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Miss Julia #17
Miss Julia Lays Down the Law
It’s up to Miss Julia to sort out the murder of a hoity-toity newcomer in the latest addition to the New York Times bestselling series
Ann B. Ross’s most recent addition to the series, Miss Julia’s Marvelous Makeover, was the first to hit the printed New York Times bestseller list, so Miss Julia fans both new and old will be especially keen to get their hands on the next one. The sixteenth in the series, Miss Julia Lays Down the Law is guaranteed to be the steel magnolia’s most exciting adventure yet.
It’s November and Miss Julia is looking forward to some quiet time before the holidays. That is until snobby Connie Clayborn and her rich husband move to town. At first, Miss Julia and the other ladies are pleased to be invited over for coffee, but the afternoon turns into a slap in the face when their hostess spouts nonstop criticism about Abbotsville. Why, how dare she? Days later, Miss Julia decides to confront Connie woman to woman, but when she arrives, Connie is lying on the kitchen floor—lifeless in a pool of blood. Who could have done this? Miss Julia will need to find out fast—particularly because her fingerprints are now all over the crime scene. . . .
Ann B. Ross’s most recent addition to the series, Miss Julia’s Marvelous Makeover, was the first to hit the printed New York Times bestseller list, so Miss Julia fans both new and old will be especially keen to get their hands on the next one. The sixteenth in the series, Miss Julia Lays Down the Law is guaranteed to be the steel magnolia’s most exciting adventure yet.
It’s November and Miss Julia is looking forward to some quiet time before the holidays. That is until snobby Connie Clayborn and her rich husband move to town. At first, Miss Julia and the other ladies are pleased to be invited over for coffee, but the afternoon turns into a slap in the face when their hostess spouts nonstop criticism about Abbotsville. Why, how dare she? Days later, Miss Julia decides to confront Connie woman to woman, but when she arrives, Connie is lying on the kitchen floor—lifeless in a pool of blood. Who could have done this? Miss Julia will need to find out fast—particularly because her fingerprints are now all over the crime scene. . . .
307 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
195 people are currently reading
1792 people want to read
About the author
Ann B. Ross
61 books940 followersAnn B. Ross, who taught literature at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, is the author of Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, one of the most popular Southern debut novels in years, Miss Julia Takes Over, Miss Julia Throws a Wedding, and Miss Julia Hits the Road. She lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
May 1, 2015
Not my favorite Miss Julia book. The ending seemed a little flat.
April 20, 2015
This is one of my favorite series of all time. They are just flat-out hilarious. This time Miss Julia teams up with the town jail warmer Lamar and their scene as they go to "investigate" something was one of the funniest. This book does not feature much of Hazel Marie and her bunch, Sam, or Lillian but it is still a winner.
April 20, 2015
Miss Julia is one of those Southern ladies still very much "stuck" in the past.
You either love her or can't stand her, if that be the case you will not have gotten as far in the series as this book.
Miss Julia is caught up in the middle of her Pastor, Emma Sue (pastor's wife) and newcomer to town Connie Clayborn (an uppity so and so, who wants to tear down everything old and virtually rebuild Abbotsville). After a dreadful meeting of the ladies of Abbotsville, Miss Julia is asked by her Pastor (if he were my pastor, I would hit him in the head!) to visit Connie and request that she apologize to Emma Sue (who has taken everything literally to heart that Connie has said, and is laid low with migraine and physical ailments). Connie lives in a gated community outside of town, and after phoning Connie, Miss Julia drives out to provide insight to the in's and out's of etiquette of the community. Only when Miss Julia arrives, Connie is not able to answer the door, as she is dead.
Miss Julia is married to a retired lawyer, Sam, who must travel to Raleigh, must leave her to face the questions that the local law enforcement officers require in this investigation. Only Miss Julia would be naive enough to start answering question before her lawyer, Binkie, arrives.
Sometimes I find Miss Julia very annoying, sometimes I find her to be brilliant, she is always the salt of the earth, and whatever the circumstances of her floundering around she always lands on her feet.
You either love her or can't stand her, if that be the case you will not have gotten as far in the series as this book.
Miss Julia is caught up in the middle of her Pastor, Emma Sue (pastor's wife) and newcomer to town Connie Clayborn (an uppity so and so, who wants to tear down everything old and virtually rebuild Abbotsville). After a dreadful meeting of the ladies of Abbotsville, Miss Julia is asked by her Pastor (if he were my pastor, I would hit him in the head!) to visit Connie and request that she apologize to Emma Sue (who has taken everything literally to heart that Connie has said, and is laid low with migraine and physical ailments). Connie lives in a gated community outside of town, and after phoning Connie, Miss Julia drives out to provide insight to the in's and out's of etiquette of the community. Only when Miss Julia arrives, Connie is not able to answer the door, as she is dead.
