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Charlotte LaRue Mystery #6
Scrub-a-Dub Dead
Doing a favor for a friend in need has Charlotte cleaning rooms at the New Orleans Jazzy Hotel. The historic Garden District mansion is serving as a home-away-from-home for Shreveport's chapter of the Red Scarf Sorority, a group of socially elite women in their forties.
While picking up beautiful red silk scarves from the floor of a room she's cleaning, Charlotte is startled by the sudden arrival of its ranting and raving occupant. Charlotte is stunned into silence, until the Red Scarf Sorority comes to the rescue. The women manage to calm Tessa Morgan, who just had a run-in with her estranged husband's much younger mistress Lisa.
The next day, Charlotte gets back to work, only to learn that Lisa has been murdered, strangled by what could have been a red scarf. Now it's time for Charlotte to start scouring through clues before the person who rubbed out Lisa makes a clean getaway...
287 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
11 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Colley
16 books54 followersBarbara Colley is an award-winning author whose books have been published in sixteen foreign languages. A native of Louisiana, she lives with her family in a suburb of New Orleans. Besides writing and sharing her stories, she loves strolling through the historical New Orleans French Quarter and Garden District, which inspired the setting for her Charlotte La Rue mystery series.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 4, 2017
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It wasn't outstanding, but I liked it.
This woman sleuth is intelligent, resourceful, and persistant. Her exploits in investigation are very entertaining.
It is a clean read, stands on its own from the series, and cleans up with an HEA.
It wasn't outstanding, but I liked it.
This woman sleuth is intelligent, resourceful, and persistant. Her exploits in investigation are very entertaining.
It is a clean read, stands on its own from the series, and cleans up with an HEA.
December 27, 2021
I had read the first 5 books in this series recently not realizing at the time, or forgetting, I had #6. So it was quite the surprise finding it in my bookshelf.
I would definitely say Scrub-a-Dub Dead was the weakest of the 6. I guess it's getting "old" when the main character, Charlotte keeps saying she's going to mind her own business, not get involved, etc etc (when she comes across another dead body she finds). We are at book #6 after all; she isn't because then there would be no story and no mystery to solve. I wish the author would move on with something else.
The author also had a tendency of repeating other lines, which also gets annoying. Like when Charlotte knocks on the hotel door and uses the master key to get in. You'll know what I'm talking about if you've read the book.
Okay, let's back up a bit. More about the story - Though Charlotte still owns her own business, Maid for a Day, in this book, she is helping out (cleaning rooms) a friend who works at the New Orleans Jazzy Hotel.
The Shreveport's chapter of the Red Scarf Sorority, a group of socially elite women in their forties are staying at the Jazzy Hotel. Charlotte also runs into an old flame from her college days. Upon entering one of the rooms, Charlotte finds one of the sorority sisters dead, murdered. The person accused of the murder is also her old flame's daughter.
So on top of lots of repetition, there were so many characters to keep track of which I found it confusing and took quite a bit to remember who they were, and how they related. If nothing else, this is a fast read.
There's only 2 left in the series. I do not own them. I will probably purchase them if I come across them in one of my second hand book stores. I hope they are better than this one was.
I would definitely say Scrub-a-Dub Dead was the weakest of the 6. I guess it's getting "old" when the main character, Charlotte keeps saying she's going to mind her own business, not get involved, etc etc (when she comes across another dead body she finds). We are at book #6 after all; she isn't because then there would be no story and no mystery to solve. I wish the author would move on with something else.
The author also had a tendency of repeating other lines, which also gets annoying. Like when Charlotte knocks on the hotel door and uses the master key to get in. You'll know what I'm talking about if you've read the book.
Okay, let's back up a bit. More about the story - Though Charlotte still owns her own business, Maid for a Day, in this book, she is helping out (cleaning rooms) a friend who works at the New Orleans Jazzy Hotel.
The Shreveport's chapter of the Red Scarf Sorority, a group of socially elite women in their forties are staying at the Jazzy Hotel. Charlotte also runs into an old flame from her college days. Upon entering one of the rooms, Charlotte finds one of the sorority sisters dead, murdered. The person accused of the murder is also her old flame's daughter.
So on top of lots of repetition, there were so many characters to keep track of which I found it confusing and took quite a bit to remember who they were, and how they related. If nothing else, this is a fast read.
There's only 2 left in the series. I do not own them. I will probably purchase them if I come across them in one of my second hand book stores. I hope they are better than this one was.
January 18, 2026
The Red Scarf Sorority is staying at the hotel where Charlotte is helping a friend who is short staffed. While cleaning a room a woman (Tessa) comes into the room screaming at Charlotte saying she ignored the Do Not Disturb Sign. Other women from the sorority calm the women down not before Charlotte gets an earful of threats about another woman (Lisa). Charlotte is met by an old flame, which makes the threats unnerving, especially since she is invited out to dinner with him. Only to find the dinner is with other relatives and very is uncomfortable. The next day Charlotte sees Tessa being arrested for the murder of Lisa, but Charlotte has doubts.
