Claire and the Missing Heir

by Amanda Nelson

“I just don’t know what to think of poor Mr. Johnson’s death,” CC said, stretching a toe out to pet Benji. “What do you mean? He’s dead.” I stroked Blackbeard from head to tail as he lay across my lap and part of the cushion next to me. He is a very, very big boy. CC rolled her eyes. “I know he’s dead, but how? And if it was murder, who did it? I just can’t imagine anyone we know is a murderer.” Her eyes took on a faraway look as if mentally going through a Rolodex of town members. “Well, I’m sure the hotshot new sheriff from the city will solve it in no time.” When Mr. Johnson, the abrasive and crotchety bank manager who was almost universally disliked, is found dead in his house under suspicious circumstances, best friends CC and Claire decide the new sheriff doesn’t know enough about small towns, and the people who live there, to solve the case. They begin asking questions, and generally annoying the sheriff, but one person points the finger at another until there are no answers, just more questions. With lots of reasons to want Mr. Johnson dead, what finally caused somebody to kill him? Could somebody they know really be a killer? Claire’s inability to keep her thoughts to herself cause hurt feelings, hilarity, and bodily harm wherever she goes, but that won’t stop CC and Claire from trying to find who might be a murderer. Nor do the sheriff’s hopefully idle threats, and pointed statements, to keep out of his investigation. As far as Claire is concerned, he doesn’t have much of an investigation. To make matters worse every time Claire and the sheriff are in the same area, he ends up injured. She didn’t mean to hit him with her car, or slap him, or hit him with a door, or feed him dog biscuits, or run over his foot, or … well you get the idea. A smart person would avoid the walking hazard that is Claire, but the sheriff keeps turning up wherever Claire goes. Is it a coincidence, or something more? The sparks and injuries fly as Claire and the new sheriff both try to solve the suspicious death of Mr. Johnson.

Genres: Mystery

330 pages, Paperback

Published June 19, 2023

About the author

Writing has always been a hobby for Amanda Nelson. However, it was not always something she thought she could make a living with. After years of teaching elementary school, she finally sat down and wrote her first book. A cozy mystery about best friends solving a murder in their small town.

Since turning her passion into a profession she is never happier than when she sits down at her desk and puts the opening words to a new book or story on paper.

​

Amanda lives with her husband of over 20 years, her two grown children, and a lot of pets. When not writing she likes to spend time with family and friends, walk on the beach with her dogs, read, and take photographs.

Follow Amanda on Amazon for notifications when new books release and connect with her directly at amandanelsonauthor.com.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

An obnoxious banker is murdered, and an airheaded office manager decides to investigate. Good thing she's got smarter friends who are capable of doing something. There's the usual hot sheriff, too. He's more interested in investigating the sleuth, but manages to do something occasionally.

Maybe tries a little too hard to be funny.

[Anthony Murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book in a giveaway. I was very excited because it was supposed to be a cozy mystery. It is not. It actually might be one of the worst books that I have read on my kindle.

First of all, Claire has to be the worst character I have ever met in fiction. I am actually worried that she has some kind of mental disorder as she is terrible to every single character, is selfish, and constantly flirting with any male character, regardless of age. This book was not cozy at all and I tried to finish it as fast as possible.

As for the mystery, don't bother. Theres no suspects, no clues, and we aren't even sure there was a murder. The murderer came out of left field and nothing really made sense or nothing really had a point.

Skip this if you can!

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-written, but the narrator/FMC was way too annoying.

This mystery wasn't too bad. The writing was decent and there were minimal spelling errors. Other readers might find the book enjoyable.

However, I just could not get past Claire (FMC). She was entirely too "quirky" and annoying. In a book focusing on Two female friends solving a crime, why would you focus on Claire? Her friend CC would have been a much better lead character. I struggled to read this book and almost quit it more than once due to how off-putting I found Claire to be.

On top of that, I found the"romance" to have no real chemistry. The Sheriff was fairly likeable ( although a bit one-dimensional). My advice would be for him to run from Claire.

[Veniece · Rating 2 out of 5]

An annoying read. I didn’t care for Claire at all. Her behavior, thoughts, and actions were immature, selfish and not at all realistic for a woman in her thirties. There was not character development at all for the sheriff. Jake and CC’s kissy make out sessions were too much. Claire’s dog panting over Jake was crude.
There were a few grammar errors with regard to pronouns that irritated me. I almost quit the book several times.

[Connie Mahoney · Rating 2 out of 5]

No thanks.

The story itself was interesting, but Claire comes across as a five year old. It’s annoying (which I suppose it was meant to be) and ridiculous. Why in the world would CC accept her as a best friend? She has no redeeming qualities in my opinion. And there is absolutely no way she could be an office manager anywhere.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book three and a half stars. This book was mostly the story of the relationship between Claire Miller and her best friends CC and CC's husband Jake. CC and Jake have several children but Claire lives next door so they feed her breakfast, lunch and dinner! Claire does have an office job but when local meany Mr. Johnson is found dead, she begins sniffing around. She draws the eye of the new sheriff--Dominic Armstrong. This book has a lot of humor which I liked, but I thought it would be more of a mystery.

[Edith S. McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great beach read.

I found the beginning a little wordy, but the storyline was creative and easy to read. I appreciate that it had a touch of romance without sexual interest. A great read for my busy friends.

[Pam]

as often the case with cozy mysteries, the main character tries to do their own investigation into a murder, getting in the way of law-enforcement and endangering themselves or others. I'm really tired of this plot device.

[patricia sendelbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claire is the unlikely heroine. She solves a murder and finds the granddaughter who will inherit 5 million dollars. Her attachment to CC's family is so unlikely and kind of sad.

[Mary Longo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun mystery. Complex and interesting main character. Good storyline, I enjoyed this book and want to read more in this series.

[Rose Mcclarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

2 quirky friends, the family, the kids and a new handsome sheriff to add to the mix. Great Read.

[Donna Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining read

Characters are realistic and I laughed out loud several times while reading this. Highly recommend this book. Light and entertaining

[Jean Barley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing

I loved this book. Funny, fun, sexy and great characters. Hope there's a follow up book and for a series. Thanks, Amanda for the truely enjoyable read.

[Jean C Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Claire is a funny, quirky character. The story has a good pace and it reads fast. There are times I laughed out loud. A few grammar errors and noticeable duplicative use of adjectives, but still a fun, easy read. I look forward to other books by this author. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Yvonne Marks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book to be a bit tiresome with the main character playing amateur detective. Some parts are funny though.
Thanks for the free book.

[Jennifer Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute, cozy mystery that had me laughing out loud several times. Claire and the Missing Heir is set in a small town where everyone knows everybody and everything. The town is shocked when Mr. Johnson is found dead in his home and there is suspicion that the death may not have been accidental. There's a new sheriff in town that doesn't seem to know the ways a small town operates, so Claire and CC, best friends since childhood, decide to help the investigation along. Except Claire keeps running into the sheriff everywhere she goes - with her car, doors, and elbows!

Claire was a very unique character who could not keep a thought to herself and was very easily distracted. She is fiercely loving and loyal, and I absolutely loved her friendship with CC. Even though CC is married to Jake and has seven! kids, Claire is another member of the family. I would have liked to have read a little more about how Claire and CC's friendship formed and what happened to both sets of parents. There seemed to be a lot to unpack there.

Some of the best moments of the book were with Claire and the sheriff. I was either laughing out loud at Claire rambling or causing bodily harm to him, or swooning over the sheriff's intense gaze and protectiveness. Once again, I'm a sucker for back stories, and would have loved to know more about the sheriff and why he decided to move to town.

This is a great, lighthearted mystery with a little romance that can lift your spirits. If you love Hallmark type books, this book is for you. A very enjoyable read.

Thank you to the author and R&R Book Tours for the ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Leigha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clair and The Missing Heir by Amanda Nelson Review

“The sheriff shifted his gaze to me and managed to respond between clenched teeth, “I have handcuffs and I’m not afraid to use them.”