Miss Julia is married to a retired lawyer, Sam, who must travel to Raleigh, must leave her to face the questions that the local law enforcement officers require in this investigation. Only Miss Julia would be naive enough to start answering question before her lawyer, Binkie, arrives.
Sometimes I find Miss Julia very annoying, sometimes I find her to be brilliant, she is always the salt of the earth, and whatever the circumstances of her floundering around she always lands on her feet.
June 21, 2020
Against her better judgment, Miss Julia attended a ladies tea to which she had been invited by Connie Clayborn, a newcomer to Abbottsville. At the tea, Connie proceeded to berate Abbottsville, outline how the invitees needed to proceed to improve the town, and generally express her own superiority in education, experience, and opinion. Once she arrived home, Miss Julia was furious with herself for maintaining her manners and not responding. As it turned out, so were most of the other attendees, her friends, several of which had been roped into signing up for vaious projects on Connie's list. Pastor Ledbetter's long-suffering wife became so distraught that he contacted Miss Julia, secretly, and asked her to have a talk with Connie Clayborn, explain to her how she had upset the meek Emma Sue, and request that she apologize. Miss Julia decided that she would also use their meeting to try to show Connie how intrusive and unhelpful her approach had been. However, when she arrived, Connie Clayborn was lying dead on the kitchen floor in her own blood. For a long while, Miss Julia became the only suspect, however unlikely. With her husband Sam out of town, and Pastor Ledbetter avoiding her at every turn, having extracted her promise not to tell anyone that he asked her to visit Clayborn, Miss Julia proceeded to do the snooping and investigation she felt the police were not bothering to do.
September 8, 2015
It's not often that you can jump into a series without feeling totally lost. After seeing this book on display in my library's "New" section, I remembered that I had been meaning to check this series out. The library was closing soon, so I didn't waste time looking for the first book in the series.
I discovered that these books are light hearted, quick, easy reads. What I appreciate most (and I appreciate it more than you can know) is that Ross completely avoided any kind of inappropriate, off color, or filler that is typical among many books written with the middle aged woman in mind! I was holding my breath at first because there's ALWAYS an affair, somebody with a foul mouth, or worse....And yet, Ross NEVER went in that direction.
So...Jump right in or start at the beginning, but know that this series is one that I'm really looking forward to making my way through! I'm eager to learn more about Miss Julia and the entire cast of characters. The southern environment is one that I never grow tired of, so that is an added bonus.
I discovered that these books are light hearted, quick, easy reads. What I appreciate most (and I appreciate it more than you can know) is that Ross completely avoided any kind of inappropriate, off color, or filler that is typical among many books written with the middle aged woman in mind! I was holding my breath at first because there's ALWAYS an affair, somebody with a foul mouth, or worse....And yet, Ross NEVER went in that direction.
So...Jump right in or start at the beginning, but know that this series is one that I'm really looking forward to making my way through! I'm eager to learn more about Miss Julia and the entire cast of characters. The southern environment is one that I never grow tired of, so that is an added bonus.
September 3, 2016
Ann Ross has written her 16th Miss Julia novel and each one is still fresh and new. Some authors just don't have the knack for that and after so many years of writing, they lose their edge and start writing poorly. Not Ann Ross! Miss Julia is in fine form in this 16th novel, too. She very nearly gets arrested and takes it upon herself, at one point, to prove her innocence, with the usual results!
These are clean novels that will have you doubled over laughing your head off! The elderly (dare I say that?) Miss Julia Springer Murdoch is so proper but manages to get into some of the most outlandish situations. And she does it well, might I add.
I love to start a Miss Julia book and eagerly anticipate reading what in the world will Miss Julia manage to get herself involved in next!
Now I look forward to seeing Ann B. Ross at a book signing this next week!
These are clean novels that will have you doubled over laughing your head off! The elderly (dare I say that?) Miss Julia Springer Murdoch is so proper but manages to get into some of the most outlandish situations. And she does it well, might I add.
I love to start a Miss Julia book and eagerly anticipate reading what in the world will Miss Julia manage to get herself involved in next!
Now I look forward to seeing Ann B. Ross at a book signing this next week!