July 31, 2022
It was a really simple mystery book, but I did enjoy it. Nice for a light read.
June 8, 2024
A nice cozy mystery.
June 13, 2025
What a fun read. A great mystery.
January 5, 2014
I wasn't overwhelmed by this book, but I didn't feel compelled to set it aside as I am wont to do with other books that dismay me. I liked aspects and disliked others. I wanted to smack the main character upside the cranium for putting up with what she did from her neighbor/hopeful romantic partner. Him I wanted to smack in the lower extremities for being such a boor.
I did admire Charlotte for having her own business, raising a son on her own and having such a great work ethic. I was not overly fond of trying to keep straight in my cranium the many many characters that ebbed and flowed throughout cluttering the scenery.
I saw the whodunit rather soon upon introduction, but kept reading to make sure. I was right.
All this said, I have read other books in the series and enjoyed them, so won't hold this one against the author and will be reading others as I find them. Everyone has an off day.
I did admire Charlotte for having her own business, raising a son on her own and having such a great work ethic. I was not overly fond of trying to keep straight in my cranium the many many characters that ebbed and flowed throughout cluttering the scenery.
I saw the whodunit rather soon upon introduction, but kept reading to make sure. I was right.
All this said, I have read other books in the series and enjoyed them, so won't hold this one against the author and will be reading others as I find them. Everyone has an off day.
April 25, 2012
Weakest of the set so far, even gave recipes. So much for my review of the previous book. This one was more forced, more repetitive. And the heroine's idiosycrancies start looking like stupidity and meanness (coulda, woulda, shoulda; I should tell someone but I won't and worse I will actively hide info).
This one is not because of rapid successive reading. This one doesn't stand alone (you wouldn't like Charlotte if you hadn't read the others; you could not care less about what happens to the new characters; dry and repetitive narration). And it might just put you off reading any more in the series.
If you love Maid-for-the-Day series, best skip this one.
This one is not because of rapid successive reading. This one doesn't stand alone (you wouldn't like Charlotte if you hadn't read the others; you could not care less about what happens to the new characters; dry and repetitive narration). And it might just put you off reading any more in the series.
If you love Maid-for-the-Day series, best skip this one.
April 28, 2012
First book that I've read in this series. While I did find some aspects of this book entertaining, I doubt that I'll read anymore. Towards the end of the book I really got annoyed with the main chatacter. She was a constant contradiction: she doesn't want to get involved, but she goes through other people's belongings. How is that not getting involved? Also, there was a lot of repetition of dialogue and her thoughts to herself.
April 22, 2008
I am having the HARDest time reading this one. Literally this is the book I go to in order to get a good nights sleep. Twice I've missed my stop on the train because of it, not because it's soooo good I can't put it down, but it seems as though I develop acute Narcalepsy when it's in my hands. Maybe this review should just say: BORING!
February 3, 2010
Okay, every once in a while you just need pure escape in a quick to read, I can solve that, mode with a main character who you can enjoy and relate to and that's when you can turn to Colley's Charlotte LaRue series. This maid of New Orleans (bad historical pun, but apt description) has yet to fail for cozy reading.
May 13, 2010
Set in Post Katrina New Orleans a maid solves crime. Easy to read. I fell asleep a few times reading this book. ZZZZZ. I had a hard time with the main character and her conscience. When you know valuable information about a double murder and you don't speak up on a timely manner....might read more from this author, might not.
January 29, 2008
a cozy louisiana story about an older detective who has a day job as a maid, who lends a grandmotherly voice to the novel. a couple style errors, but not enough to ruin the story. an easy read, perfect for a quiet afternoon.
October 31, 2015
I got this book not knowing that it is part of a series. I can't say that I enjoyed it too much. I don't think I would want to read the rest of the series unless I know they are a little more interesting than this particular book.
March 21, 2016
From start to finish it keeps you guessing "Who did it". Even if you don't read the series from the beginning you will not be lost or confused. I would recommend reading these from the first book, because they are that good.
June 30, 2008
sn ejoyable book. Good beach read. I'll read other books of hers
November 27, 2008
Totally a fluff read, but fun.
October 10, 2009
Charlotte is always in the wrong place at the right time.
Good fun quick entertainment!
Yay!!
Good fun quick entertainment!
Yay!!
June 10, 2010
I would give this 2 1/2 stars but that is not an option...I like Mary Higgins Clark's mysteries better.
August 5, 2010
Another Charlotte LaRue Mystery book - not better no worse than the rest.
November 14, 2013
I have read most of this series. A quick fun read!
January 6, 2015
Not a bad read. Started in the middle of this series but will for sure read the rest!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews