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Claire Malloy #4
A Really Cute Corpse
When Claire Malloy's best friend Luanne Bradshaw goes down with a badly sprained ankle, someone must fill in her shoes as Thurberfest beauty Pageant coordinator and usher a bevy of aspiring beauty queen through the two-day event. Enter Claire Malloy to the rescue. But this is one job Claire would gladly be fired from. Now, already fending off a hostile theater owner, and overly-agressive personal trainer, an incontinent show-dog, a fifteen-year-old daughter with more growing pains than she can count, and a talent contest in need of some talent, Claire must face one more problem--someone is trying to kill the reigning Miss Thurberfest. When a ghastly murder scene signals the culprit's success, Claire's investigative instincts take over, but when she digs too close to the truth, the race is on to discover the killer's identity before Claire herself is crowned the next victim...
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
38 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Joan Hess
115 books338 followersJoan Hess was the author of both the Claire Malloy and the Maggody mystery series. Hess was a winner of the American Mystery Award, a member of Sisters in Crime, and a former president of the American Crime Writers League. She lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Joan Hess also wrote a mystery series under the pseudonym of Joan Hadley.
Series contributed to:
. Crosswinds
. The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories
. Malice Domestic
. Deadly Allies
. Sisters in Crime
Joan Hess also wrote a mystery series under the pseudonym of Joan Hadley.
Series contributed to:
. Crosswinds
. The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories
. Malice Domestic
. Deadly Allies
. Sisters in Crime
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 24, 2019
I wanted to like this book, but I could not get into it. Maybe it was because it centered around a beauty contest. At any rate, it has a few twists and turns, but was fairly predictable. The main character annoyed me, but there were a couple of laughs in the book. I think many people will enjoy the book, but it did not appeal to me.
December 29, 2018
Ahh, redemption. It appears the 3td time is indeed the charm and Ms Hess has realized snark is best as a low dose writing implement. In her 3rd book in the Claire Malloy, bookstore owner mystery series, we are given some pretty tight writing, sans the perpetual “I’m so witty” retorts. Even her protege daughter has assumed some respect and toned it down. I actually enjoyed this read.
Claire is guilted into helping run a local beauty pageant when her bestie sprained her ankle rehearsing with the contestants. The past reigning queen comes with all the drama expected, as well as what appears to be a growing attempt to prevent further crownings. Politics play into the quagmire, as do a few goof ball characters, giving it an Evanovich feel and better rounded read. Denser and better drawn out, there were some fun twist and side stories that added to her best output yet. However, I do hope she goes back to her bookstore soon.
Claire is guilted into helping run a local beauty pageant when her bestie sprained her ankle rehearsing with the contestants. The past reigning queen comes with all the drama expected, as well as what appears to be a growing attempt to prevent further crownings. Politics play into the quagmire, as do a few goof ball characters, giving it an Evanovich feel and better rounded read. Denser and better drawn out, there were some fun twist and side stories that added to her best output yet. However, I do hope she goes back to her bookstore soon.
January 12, 2026
You know the drill, Joan is my queen and these mysteries never fail to pull me from a reading slump 🥰 Claire is hysterical and probably one of the best protagonists ever written
September 29, 2020
Ah the wonders of a small town's beauty pageant. Joan Hess is one skilled, clever and very witty writer. Zipped through the book & enjoyed each moment.
August 22, 2024
Written in 1991! Nice travel sized paperback. Engaging and fast talking characters. Lots of snarkiness. On theme with the vibe of Gilmore Girls maybe!
Banter and asides and little dust-ups in every chapter. That seemed more important to the author than actually solving the murder mystery.
What fascinated me was the “feminism” here. I’m trying to keep up with the historical waves of feminism, and how each generation interprets it. This one is very on-track for the early 90s. Anti-Beauty-Pageant. Anti-Health-Food. The protagonist sees all beauty pageant contestants as idiots. She sees any lady who operates a vegetarian restaurant as a self-obsessed control freak.
SO. I myself am not a fan of beauty pageants. I have doubts about the effectiveness of strict and restrictive diets. But our protagonist makes enemies of the female participants in these. She doesn’t question the system of patriarchy that dictates what “good” women are supposed to do. I mean, the protagonist is dating a police officer. She’s stuck under the same system as the pageant contestants, but feels superior to them? Why?
Banter and asides and little dust-ups in every chapter. That seemed more important to the author than actually solving the murder mystery.
What fascinated me was the “feminism” here. I’m trying to keep up with the historical waves of feminism, and how each generation interprets it. This one is very on-track for the early 90s. Anti-Beauty-Pageant. Anti-Health-Food. The protagonist sees all beauty pageant contestants as idiots. She sees any lady who operates a vegetarian restaurant as a self-obsessed control freak.
SO. I myself am not a fan of beauty pageants. I have doubts about the effectiveness of strict and restrictive diets. But our protagonist makes enemies of the female participants in these. She doesn’t question the system of patriarchy that dictates what “good” women are supposed to do. I mean, the protagonist is dating a police officer. She’s stuck under the same system as the pageant contestants, but feels superior to them? Why?