March 25, 2015
A wonderful book! I love books that everyone can read and enjoy and this is one. Regardless of your favorite genre you can enjoy this story. It is intriguing and the characters are "characters" that you can relate to and like and/or dislike. The clues keep you interested and I really loved the ending. A good read.
November 11, 2016
I cannot believe the ending!! I really thought one was the murderer, but then I was completely thrown for a loop! I couldn't put this book down until I was done reading it. Miss Julia REALLY laid down the law!
March 22, 2015
A very prim and proper story. A definite clean read book.
November 22, 2020
So happy to be back in Miss Julia's world. I had gotten behind with the series and am ready to catch up. I thought this book would be a bit more Christmasy than it turned out to be. But still a fun read!
February 14, 2022
(FIRST READ) I’m now on the sixteenth installment of "Miss Julia Lays Down the Law." I could not be happier after consuming this wonderful book. This time around, the crusty, small-town Southern matriarch Miss Julia, ever so-refined and conscious of all social constraints and rules, is involved in a full-out investigation of a suspicious death. Miss Julia is pretty much on her own as she navigates her involvement and testimony in the crime.
She is virtually without her regular cohorts—her husband Sam is out of town, her nearest and dearest almost-daughter Hazel Marie is battling twin babies with colds. Her usual partner in crime-solving Etta Mae is nowhere to be seen, her one-time boarder sheriff’s Sgt Coleman Bates is atop a highway sign for charity, and her long-suffering housekeeper and confidant Lillian can’t be confided in because of a promise Miss Julia makes to her pastor Rev. Ledbetter. And thus it is up to Miss Julia to solve the case almost alone. Through no efforts of her own, she acquires a partner, Lamar Owens, a vagrant from the previous novel in the series. Lamar is hilarious! The book is charming, fast-moving, very funny, and once again, satirizes small-town Southern women of a “certain age.” Highly recommend!
(Second Read) A few things are kind of fun that I forgot in my first read. There was a major winter
blizzard that knocked the city down and the power out. Julia and Sam had the smarts to have a generator in their home, and before long they had people on cots, flats, beds, and on the floor. It was quite a hoot, however I was glad it wasn't me.
Sgt. Coleman Bates goes on top of a billboard to raise money for charity. His town member, Connie Clayborn is found dead in her kitchen on the floor in a pool of blood. Julia checks her to see if she is still alive, then calls the police when she realizes she is dead. Most of Julia's regular friends are in this book and they make for their usual entertainment. Bates has a tent on top of the billboard, and Julia has cause to enter, and Bates happens to see Julia get from a down to an up position which becomes important later in the book. (SPOILER ALERT)
It came to a good conclusion. Highly Recommend
She is virtually without her regular cohorts—her husband Sam is out of town, her nearest and dearest almost-daughter Hazel Marie is battling twin babies with colds. Her usual partner in crime-solving Etta Mae is nowhere to be seen, her one-time boarder sheriff’s Sgt Coleman Bates is atop a highway sign for charity, and her long-suffering housekeeper and confidant Lillian can’t be confided in because of a promise Miss Julia makes to her pastor Rev. Ledbetter. And thus it is up to Miss Julia to solve the case almost alone. Through no efforts of her own, she acquires a partner, Lamar Owens, a vagrant from the previous novel in the series. Lamar is hilarious! The book is charming, fast-moving, very funny, and once again, satirizes small-town Southern women of a “certain age.” Highly recommend!
(Second Read) A few things are kind of fun that I forgot in my first read. There was a major winter
blizzard that knocked the city down and the power out. Julia and Sam had the smarts to have a generator in their home, and before long they had people on cots, flats, beds, and on the floor. It was quite a hoot, however I was glad it wasn't me.
Sgt. Coleman Bates goes on top of a billboard to raise money for charity. His town member, Connie Clayborn is found dead in her kitchen on the floor in a pool of blood. Julia checks her to see if she is still alive, then calls the police when she realizes she is dead. Most of Julia's regular friends are in this book and they make for their usual entertainment. Bates has a tent on top of the billboard, and Julia has cause to enter, and Bates happens to see Julia get from a down to an up position which becomes important later in the book. (SPOILER ALERT)
It came to a good conclusion. Highly Recommend
October 11, 2025
When Connie Clayborn throws a luncheon and invites all the ladies of Abbotsville, they expect a pleasant time. What they get instead is scolded and told that they must change everything they’re doing as well as their beloved town to suit her vision. Outraged, the talk starts at once, and Miss Julia doesn’t hesitate to make her displeasure known to her friends and loved ones. But then she finds Connie dead in her own home, and things just keep going wrong from there. Now the prime suspect in Connie’s death and bound by a promise to Pastor Ledbetter not to disclose why she was there, Miss Julia has to find a way to clear her name. But who could’ve wanted Connie dead? Well, the better question might be, who didn’t?
