The Goodbye Body

Another very enjoyable book in the series. The book and characters are interesting and very true to life, in their everyday existance. I have enjoyed every one of the Claire Malloy books I have read and look forward to more enjoyable books in the future.

Joan Hess - the author of the Magoody Series as well - lives in Arkansas. She writes about what she knows - and brings Arkansas to life in a way that allows the reader to see both the charm and the frustration of small-town life. Claire Malloy runs a small bookstore in an old train car, in the small, quiet college town of Farberville, AR. This provides enough to just get by for her and her daughter, Caron - a very dramatic and sarcastic character that speaks loudly to those who live with teenagers! In this installment in the series, Claire has discovered - to her abject horror - a rat. In her kitchen. That she did NOT invite in. She bullies her landlord into evicting her downstairs neighbors (who sound almost as slobby as me!) and doing a thorough fogging and (while he is at it) remodel on her apartment. When a customer - Dolly - learns about this, she offers Claire and Caron her house - to house-sit while she goes out of town to visit family. She even throws in her fancy Mercedes for Caron to drive around in. Claire thinks they've got it made - swimming pool, luxurious living situation - until the girls see a body. Unfortunately, when Claire goes to look, it is gone. This happens several times until eventually the body is finally found ... in the freezer. Also, people keep showing up looking for Dolly. Full of fun characters, plenty of laughs AND a good mystery, this is a book not to be missed by fans of the series, of Joan Hess, or just people who enjoy a lighter fare in their mysteries. Definitely give this series a try!

Joan Hess has done it again. The latest Claire Malloy mystery is a hoot and hard to put down. I have read all of the books in the series and am waiting patiently for the next book. If you're an avid fan like myself, don't miss out on this new installment in the long-running series.

NOTE: Do not listen to any negative review posted here. I've enjoyed most of the Claire Malloy mysteries thus far, and THE GOODBYE BODY doesn't dissapoint. The story is chock-full of surprises, twists and turns, and plenty of laugh out loud moments. I like cuddling up with a new Claire Malloy mystery whenever possible, and this is one of Hess's best mysteries, and one of Malloy's most bizarre adventures. If you've enjoyed other Claire Malloy mysteries, don't pass up this interesting romp. I'm looking forward to Hess's next book in the series. Sara

In Farberville, Arkansas, Claire Malloy lectures her landlord Mr. Kalker about rats in the kitchen, mice everywhere else, and ants running amuck ever since he rented the downstairs to summer tenants who believe trash is next to godliness. Mr. Kalker agrees to have exterminators clean out the building, but Claire and her sixteen years old daughter Caron will need temporary quarters for the next two weeks. In her bookstore, The Book Depot, Claire vents to customer Dolly Goforth, who offers her lavish home as a place to stay while she is on the road. After Claire, Caron and friend Inez Thornton move into the Goforth house, the two teens find a corpse near the gazebo. By the time the police and Claire arrive, the body is missing. The cops assume the "victim" is alive while Claire figures her daughter is a drama queen who needs to go to school in Canada or Finland. Soon afterward an assortment of traveling kooks show up asking for Dolly and claiming open ended invitations to stay. When the original body turns up but vanishes again and Dolly is no where to be found, Claire, who prefers not to get involved, reluctantly begins to investigate the case of THE GOODBYE BODY. Joan Hess is at her amusing best with this complex enjoyable amateur sleuth tale. The story line contains Claire's cynical humor whether the victim is her landlord, her daughter, rodents, her lover, or a vanishing corpse. Fans of the series will appreciate this jocular yet deep tale while newcomers will think of Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry. A relationship decision with the man of her dreams (and several nightmares) adds a surprise twist to a fine regional tale. Harriet Klausner