New Age elements. Fans of the Maggody series need to try this book. They will not be disappointed by it.

Harriet Klausner