I absolutely loved this addition to the Miss Julia series! A more serious tone than some of the others, it still holds that same Miss Julia charm that the previous ones do. Miss Julia, as usual, will do whatever it takes to clear her name, even if it means getting into more shenanigans. If you’re a fan of the rest of the series, this book is one you won’t want to miss.
I absolutely loved this addition to the Miss Julia series! A more serious tone than some of the others, it still holds that same Miss Julia charm that the previous ones do. Miss Julia, as usual, will do whatever it takes to clear her name, even if it means getting into more shenanigans. If you’re a fan of the rest of the series, this book is one you won’t want to miss.
March 18, 2017
Definitely not my favorite in the Miss Julia series. Too many of my favorite characters were MIA (JD Pickens, Etta Mae, Hazel Marie, etc.) and the story was just okay. And, there was a major (in my opinion) research error when it was mentioned that there are only four daughters in Pride & Prejudice. There's really no excuse for that.
November 19, 2017
I will always Love the Miss Julie series. If ever I wanted an escape from every day life and to laugh out loud- reading this series provides that. They are always hilarious. She is definitely the stereotypical Southern belle that will ever change and its outright amusing, entertaining and totally priceless.
July 17, 2019
This was, by far, my least favorite of the Miss Julia series. It's not just that the premise is beyond ridiculous - it's that there were so many plot and sub-plot lines that really never went anywhere, then the whole thing was very loosely tied up. I LOVE this series and usually can't wait to read a new one, but this one disappointed me.
April 23, 2020
Ann B. Ross, Thank you for another wonderful Miss Julia story.
I really all the ways Miss Julia gets into different situations but then with grace
Is able to make all things better. She gives me an escape from all the problems of the world. She makes me laugh and enjoy her crazy ideas.
I really all the ways Miss Julia gets into different situations but then with grace
Is able to make all things better. She gives me an escape from all the problems of the world. She makes me laugh and enjoy her crazy ideas.
May 5, 2017
Entertaining books with lots of humor.
July 2, 2017
What can I say . . . I absolutely love this series! Miss Julia is a laugh out loud Southern lady (the kind that everyone knows!). Another fun read. Light and humorous!
July 11, 2017
I love this series for the lighthearted, small town, genteel, times of old feeling, that one gets when reading any of the installments.
September 24, 2017
Miss Julia is a book that is so enjoyable. A very fun book.
February 23, 2018
More suspense than in some of the Miss Julia books. Another winner!
March 4, 2019
Not one of Ross’s best. Took a long time to get to the point, and then the case was solved in less than a page.
July 21, 2023
Another southern smile-fest.
April 6, 2021
As my quarterly “cleansing of the palate” delight, I read the next book in the Miss Julia series by Ann Ross. I’m now on the sixteenth installment Miss Julia Lays Down the Law. I could not be happier after consuming this wonderful book. This time around, the crusty, small-town Southern matriarch Miss Julia, ever so-refined and conscious of all social constraints and rules, is involved in a full-out investigation of a suspicious death. Miss Julia is pretty much on her own as she navigates her involvement and testimony in the crime. She is virtually without her regular cohorts—her husband Sam is out of town, her nearest and dearest almost-daughter Hazel Marie is battling twin babies with colds, her usual partner in crime-solving Etta Mae is nowhere to be seen, her one-time boarder sheriff’s Sgt Coleman Bates is atop a highway sign for charity, and her long-suffering housekeeper and confidant Lillian can’t be confided in because of a promise Miss Julia makes to her pastor Rev. Ledbetter. And thus it is up to Miss Julia to solve the case almost alone. Through no efforts of her own, she acquires a partner, Lamar Owens, a vagrant from the previous novel in the series. Lamar is hilarious! The book is charming, fast-moving, very funny, and once again, satirizes small-town Southern women of a “certain age.” Highly recommended, whether one has read the series from the beginning or is just picking up this single installment.
