"Indeed it was the perfect house---if it was available. Even if it wasn't available, I thought morosely as I walked back to the terrace, it was the perfect house."
-Claire Malloy, from the novel
I admit I judged this book by its cover---a clever title and jacket reminiscent of the magazine with a similar-sounding name. This was my first novel from this author, surprising since she's quite a prolific mystery writer. This was one of the Claire Malloy series, one of at least 18. I enjoyed it particularly for its quirky characters and witty style. I will definitely read another in the series one of these days.
At the outset Claire, who has recently returned from her honeymoon, is house hunting. About the time she finds the"perfect house,", she is told that the original owner died mysteriously, then her realtor goes missing and strangely one by one three more people end up dead. Claire takes it upon herself to investigate. She reminds me of Miss Julia in the series by Ann B. Ross, one of my favorite characters and also something of a detective wannabe with a delightful sense of humor.
I found the plot a little confusing but that may have been due to my stop-and-start reading of it. I found it rather unbelievable that the "perfect house" in question was always open to the comings and goings of numerous characters and some even ate and drank from the stock although there was a suspected poisoning at the site.
Deader Homes and Gardens gets a rating of 3.5 from me. It was a breezy, entertaining summer read.
No comments:
Post a Comment