Miss Julia Delivers the Goods: A Novel [Hardcover]

Ann B. Ross (Author)

Book Description

Series: Miss Julia | Publication Date: April 16, 2009

Get ready for double the trouble and twice the fun in Ann B. Ross's tenth Miss Julia adventure

If there's no rest for the weary, Miss Julia must be absolutely exhausted. She's just learned a secret-Hazel Marie is pregnant with twins and the prospective father has cleared out of town. But good things come in unexpected packages. Abbotsville finds itself the scene of a heist; and Miss Julia knows there's only one man who can solve the crime. It's J. D. Pickens, P.I., renowned investigator and Hazel Marie's wayward love. When he's summoned, one thing becomes clear: Miss Julia must help set things right between them or find herself the only one who can, quite literally, deliver the goods.

Ann B. Ross consistently draws crowds at bookstores, not only to purchase her books, but also to meet her in person. Her tenth Miss Julia novel will bring the goods to her tried-and-true fans and new readers alike.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An unplanned pregnancy, a destructive break-in and a nasty gazpacho incident are just a few of the problems facing Julia Murdoch in Ross's diverting 10th cozy to feature the North Carolina matron (after 2008's Miss Julia Paints the Town). When naïve Hazel Marie, the former mistress of Miss Julia's first husband, learns that her flulike symptoms have another cause, it's up to the enterprising Miss Julia to patch things up between Hazel Marie and her estranged PI boyfriend, J.D. Pickens. Meanwhile, a burglary at the house of lawyer Sam Murdoch, Miss Julia's second husband, means trouble. The disappearance of Sam's meticulous files on local court cases suggests there are parties who don't want information on Abbot County's philandering judge and corrupt sheriff to see the light of day. Those who prefer a leisurely pace, a touch of screwball comedy and gentle puzzles in their mysteries will enjoy this paean to smalltown nosiness and steadfast loyalties. 6-city author tour. (Apr.)
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From Booklist

Genteel and proper Miss Julia has had a lot to contend with ever since her husband of 44 years, Wesley Lloyd Springer, died, and his mistress, Hazel Marie, showed up at her front door, son in tow. Since then, Hazel Marie and Little Lloyd have become like family—a family that’s about to get bigger, since Hazel Marie is unexpectedly pregnant with twins. Unfortunately, Hazel Marie’s on-again, off-again relationship with the father, private detective J. D. Pickens, seems to be off again, and J. D. has left town. How to hide the mother-to-be’s condition from the well-meaning but easily scandalized townfolk of Abbotsville, and get the couple to the altar? And what’s behind the theft of some of the records Miss Julia’s new husband, Sam, was using to compile his legal history of Abbot county? Series fans will enjoy finding all the familiar elements in place. --Mary Ellen Quinn

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 339 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; 1st Printing edition (April 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670020656
• ISBN-13: 978-0670020652
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #450,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ann is the mother of two daughters and one son, and the grandmother of four grandsons (including twin boys) and two granddaughters, both of whom are her namesakes. When her children were in college, she decided to complete her own education, enrolling in the University of North Carolina at Asheville where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Literature. Reluctant to return to an empty nest, she continued her education by enrolling in the English Department of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned both the Master's and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Afterwards, she taught Literature and the Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Ann's writing career began in the early eighties when two mysteries were published as original paperbacks: THE MURDER CURE and THE MURDER STROKE. A few years later, her first hardcover book was published: THE PILGRIMAGE, an adventure story set in the nineteenth century. All three books are now out of print, but occasionally a used copy of THE PILGRIMAGE appears on Amazon.com for sale.

The publication of the first Miss Julia book, MISS JULIA SPEAKS HER MIND in 1999, set Ann on a full-time writing career. This book went through six reprintings in less than a year, and was ranked #9 on the Independent Booksellers' seventy-six most highly recommended books for 1999. In addition, the book was named to the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers list. The paperback edition of the same book was listed in The Best Books of the First Five Years by BookSense, as one of the titles independent booksellers most enjoyed handselling. The book was also published by Readers Digest Condensed Books, appearing in twelve foreign languages.

MISS JULIA TAKES OVER was one of seven nominees for the Book of the Year Award (2001) by the Southeastern Booksellers Association.

All of the books in the series are available on audiotape and in large-print editions, and are also available through The Literary Guild/Doubleday Book Club. All of the books, except the newest one each year, can be found in paperback editions.

MISS JULIA THROWS A WEDDING, MISS JULIA HITS THE ROAD, MISS JULIA MEETS HER MATCH, and MISS JULIA'S SCHOOL OF BEAUTY have all appeared on the New York Times Extended Bestseller List.

All of the books in the series will be published in German, Japanese, and Croatian editions, as well as on audiotape (in English) and in large print editions.