February 25, 2025
2.5 stars. Normally I enjoy Miss Julia’s adventures, but this one was tedious and dragged on, in large part to so much stupidity. Julia, the prime suspect in the murder of a harpie newcomer, finds herself unable to reveal the real reason why she showed up at the victim’s home because of a promise she made to her sanctimonious, self-serving preacher who then spends most of the book avoiding her so she can’t force him to let her out of her promise. Sam, Julia’s husband who is usually her bedrock and sounding board, inexplicity abandons her to go to another state to participate in a judicial panel review. Binky, Julia’s lawyer, tells Julia to keep her own counsel and not tell anyone, including her own lawyer and her retired lawyer husband, anything. Binky’s deputy husband is not part of the investigation as he’s too busy living atop a billboard for days to raise money for playground equipment despite Julia offering to donate the lump sum. Oh, and he’s also being hounded there by an obsessed, lonely librarian.
November 14, 2017
Miss Julia is an older (but it is impolite to mention a lady's age) Southern woman who finds herself in difficult situations, sometimes of her own making. In this story, a newcomer who has been critical of the town and the people in it, is found dead by Miss Julia. Is MJ a suspect too? Who would murder her? Who is running around town late at night? Power outages, unusual alliances, an ill minister's wife are included, all as MJ tries to maintain decorum and propriety.
I read this one for a book group at our assisted living facility. It will be interesting to see if the members liked it, since it was easier to follow than many other books, but also was less engaging than many of our other selections.
Quick easy read, still plenty of characters to attend to. As with other books in a series, I'm sure I missed character development through the books. Recommend for people who enjoy books of manners, set in the south, a little non-graphic mystery.
I read this one for a book group at our assisted living facility. It will be interesting to see if the members liked it, since it was easier to follow than many other books, but also was less engaging than many of our other selections.
Quick easy read, still plenty of characters to attend to. As with other books in a series, I'm sure I missed character development through the books. Recommend for people who enjoy books of manners, set in the south, a little non-graphic mystery.
May 6, 2019
2 1/2 - Connie Clayton and her husband move to Abbotsville. When she hosts a tea for all the "important" ladies of the town, all she does is criticize everything about their little town. They are all so stunned by her nastiness, no one says anything. When Miss Julie goes to Connie's home a few days later to confront her, Connie is dead on the kitchen floor. Of course,Miss Julia touches things in the kitchen contaminating the evidence and supposes she will now be a suspect. She doesn't have time for this as she is in the midst of planning the big Christmas party. And, she is having a hard time clearing herself of the murder because of a promise she made. Does she/when does she break that promise? Another insipid book. It's like the book was written in 1916 instead of 2016. 2 books keft in the series can't wait to finish.
April 29, 2019
I am a great fan of the Miss Julia series. That being said, I was disappointed with this one and the previous Etta Mae's Worst Bad Luck Day. Both of them felt flat. This series has many really great characters that I have grown to love... Hazel Marie, lillian, Mr. Pickins, Etta Mae, Sam.. Recently they merely show up almost as after thoughts, not really essential to the story. I miss them. The story seems hollowed out without them. Despite the above criticism, I would not hesitate to recommend this series to all readers. There have been many times I've laughed til I had years running down my face and will continue to read this series in the hope that this is just a bump in the road.
May 29, 2020
A newcomer to Abbotsville society, Connie Clayborn, upsets everyone by wanting to make over the whole town when she only moved in five minutes ago. Miss Julia is as antagonised as anybody, so when she happens to be the one to find Connie's dead body, she's suddenly at the centre of a murder investigation.
This was definitely a comfort read for me. It’s the seventeenth in a series, and I’ve read almost all of them over a period of 5 years or so. Most of the plot, as always, stems from Miss Julia refusing to do what any normal person would do – confide in her husband, break a confidence, etc. The books are so formulaic and yet always entertaining.
This was definitely a comfort read for me. It’s the seventeenth in a series, and I’ve read almost all of them over a period of 5 years or so. Most of the plot, as always, stems from Miss Julia refusing to do what any normal person would do – confide in her husband, break a confidence, etc. The books are so formulaic and yet always entertaining.
August 30, 2020
The Miss Julia Series is tied with The Southern Sisters Mysteries by Anne George and The Cat Who Series by Lilian Jackson Braun for my all time favorite series!! The characters are lovable and once you start reading the first one, you just can’t stop! You are on the edge of your seat dying to know what happens next until you get through every book! I searched for years for another great series like this and I couldn’t be happier to have found this one! A true treasure! There aren’t many great writers that can capture my attention like Ann B. Ross has in this series. Well worth the time! If you’re on audible, the narrator is amazing!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews