Maid for Murder (Charlotte LaRue Mystery Series, Book 1) [Hardcover]

Barbara Colley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2002

In New Orleans' historic Garden District, life is all about attending the right parties, impressing the right people, and making the right amount of money (a lot!). It's an attitude fifty-nine-year-old Charlotte LaRue has never really understood. She leads a quiet, simple, practical life. Business is booming at her housecleaning service Maid-for-a-Day. Everything's perfect. Well, almost everything...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Amateur sleuth Charlotte La Rue will dust her way into readers' hearts in this auspicious debut of a new cozy series. Fifty-nine-year-old Charlotte runs a successful maid-for-a-day business, and many of her clients reside in the exclusive, historic Garden District of New Orleans. Single mother to a successful, handsome young doctor, and with a parakeet named Sweety Boy to keep her company, Charlotte has a straightforward, simple life. That is, until she hears that the dead body of one of her employers, Jackson Dubuisson, has been found in his study. Charlotte has worked for the family for many years. Though she has done her best to keep a professional distance, she can't help feeling sympathy for the widow, Jeanne, left to deal with an invalid mother and a stricken daughter. With Jeanne behaving in an increasingly guilty manner, and finding herself privy to numerous family secrets she'd rather not know, Charlotte realizes that for once she may not be able to mind her own business. Her own niece, Judith Monroe, is one of the homicide cops on the case, and Charlotte is believably torn by the conflicts of duty to the police and the best interests of her long-time client. Cleaning up messes, whether personal or professional, is what Charlotte has done most of her life; with Charlotte La Rue, Colley has created a sensible, likable sleuth whom readers will want to put on a long-term contract. Agent, Evan Marshall. (Feb. 5)Forecast: With supportive blurbs from such cozy queens as Laurien Berenson, Joanne Fluke and Shelley Freydont, plus an eye-catching jacket that dares to put a mop at its center, this first novel should get off to a strong start.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Charlotte La Rue cleans houses in New Orleans, often in the wealthy Garden District. Having become friendly with Jeanne Dubuisson, who cares for an elderly mother, Charlotte tries to help out after someone kills Jeanne's well-known (but philandering) attorney husband. Unfortunately, his death echoes the unsolved murder of Jeanne's father some 15 years previously. Charlotte does a little sleuthing on her own, taking a few tips from a detective niece. A nice, homey first effort, though the hired-help-as-friend situation stretches thin at times. For larger collections.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; F edition (February 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575668734
• ISBN-13: 978-1575668734
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,286,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful series debut, February 5, 2002

By 

Joanne Fluke - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maid for Murder (Charlotte LaRue Mystery Series, Book 1) (Hardcover)

In Book One of this engaging series, "Maid for Murder," Barbara Colley introduces us to Charlotte La Rue, an efficient, often humorous, and effective amateur sleuth. (I'd hire her to clean my house in a flat second, but not if I had any crime-related secrets to hide!) Charlotte is a successful businesswoman, established in her small cleaning company and a real part of the community. By taking the reader along when Charlotte makes her rounds, Ms. Colley gives us a peek into how the upper crust REALLY lives, an insight that only a trusted maid could have. The story is excellent, the plot is intriguing, and Charlotte is simply delightful. I'm looking forward to her further adventures.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A welcome entry into the cozies, September 27, 2002

By 

Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maid for Murder (Charlotte LaRue Mystery Series, Book 1) (Hardcover)

It's always a treat to find a new mystery author. Colley keeps the pages turning in this gentle cozy, with a charming heroine surrounded by a cast of friends and family who could turn into villains anytime. The heroine is especially well-done: a pushing sixty, energetic, too quick to say "yes" except to cover up a murder.
The book has all the ingredients: smooth writing, absence of trite phrases, deft plot. Maid for Murder doesn't have the sharp wit of Sharyn McCrumb's McPherson series or the self-conscious humor of M.C. Beaton. But it's a faster, smoother read than most others of the genre. Definitely recommended and let's hope we don't have to wait long for the second.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable light read, July 13, 2005

By 

G. Britt "MsKitty" (GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maid for Murder (Charlotte LaRue Mystery Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

While I do agree the first part of the book was a tad slow, overall I found the book to be very enjoyable. A great murder mystery for those who don't want their murders too gruesome or complicated.