Inspiration for the escapades of Ann's much-loved character, Miss Julia, comes in all manner of ways -- a chance remark by a friend or family member, an incident she happens to see, in a dream, or by being reminded of something in her past experiences. It is always deeply satisfying to her when scenes in the book she is working on suddenly seem to fit together to make a good story. She does not outline or make detailed plans before starting a story. She does, however, have a general plot in mind before beginning to write, but this usually entails only the conflict and the final resolution, with few ideas of how they will be worked out. So, with just the beginning and the end of a book decided on, Ann relies on the characters themselves to fill in the middle with first one subplot after another. This, she says, is the joy of writing -- when a character suddenly does or says something unexpectedly, leading her to funny and surprising 'mini-scenes' that seem to delight readers.

Ann was once asked by an interviewer how she knew when something she'd written was good. She replied, "I know it's good when I fall off my chair laughing." From that response, we can be sure that she enjoys writing about her characters as much as we enjoy reading about them.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The 10th Miss Julia episode (NON-SPOILER), April 25, 2009

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Miss Julia Delivers the Goods: A Novel (Hardcover)

" ... I hope we're doing the right thing," says Sam Murdoch. "I'm never comfortable interfering in the lives of other people."

Miss Julia agrees with her husband. "Well, I'm not either, and, as you know, I rarely do it. It's only when I'm absolutely sure of what's best that I dare to step in. But this is surely just such an occasion." (pp. 58-59)

As we avid readers know, this will not be the first time -- nor, we suspect, will it be the last -- that Julia Springer Murdoch has taken charge of a situation and has run it her very own way. This feisty Southern senior has seen her share of unusual circumstances. And somehow she manages to survive them all and even maintain a certain amount of dignity and composure in front of the others residents of her conservative North Carolina community. What other woman would make a place in her home for her dead husband's mistress and her illegitimate son?

In this installment, the majority of the plotline centers on Hazel Marie's latest problem. I won't reveal what specific challenges it represents. As usual, Miss Julia does what she believes in her heart to be the right and moral thing to do. What other option is there? Hazel Marie will just have to come around to her way of thinking, that's all.

In the meantime, Julia's second husband Sam is still working on researching the legal history of Abbot County. As a retired lawyer, he's the best person to write a book on the subject. But in the midst of Hazel Marie's dilemma, Sam's home is trashed and vital pieces of information are stolen. Does someone want to stop Sam from publishing the truth about a decades-old case? Or was the break-in merely a coincidence? Miss Julia steps in to help Sam and J.D. Pickens with their impromptu investigation, giving an air of mystery and down-home intrigue to the story. And as usual, Julia's housekeeper Lillian is a willing accomplice in the pseudo-adventures.

Since these novels are always written in first person, we readers are always privy to Miss Julia's perspective, assumptions, and thought processes. If we were in Abbotsville ourselves, we could warn her or even the people around her of consequences to actions taken. But we can't; we're only distant bystanders. And that's part of the fun of it. "Miss Julia Delivers the Goods" is another wonderful episode in the series, with both head-shaking and laugh-out-loud moments. Newcomers need not have read the previous books to get a kick out of this one. But it's a given that they'll want to catch up on the rest, afterward.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comfortable like your favorite sweater, May 6, 2009

By 

Holly Kincaid "Book addict" (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miss Julia Delivers the Goods: A Novel (Hardcover)

These books aren't going to set the world on fire with their action-packed, fast-paced story lines, but they sure are fun. Ms. Ross has delivered another good one with 'Miss Julia Delivers the Goods'.

If you haven't read these before, I would recommend you go back to the beginning to truly appreciate the characters -- Miss Julia is a hoot and watching her development over the years has been a treat. She is a "senior citizen" with spunk and style and has definite opinions on everything without being crotchety. You can't help but smile when you find out what she has gotten herself mixed up in and get a chuckle out of the church ladies and other folks that surround her.

This particular installment was very enjoyable but did seem to move a bit slower in the middle sections than I am used to. Even with that, I enjoyed the book tremendously and looked forward to picking it up at the end of a hectic day. Comfortable read with some excitment mixed in -- there is always a mystery somewhere and this time Miss Julia's husband is the catalyst for intrigue.

If you enjoy the Mitford Series by Jan Karon you really should give this series a try -- perfect escapist reading.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not her best, May 24, 2009

By 

Serene (Marina, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miss Julia Delivers the Goods: A Novel (Hardcover)

Miss Julia delivers the goods was perhaps my least favorite miss Julia novel. In this one, the author stretches out what could've been an interesting although minor incident- Hazel Marie's unfortunate 'illness' into an entire book, with the doctor, Hazel Marie, Mr. Pickens and everyone else running around as though they had nothing but sugar in their heads. Frankly, this one jumped the shark a bit.

The subplot involving who broke into Sam's house which could've been interesting, also felt very flat. There really wasn't much of a mystery involved, and I'm not sure why she spent the effort with it.

Meh. I've read better. It felt like the author was running out of ideas... This one felt very contrived and predictable.