Overview
The city of New Orleans has long been a favorite backdrop for movie producers, and now one of Charlotte LaRue's best clients, Bitsy Duhe, is getting in on the action. A big Hollywood studio wants to use her gorgeous Victorian house for a movie shoot, and Bitsy wants Charlotte to take care of her beloved home during the shoot. For Charlotte, it's an exciting change of pace -- until the backstage drama turns into a murder mystery.
Synopsis
As the owner of Maid for a Day, Charlotte LaRue has learned that behind closed doors, everyone's dirty laundry holds a few dark secrets—and in the end, they all come out in the wash. . .
The city of New Orleans has long been a favorite backdrop for movie producers, and now one of Charlotte's best clients, Bitsy Duhe, is getting in on the action. A big Hollywood studio wants to use Bitsy's gorgeous Victorian house for a movie shoot and they are willing to pay her handsomely for the honor. Bitsy consents, but only after Charlotte agrees to take care of her beloved home during the shoot and keep the place spotless as only Charlotte can.
For Charlotte, the assignment is an exciting change of pace. On the first day, she meets the whole cast and crew, including one of Hollywood's hottest ingénues, Angel Martinique. But Charlotte quickly discovers that Angel's G-rated reputation is nothing like her off-camera, diva-like behavior. Angel, it turns out, is no angel at all. . .
Once the shoot begins, Charlotte has a front row seat to all the back stage drama: the director who wants to control his favorite starlet's every move. . . the make-up artist whose talents with cosmetics can't hide the mysterious bruises on her face. . . the bodyguard who is clashing with everyone on the set. . .and Angel's seemingly mild-mannered friend, Nick, whose shy demeanor hides a far more menacing side. . .
Despite all the tension, the movie seems to be going well—until Nick is found dead in Angel's dressing room, a bloody letter opener lying just a few feet away. To Charlotte, it seems there is no shortage of suspects. But when the police investigation quickly zeros in onAngel, Charlotte senses there's much more to her story than meets the eye. As Charlotte does a little digging into Angel's past, she comes up with a bit more dirt than she bargained for—enough to put her in the crosshairs of danger if she doesn't watch her step. . .
Barbara 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 historic New Orleans French Quarter and Garden District, which inspired the setting for her Charlotte LaRue mystery series.
Sparkling Reviews And Shining Praise For Barbara Colley And Her Charlotte Larue Mysteries!
Scrub-A-Dub-Dead
"Colley has not lost her flair for throwing Charlotte into dangerous situations." —Library Journal
Married To The Mop "This series is light, well-written, and a lot of fun." —The Kingston Observer
"Interesting and fast moving is this newest mystery from Colley. —St. Charles Herald-Guide
"Charlotte is a formidable and extremely likeable character. There are enough turns and twists in the mystery to keep you guessing and glued to the book." —Reviewing the Evidence.com
Wiped Out
"One to add to any mystery lover's must-read list. . .a well-written, skillfully crafted story." —L'Observateur Newspaper
Polished Off
"If you like Southern mysteries, warm and charming sleuths, or simply reading about New Orleans, you will enjoy Polished Off." —Cozies, Capers, and Crimes
Death Tidies Up"Charlotte is a keeper...an entertaining way to put off sorting that closet or scrubbing down the tiles." --New Orleans Times-Picayune
Maid For Murder
"Provides a maids' eye view of New Orleans' rich and famous, and proves that murder can't be swept under the rug." —Joanne Fluke, author of Carrot Cake Murder
Publishers Weekly
In Colley's featherweight eighth mystery to feature New Orleans maid Charlotte LaRue (after 2008's Wash and Die), Charlotte must keep tidy a Garden District mansion being used as a set for a movie starring legendary actor Hunter Lansky and hot rising actress Angel Martinique. Filming's barely underway when Charlotte discovers Angel's two-timing boyfriend stabbed to death with a letter opener, which turns out to be covered with Angel's fingerprints. Angel's chauffeur asks Charlotte to investigate, and the two head to Oakdale, Miss., to learn what they can about Angel's early life. Charlotte's PI boyfriend, Louis Thibodeaux, can't help because he's out of town, but Charlotte, a housecleaner's answer to Jessica Fletcher, has learned that cheese graters, bleach and buckets can come in handy in her sleuthing work. Charlotte is a sweetie, but this conventional cozy series could use some extra-strength twists to give it more heft. (Jan.)