June 8, 2018
It took me a few more chapters than it probably should have to realize that I'd read this book before... oops.
Oh well. As a book that was supposed to intrigue me to put down my phone at lunch and read more it was sadly unsuccessful. Instead I put aside the main book I was reading to delve into the silly mystery of a murder at a hometown beauty pageant full time.
I was a little annoyed at points of the story finding it a bit too simple & predictable, but overall it was a fun read.
Oh well. As a book that was supposed to intrigue me to put down my phone at lunch and read more it was sadly unsuccessful. Instead I put aside the main book I was reading to delve into the silly mystery of a murder at a hometown beauty pageant full time.
I was a little annoyed at points of the story finding it a bit too simple & predictable, but overall it was a fun read.
June 2, 2020
When I read these books, I can't help thinking "Hallmark Movie". I did enjoy the story, though I think some of the run-ons were a bit too long. The characters were colorful, there were no dead spots, and the action made it a page-turner.
September 3, 2022
I didn’t finish this one. The dialogue is unrealistic to the point of being distracting. I couldn’t really enjoy what was going on in the book because I just kept thinking, “No one talks like that.” It also makes an attempt to be witty but falls completely flat.
March 18, 2024
Ha ha. A funny crime fighter who is actually the owner of a book store but her boyfriend is a detective so she knows what she's doing. There's no shortage of suspects and they're all out to have a good time while their lives are in danger. I was guessing until almost the whole way through.
June 7, 2019
I am loving this series. The characters are so real and worn so well together. Great mystery every time.
December 16, 2019
This was just plain fun! It wasn’t deep or insightful. It was a light, slightly snarky mystery - exactly what I wanted! Will definitely add this author to my “read” list.
April 11, 2020
Quick read. Good mystery with lots of laughs.
October 13, 2022
A Claire Malloy mastery is always a quick, fun romp. In this one, Claire's signature snark is paired with a someone equally snarky friend.
July 12, 2025
o the joys of beauty pageants. just like one imagines!
March 12, 2016
SUMMARY: When Claire Malloy's best friend Luanne Bradshaw goes down with a badly sprained ankle, someone must fill in her shoes as Thurberfest beauty Pageant coordinator and usher a bevy of aspiring beauty queen through the two-day event. Enter Claire Malloy to the rescue. But this is one job Claire would gladly be fired from. Now, already fending off a hostile theater owner, and overly-agressive personal trainer, an incontinent show-dog, a fifteen-year-old daughter with more growing pains than she can count, and a talent contest in need of some talent, Claire must face one more problem--someone is trying to kill the reigning Miss Thurberfest.
When a ghastly murder scene signals the culprit's success, Claire's investigative instincts take over, but when she digs too close to the truth, the race is on to discover the killer's identity before Claire herself is crowned the next victim...
REVIEW: Joan Hess' writing seems to get better, her characters have more depth, and the storyline is more complex in each book I have read so far in this series. This one is filled with quite a bit of humor as a small town beauty pageant takes place with all the usual drama that takes place between the contestants as well as a lack of talent, and typical young lady bickering and backstabbing. Throw in judges, coordinators, and mentors along with a couple of murders and you definitely have an interesting cozy mystery. There are plenty of red herrings, quaint/unique characters and plots to keep me guessing as to who was behind all the shenanigans as well as the murder attempts and murders. Claire Malloy continues to pursue the murderer and getting herself into trouble. Her acerbic wit and spicy comebacks along with trying to parent a 15 year old melodramatic daughter and a sometimes police lieutenant boyfriend all make for a well rounded cozy mystery.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "A lifestyle isn't necessarily a rut. It's order and continuity. It's a sense of comfortableness, of knowing what you want from life and how best to acquire it."
When a ghastly murder scene signals the culprit's success, Claire's investigative instincts take over, but when she digs too close to the truth, the race is on to discover the killer's identity before Claire herself is crowned the next victim...
REVIEW: Joan Hess' writing seems to get better, her characters have more depth, and the storyline is more complex in each book I have read so far in this series. This one is filled with quite a bit of humor as a small town beauty pageant takes place with all the usual drama that takes place between the contestants as well as a lack of talent, and typical young lady bickering and backstabbing. Throw in judges, coordinators, and mentors along with a couple of murders and you definitely have an interesting cozy mystery. There are plenty of red herrings, quaint/unique characters and plots to keep me guessing as to who was behind all the shenanigans as well as the murder attempts and murders. Claire Malloy continues to pursue the murderer and getting herself into trouble. Her acerbic wit and spicy comebacks along with trying to parent a 15 year old melodramatic daughter and a sometimes police lieutenant boyfriend all make for a well rounded cozy mystery.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "A lifestyle isn't necessarily a rut. It's order and continuity. It's a sense of comfortableness, of knowing what you want from life and how best to acquire it."
