Review: Deader Homes and Gardens (A Claire Malloy Mystery #18) by Joan E. Hess

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (February 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312363621
• ISBN-13: 978-0312363628

Book Description


 Claire Malloy discovers that house-hunting can be murder—literally—in the latest entry in Joan Hess's "wildly entertaining series." (Mystery Scene)

Back from her somewhat unusual honeymoon, Claire Malloy must face the harsh reality of life with her new husband, police chief Peter Rosen, and her teenage daughter Caron—three people simply can’t fit into her cosy two bedroom apartment. After a week of fruitless looking, she finally finds the perfect
place—a well preserved large house on a large plot of land in an area called Hollow Valley. There are only a few problems. Such as the real estate agent disappeared mid-showing and hasn’t been seen since. And the last owner died in circumstances labeled ’accidental’ but were actually both ’mysterious’ and ’dubious’. The family that owned the estate is now suing the lover of the dead owner over the rights to the property. Oh, and it isn’t really for sale. When the previous owner’s lover dies practically at her feet, Claire decides to take matters into her own hands. After all, to get the house of her dreams, first she has to find a killer. And all’s fair in love, war, and real estate.

About The Author

 JOAN HESS is the author of both the Arly Hanks and the Claire Malloy mystery series, most recently Mummy Dearest. She now lives in Austin, Texas.

My Review


Claire Malloy has fallen in love with the house of her dreams and there the trouble starts!   The Hollow Valley has a questionable ownership and is the backdrop for several murders.  There is an unusual cast of characters who inhabit Hollow Valley...would she really want these people as her neighbours?


I've always enjoyed the Claire Malloy series more than the Arly Hanks which I find a tad silly.  While this book is very readable it did not excite me at all.  It never got my heart racing and it was easy to put down.


All in all an adequate read.