If Hallmark and a sitcom had a baby it would be this book. This was a really fast read for me, I was able to finish it in one sitting. It's cringy in the way sitcoms are and that's why I enjoyed it. It was a nice break from my other reading and gave me a good laugh. It was a fun, quirky little mystery novel. We follow CC and Claire, best friends since childhood, who get caught up in a murder in their small town. The type of small town where everyone knows everyone and you leave your doors unlocked. Enter the new sheriff, Dominic, who Claire seems to injure every time she meets him, purely his own fault every time, at least according to Claire. 😆 All he asks is Claire stay out of his investigation but she just can’t seem to do that. 😉 Claire is a fun and hilarious character, she really acts like a very crazy aunt on a sitcom that is everyone's favorite character. The book leans more toward cozy mystery than rom-com, the romance is very light and definitely not the focal point of the story. I would have liked a little more but it was still very good. Each character is unique and creative, and I appreciate that. CC and Jake’s kids are something else I say, each of them is funny and together they are a mess. 😂 Overall this is a fun book that leans toward quirky and was a good time. If you enjoy cringe sitcoms and Hallmark, I think you like this book.

[Nicole Dunton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Claire and the Missing Heir
Author: Amanda Nelson
Release Date: June 18th, 2023
Page Count: 328
Format: ebook
Start Date: July 25th, 2023
Finish Date: July 30th, 2023

Rating: 3 Stars

Review:

This was a decent story. I can't say I was in love with it, but I can't say that I absolutely hated it either. I was meh about it for the most part, but I did find enjoyable parts. The book was very quirky over all. One of the biggest problems I had with the book was the main character, Claire. She couldn't handle any criticism against her. She's overly dramatic. She also really doesn't hold herself accountable for anything she's done. No matter what she does, she never apologizes. For anything.

There were also many parts of this book that felt just really disconnected. The biggest part of the disconnect that I had a problem with is that the main point of the whole novel is basically put on the back burner for the most part. It's like they go about life day by day and suddenly they feel this urge to check into the case. Even though they were told multiple times to stop doing so.

In spite of it all, I did really enjoy the story. I feel like it could have been improved in many ways. I honestly feel like if the book was given a simple polish it would flow a lot better. I think things could be removed and added. I also feel like there could be many more scenes involving the case through the story. I'm not the author though. This is just my opinion. I am sure that there are people who absolutely loved the book with no complaints.

[nvl_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Claire and the Missing Heir by Amanda Nelson. It was a fun, cozy mystery read that features best friends Cc and Claire. They have been friends since childhood and still live next door to each other. Claire is a big part of CC’s family and is nice to see such a heartwarming friendship. After the murder of the crotchety bank manager, Claire and CC start questioning the townspeople as they don’t think the new sheriff, who comes from a big city, knows the in’s and outs of investigating in a small town. Claire, who is a walking hazard, injuries the sheriff so many ways during the investigation. He just wants her to stay out of the investigation but that’s not happening. Soon the sparks are flying.

My favorite character was Claire. I couldn’t help but laugh at what comes out of her mouth and her crazy antics. All of the characters were likable and you will fall in love with them. It was a well written, engaging, light read read for me and I was sad to see it end. I only have one negative about the book and it’s that I wish that we saw more of the budding relationship between Claire and the sheriff earlier in the book instead of at the end. I wanted more. I really hope there is a next one in the series that continues their story.

[Niveditha Preeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read this book and I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a cozy mystery filled with funny protagonist. The plot was clever and engaging, and the characters were hilarious and endearing, especially Claire. Although in the first chapter I had trouble in wrapping my head around the kid’s names, I caught up eventually. CC, Claire and the kids’ characters in this book are so lovable and endearing that you just can't help but be drawn into their little town lives. The way they interact with each other is truly delightful, and it's easy to get wrapped up in their mystery investigation. I truly enjoyed the scenes between Claire and Sheriff. It made laugh and shy away at the cringe moments.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read from start to finish. If you're looking for something light-hearted mystery read with a hint of romance, this is the perfect book for you. Plus, the ending was very satisfying. You won't be disappointed!
Thank you RRBookTours and Amanda Nelson for the ARC copy

[Riss 🫶🏻☕️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire and the Missing Heir is a mix of cozy mystery meets rom-com, and I really enjoyed it! This was a nice read in between heavier ones, and I think Claire is a fun character with a personality that she isn't afraid to show. Readers will get swept up in the mystery and death of Mr. Johnson while experiencing some romance along the way. I definitely recommend this one!