Polished Off
by Barbara Colley
February 2004
ISBN 1-57566-877-7

 

There's a bad case of spring-cleaning fever going around New Orleans's historic Garden District, and it's keeping Charlotte LaRue — proprietor of Maid-for-a-Day — plenty busy. Especially when what's supposed to be a simple housecleaning job ends in a grim discovery — and things start to get real dirty real fast...

Charlotte has just about had it with her sister Madeline. She's put up with her simpering sibling's selfish demands and snide comments for years, but when Maddie turns on her own son and his new bride, Charlotte's really steamed. She thinks Daniel and Nadia make a beautiful couple — and Nadia's little boy is just as cute as can be. And now that Nadia's abusive ex-boyfriend is out of the picture — no one's seen the cad in ages — the new family's future seems as bright as a freshly Windex-ed mirror.

But years of polishing, scrubbing, and dusting have taught Charlotte that it's only a matter of time before things get messy. Sure enough, when she pays a visit to a wealthy client's lavish mansion, an urn breaks open — and human bones spill out. A little snooping turns up a driver's license belonging to Nadia's no-good ex. Could the bones be his, too? It would certainly explain why he's been MIA for such a long time. Charlotte's suddenly got a lot more than cleaning on her mind — like how to get Nadia and Daniel off the short list of suspects that also includes powerful mayoral candidate Lowell Webster, as well as Charlotte's own client, spoiled socialite Patsy Dufour. And before she knows it, Charlotte's up to her elbows in the kind of dirty business that doesn't pay the bills. . .

 

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"The twists and turns of the plot keeps the reader intrigued and entertained by this page-turner, and the ending is satisfying all around. Charlotte LaRue is one of the best new "amateur sleuths" around, created by an author who is steeped in characterization, plot, and even a touch or two of romance." ~L'Observateur

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"A vacuum-wielding detective is the freshest character in a new crop of mysteries . . . charming . . . Colley has a lot of fun here and the reader will too . . . " ~The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Diana Pinckley

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POLISHED OFF made the top ten overall bestsellers list for the Birmingham area in The Birmingham News poll of local book sellers!

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" . . . a great read . . . enjoyed it immensely. If you like Southern mysteries, warm and charming sleuths, or simply reading about New Orleans, you will enjoy POLISHED OFF." ~ Joyce Crane, Cozies, Capers, and Crimes

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" . . . Full of warm Southern charm, this one's a good way to fight the winter doldrums." ~ Publishers Weekly

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"In this absorbing read, Charlotte keeps readers guessing as to what her next move will be. Interesting characters and a suspenseful mystery combine for an enjoyable and surprising novel."~ Robyn Glazer, Romantic Times Bookclub

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