Polished Off

I greatly enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed the first three in the series before it. Of all the Charlotte Larue mysteries I have read so far, this is the best. As Ms. Colley continues to develop her main characters, they grow more interesting. Louis is the difficult, but intriguing next-door neighbor and former partner of Charlotte's niece. I like the way he hides his great heart under a thick layer of crustiness. In the overlying arc of the plot, his relationship with Charlotte continues to mature. I cannot wait to read the other books in this series to see what becomes of it. I also like the fact that people from Charlotte's own family are seemingly involved in the murder of Ricco. Charlotte has a more personal stake in the outcome of her "investigation" when her nephew and his family's welfare are at risk. Probably the best thing I like about Charlotte Larue mysteries is the setting of the New Orleans Garden District. I lived in the New Orleans area for six years and can say that Ms. Colley has successfully captured the flavor and personality of this beautiful, historic neighborhood. I have met and read about many local people who remind me Patsy and Bitsy and even Lowell Webster. Since New Orleans is well known for its corruption, it is no stretch of the imagination to consider the existence of a detective like Will Richeaux. Ms. Colley puts in little details of St. Charles Ave. that are distinctive. I loved the reference to the puple, green and gold Mardi Gras beads hanging from the trees. I don't live in the New Orleans area anymore, but when I want a reminder about the place where I enjoyed so many fond memories, I will gladly read her books. I also love the other small details of the book such as the parakeet. Pets always add something special to a novel. The book reads smoothly and is well-written. The characters all have their own distinct voices and personalities that have so far been consistent with each book I have read. This book also has a good, crisp pace. I finished it way too fast. Though I was grateful to see the mystery solved, I was sad to have the story end. The good news is that I am midway through the series and the story of Charlotte Larue and her family and friends continue on in subsequent books.

In New Orleans, owner of Maid for a Day cleaning service Charlotte LaRue is delighted that her nephew Daniel married her best employee, Nadia, and plans to adopt her young son. But when Maid for a Day workers drop an urn that contains human bones, all celebrations come to a screeching halt. The bones are those of Nadia's nasty ex-husband Ricco, and for lack of a better suspect, the New Orleans police immediately finger Nadia as the prime suspect. Charlotte doesn't believe for a minute that Nadia has polished off her odious ex, but since the police refuse to look elsewhere, Charlotte begins her own investigation.

Charlotte LaRue was in a good mood, her nephew Daniel had just announced he had married Nadia, one of Charlotte's employee's and was going to adopt her little boy. The fact that Charlotte's sister, Maddie goes balistic put a slight damper on it, but Charlotte was hoping she'd get over it. So the last thing she expected when she arrived to clean for her client Patsy Dufour was to see her hired men moving a giant urn which cracked and the contents spill out over the lawn. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if the contents weren't a pile of bones. And even worse a billfold with the identification of Ricco Martinez, Nadia's abusive ex-boyfriend. Things get worse when Detective Will Richeaux (who had been having an affair with Charlotte's niece and former partner Judith) decides Danny is the perfect suspect. It doesn't help when Nadia runs away. Was Detective Richeaux getting back at Judith for dumping him, by arresting her brother? Or was he really just a sleazy snake, as Charlotte's friend and next door neighbor, former cop Louis said. Charlotte decides she has to investigate to save Danny from being railroaded, but the problem wasn't so much who would have wanted Ricco dead, but who didn't want him dead. Highlights. I love the relationship between Charlotte and Louis. Sometimes she wants them to have a closer relationship and then he says something that makes her mad at him for days. The mystery was very good, nice surprise ending. Logical but never guessed it. Lowlights: I think everyone is a little too forgiving of Maddie. Who'd put up with this woman for 50 years. This series is a nice smooth read. Looking forward to the next one.

When Nadia, Charlotte's employee and now her niece by marriage, calls in sick, Charlotte does the cleaning job herself at Patsy's. Patsy is having an ornamental pot moved by two men when it breaks and human bones are discovered. Worse than that, they are believed to belong to Ricco's, Nadia's ex-boyfriend. Nadia disappears. Charlotte's nephew, and Nadia's new husband, Daniel, is arrested. He and Ricco did not get along. Charlotte takes in Nadia's little son, Davey, so that he won't have to go to a foster home. And to help get Daniel out of jail, Charlotte takes it upon herself to do some investigating. The detective in charge of the case, Will Richeaux, recently had an affair with Charlotte's niece, Judith, and he is not very friendly, let alone helpful. This hampers Charlotte in getting needed information about the case. Judith is a policewoman and tries to assist Charlotte, but there's only so much she can do. Charlotte's sister, Madeline, has not accepted Nadia as a daughter-in-law, and now she feels she was right all along. Thus, she doesn't offer to help with Davey. Charlotte has to juggle her cleaning jobs and caring for him. Then there's her neighbor Louis, a retired detective, who Charlotte has feelings for. But he always frustrates her with his ways. Things just aren't going so well for Charlotte. Can Charlotte find the real murderer and unravel all the pieces related to this murder and get Daniel out of jail? Will Nadia return? Will life ever return to normal? I love this series. Charlotte is a very likeable character. I'd love to have her be my maid! New Orleans is a terrific setting for this series. So many interesting characters and locations. Ms. Colley has a winning series! I highly recommend this book, and the whole series.

In New Orleans, Charlotte LaRue, owner of Maid for a Day cleaning service, feels really good that her "favorite" (and only) nephew Daniel married her best worker Nadia and plans to adopt the young son of his new wife as his. Only, Daniel's mom Madeline acts irate over the elopement. When Maddie fails to hide her odious opinion, Charlotte becomes angry with her sibling, who never has a good thing to say about anyone.At the mansion of client Patsy Dufour, workers drop a large urn revealing human bones inside it. These are the remains of Nadia's former boyfriend and father of her son Ricco Martinez. The NOPD immediately go after Nadia as the prime suspect because Ricco was abusive and sired her son so eliminating him got him out of the way for her to marry Daniel. Charlotte does not believe for one nanosecond that Nadia POLISHED OFF her odious ex. Since the police refuse to look elsewhere, she begins her own inquiries.The latest Charlotte cleaning service amateur sleuth tale is a fine story that fans of the series and the sub-genre will enjoy due to a strong cast headed by the heroine, her less cantankerous neighbor and her extended family. The story line reads like a clean cozy with Charlotte retaining her Ms. Clean label by tidying up deaths by murder as only a maid can.Harriet Klausner