Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 2
Author Maia Chance has an excellent sense of humor, and she's concocted many wonderful one-liners that she's peppered throughout Bad Housekeeping. Unfortunately, I found those one-liners to be the best part of the book, along with what little there was of renovating the old inn. First, there's the problem of the mystery-- I knew the identity of the killer the first time the character was introduced. Since that person was introduced within the first few pages, I was reading for the characters and setting alone.
The setting was good, so that leaves the characters. Effie was an extremely well-paid model in her youth. She's now in her seventies and looks decades younger, which is strange because she smokes like the proverbial chimney, and it's a well-known fact that heavy smoking is far from kind to a person's looks. Effie is also supposed to be colorful and eccentric, but I found her to be self-absorbed and annoying. So... what about the other main character?
The book is told from the point of view of Agnes, and I found her to be monumentally immature for her age. Agnes has scarcely any money, yet when--through an accident aided by her ex-fiance-- all her clothing, her contact lenses, all her identification, and her wallet wind up at Goodwill, she can't be bothered to go through the donations to find any of her stuff. Instead-- since she's living at home with her father-- she's wearing her too-small wardrobe from high school.
Self-absorbed and immature do not a good crime-solving duo make. At least in my book. Bad Housekeeping definitely was not my cup of tea, but your mileage may certainly vary.
The setting was good, so that leaves the characters. Effie was an extremely well-paid model in her youth. She's now in her seventies and looks decades younger, which is strange because she smokes like the proverbial chimney, and it's a well-known fact that heavy smoking is far from kind to a person's looks. Effie is also supposed to be colorful and eccentric, but I found her to be self-absorbed and annoying. So... what about the other main character?
The book is told from the point of view of Agnes, and I found her to be monumentally immature for her age. Agnes has scarcely any money, yet when--through an accident aided by her ex-fiance-- all her clothing, her contact lenses, all her identification, and her wallet wind up at Goodwill, she can't be bothered to go through the donations to find any of her stuff. Instead-- since she's living at home with her father-- she's wearing her too-small wardrobe from high school.
Self-absorbed and immature do not a good crime-solving duo make. At least in my book. Bad Housekeeping definitely was not my cup of tea, but your mileage may certainly vary.
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Bad Housekeeping is the debut of the An Agnes and Effie Mystery series featuring Agnes Blythe, recently dumped by her boyfriend, jobless and now having to move back into her family home in Naneda, New York. With the whole town talking about how she was dumped for the Pilates instructor by boyfriend, Dr. Roger Hollins, Agnes just wants to hide out, but when your dad is Gary Blythe, Town Mayor it's just not that easy.
Agnes' Great Aunt Euphemia "Effie" has drifted into town having inherited Uncle Herman's dilapidated and condemned old home, the Stagecoach Inn. Effie is determined to restore the old home and turn it back into an Inn, problem is that it's scheduled to be demolished within the week. Agnes can't stand Effie, all because the older woman made the mistake of calling her "husky" when she was a child.
In a desperate attempt to prolong her temp job at the library, Agnes encounters Kathleen Todd, Chairman of the Historical Society and not in a good way. Plowing through the libraries swinging door, Agnes knocks a box of relics to the floor and while she thinks it's just a bunch of Pyrex dishes, Kathleen is not amused. Later on Aunt Effie encounters Kathleen at the supermarket and the two exchange words, Kathleen is determined that the Stagecoach be demolished. Unfortunately for both ladies, the next morning Kathleen turns up dead on the back porch of the Inn.
With them both under suspicion for murder, the unlikely duo of Agnes and Effie team up to find the real killer and save the Stagecoach. Agnes is having to go around town riding a bicycle and wearing the too small clothes leftover in her childhood bedroom as Roger sent everything she owned to Goodwill. Effie it seems has stolen the Caddy she's driving, is claiming there are ghosts in the Inn where she's illegally camping out, and is a chain smoking fiend. Add in Cousin Chester who claims to be a handyman extraordinaire and Agnes' high school crush Otis Hatch and the adventures begin.
A fun mystery with plenty of suspects and a misfit cast of characters that will have you laughing out loud from page one to the end. A perfect cozy to cuddle up with on a snowy winter day, I can't wait for the next adventures of Agnes and Effie.
Agnes' Great Aunt Euphemia "Effie" has drifted into town having inherited Uncle Herman's dilapidated and condemned old home, the Stagecoach Inn. Effie is determined to restore the old home and turn it back into an Inn, problem is that it's scheduled to be demolished within the week. Agnes can't stand Effie, all because the older woman made the mistake of calling her "husky" when she was a child.
In a desperate attempt to prolong her temp job at the library, Agnes encounters Kathleen Todd, Chairman of the Historical Society and not in a good way. Plowing through the libraries swinging door, Agnes knocks a box of relics to the floor and while she thinks it's just a bunch of Pyrex dishes, Kathleen is not amused. Later on Aunt Effie encounters Kathleen at the supermarket and the two exchange words, Kathleen is determined that the Stagecoach be demolished. Unfortunately for both ladies, the next morning Kathleen turns up dead on the back porch of the Inn.
With them both under suspicion for murder, the unlikely duo of Agnes and Effie team up to find the real killer and save the Stagecoach. Agnes is having to go around town riding a bicycle and wearing the too small clothes leftover in her childhood bedroom as Roger sent everything she owned to Goodwill. Effie it seems has stolen the Caddy she's driving, is claiming there are ghosts in the Inn where she's illegally camping out, and is a chain smoking fiend. Add in Cousin Chester who claims to be a handyman extraordinaire and Agnes' high school crush Otis Hatch and the adventures begin.
A fun mystery with plenty of suspects and a misfit cast of characters that will have you laughing out loud from page one to the end. A perfect cozy to cuddle up with on a snowy winter day, I can't wait for the next adventures of Agnes and Effie.