April 25, 2014
This was okay. I prefer the Maggody series but I was desperate. Oh, lovely - it's about a beauty contest that Claire Malloy is bullied into helping with. Hmmm. Been there. [Gah! Don't ask.]
Is someone trying to assassinate the soon-to-be-former Miss Thurberville? How many times can Claire be wrong before she has eliminated all other possibilities and finally hit on the right criminal? How annoying can her adolescent daughter be? Why won't her friend Luanne ever answer the phone? That's a "dead herring" if ever I saw one.
I thought the solution was pretty obvious and I lost patience with the plot. The dramatic tension between Claire and Peter seems only to be over whether they will marry or not. Claire being sort of "feminish" - she is the hold-out. If my boyfriend arranged for my car to be towed so I would have to walk home in the rain, he would be instructed to never darken my door again. There would be no more vats of chicken saag to share and especially no "scrumpy." How is this any way for adults to behave?
Ah, I've confused fiction with Real Life(tm) again, haven't I?
Is someone trying to assassinate the soon-to-be-former Miss Thurberville? How many times can Claire be wrong before she has eliminated all other possibilities and finally hit on the right criminal? How annoying can her adolescent daughter be? Why won't her friend Luanne ever answer the phone? That's a "dead herring" if ever I saw one.
I thought the solution was pretty obvious and I lost patience with the plot. The dramatic tension between Claire and Peter seems only to be over whether they will marry or not. Claire being sort of "feminish" - she is the hold-out. If my boyfriend arranged for my car to be towed so I would have to walk home in the rain, he would be instructed to never darken my door again. There would be no more vats of chicken saag to share and especially no "scrumpy." How is this any way for adults to behave?
Ah, I've confused fiction with Real Life(tm) again, haven't I?
July 25, 2016
The Claire Malloy series is a step above a Cozy, mainly because you actually LIKE the characters. Claire is the single mother of Caron, a teenaged daughter who's at the age of speaking in ALL CAPS. Claire is also the proprietor of a bookstore (which she doesn't seem to spend much time in, on account of solving murders and trying to calm Caron down to at least italics). Peter is Claire's detective boyfriend whom she's lucky to have, otherwise she'd spend the majority of her time in a holding cell for interfering with crime scenes.
If you're looking for a mystery series where you actually LIKE the characters (I love Christie, but spent much of my extracurricular time plotting the death of the sanctimonious bitch Ms. Marple), start on the Claire Malloy series. Likewise, if you're wondering whether to have children, pay close attention to Caron. I work with kids and can assure you that all teen girls go through the "I HATE YOU--I NEED A RIDE TO THE MALL" phase. Unless you're saving for boarding school, pay attention.
If you're looking for a mystery series where you actually LIKE the characters (I love Christie, but spent much of my extracurricular time plotting the death of the sanctimonious bitch Ms. Marple), start on the Claire Malloy series. Likewise, if you're wondering whether to have children, pay close attention to Caron. I work with kids and can assure you that all teen girls go through the "I HATE YOU--I NEED A RIDE TO THE MALL" phase. Unless you're saving for boarding school, pay attention.
October 10, 2016
This is the fourth book in the Claire Malloy series. Claire is the owner of Book Depot, a mother of fifteen year old Caron and a single parent. In this installment, she is asked by her best friend Luanne to help direct a beauty pageant, the local Miss Thurburst. All the local young hopefuls flock to be crowned the future queen. It seems our heroine is out of her league but does her best to help her friend. Then the current Miss Thurburst is found dead. Claire seems to be in the middle of another murder. As I predicted in the first book, she and Detective Peter Rosen are dating. It isn't the best series I read but it is starting to grow on me.
August 24, 2012
It's a bit sarky and so I like it. I also liked that it had me guessing at things, reguessing, changing back to my my original choice, haring off in another direction and not making me feel like my brain was stressed.
It's light, it's funny, it's pretty good.
It's light, it's funny, it's pretty good.
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February 2, 2016Claire Malloy is one of my favorite detectives. She is smart, hard working, engages in witty repartee and is persistent in solving a case. This tale involves her reluctantly assisting with a pageant. As the bodies pile up, she sorts out the truth in some unique ways.
February 17, 2016
At the 4th book in this series, I'm starting to find the author's style a bit less annoying, and her wordplay is getting more cleverly inventive. I'll most probably continue; she's on probation for improved behavior.
June 11, 2008
I always enjoy this author's sense of humor. She had me laughing and chuckling several times with this book.
June 30, 2009
One more Joan Hess. Even though by now I can see her pattern, still enjoy the sarcastic humor. This one especially entertaining with her caustic comments about small town beauty pageants.
June 29, 2009
The puzzle is interesting. I am not taken with the characters as much would like.
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February 11, 2023What fun to read these books
May 27, 2013
one of the first in her series. because of its age, and current technology it just wasn't all that enjoyable. I figured out the killer mid way. too few really worthwhile plot twists
June 20, 2013
Fun, quick, predictable with a twist.
August 14, 2014
Ok book. Not as good as her Maggody series. Read this on 1998.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews