Wash
and Die
Barbara Colley
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams
One of the most endearing amateur sleuths in literature has
returned to solve another mystery in Wash
and Die, Barbara Colley’s seventh release in the Charlotte LaRue
series.
Set in present day New Orleans
against a backdrop of nostalgia, and speckled with the ills plaguing
actual
returning residents, the familiar cozy mystery series features the
feisty owner
of the Maid for a Day cleaning service, Miss Charlotte LaRue. As
evidenced in
previous installments, Charlotte
has a knack for getting wrapped up in crime scenes.
Expecting her first grandchild, an air of anticipation
already exists around Charlotte.
But she could never have anticipated the throng of mysterious visitors
that
would soon grace her doorstep. First, a nervous real estate agent
pushes her
way into an appraisal on the value of Charlotte’s
home. Then, she mysteriously fails to follow through.
Next, her neighbor’s ex-wife, Joyce shows up with no where
to go after a hasty release from an institution. It takes all of Charlotte’s
will to tolerate her intrusion, but she agrees to let Joyce stay in her
guest
room until she can get back on her feet. But around the time of Joyce’s
arrival, a suspicious black SUV begins casing the neighborhood--Charlotte’s
home, in particular. The tension builds.
Almost immediately, Charlotte
begins to suspect Joyce is stealing from her. The notorious alcoholic
must be
up to her old tricks again. An errand in the Quarter allows her to
catch Joyce
by surprise, exiting from a seedy pawn shop, and her suspicions are all
but
confirmed. In the midst of a heated argument, Charlotte
evicts her thieving houseguest from her home.
It’s only a matter of time before she discovers Joyce’s dead
body, murdered in her Charlotte’s
living room of all places. Who would have reason to murder the unstable
woman,
and why is Charlotte still
being
stalked? With her niece Judith working the case and her neighbor (but
not
boyfriend!) backing her up, she should feel reassured. But if she
doesn’t take
the investigation into her own hands, her life could be in danger, and
her
intuition is telling her this. And as one of the prime suspects, it may
not be
so easy for Charlotte to
do her
usual prying.
Wash and Die is a
fun, fast-paced novel, chocked with light-hearted sarcasm and a lovable
protagonist. Charlotte LaRue could be anyone’s mother or grandmother,
but she
has a knack for doing remarkable things and getting herself into
complicated
messes. It’s a good thing she’s also good at cleaning up those messes!
Barbara Colley has created a familiar cast of characters
readers will enjoy relating to, with an intriguing plot and a concise,
unwavering
storyline. As a resident of New Orleans,
Colley provides the first hand knowledge of the area that makes the
story a
complete experience.
A reader would be hard-pressed to find fault with any of
Colley’s novels. She is truly a talented writer and the Charlotte LaRue
mysteries are nothing but pure fun and enjoyment. For those who enjoy
cozies or
who might be looking for a break from heavier reading, Wash
and Die is the perfect book.