OK, so distinctly mixed feelings on this. I've given it three stars because two felt harsh, but for me there are some distinct issues. This is clearly aiming at the sort of dynamic Steph Plum and Grandma have - but with more money (on Grandma's part) and going round solving mysteries - but it doesn't quite pull it off because it's lacking the wit of a Steph Plum book and never manages to get you to have enough sympathy with the main character to give her a pass when she's being a doofus and charging in to stupid situations.

What I liked:
The set up - twenty-something recently dumped girl and her crazy old auntie causing waves in a small town.
The actual mystery - which is well thought out although with some pacing issues - there are slightly too many late developments
The setting - the small town is nice and I like the idea of the Inn renovation.

What I didn't like:
The heroine is way up their on the too stupid to live scale and is massively passive about her own life. She's just been dumped, sure, but there's no fightback from her - and the author never lets her come out on top of an encounter with her ex. I also got fed up with the way that Agnes' weight is portrayed too - but I can't come up with a way of writing about it that explains my issue exactly.
The way Agnes and Effie treat other people - they're meant to be sympathetic characters, but that doesn't always come across.
Any of the other inhabitants of the town - ok some of them are murder suspects, but there wasn't a nice character among them. Except maybe her dad. Perhaps.

Anyway, there's potential here - so I've given it three stars, but to really work it needs to dial back on the obnoxious and work on growing Agnes a backbone and a brain.

The first book in a new Agnes & Effie Mystery series. This book was a real hoot I must admit. We get to meet Agnes who has her boyfriend of eight years break up with her forcing her to move back in with her dad. She was supposed to start school but decides to wait a little bit first which leaves her with no job, home, or significant other stuck in her small hometown. I like that the fact that she struggles with her weight in a completely normal manner that she is not obsessed about. The addition of her Great Aunt Effie was just the cherry on top on she is quite wild for her age which added an entire new dimension to the developing story which I really enjoyed. The two of them combined stumble across the dead body of a woman that they both argued with the day before making them the prime suspects. To clear their names they investigate which leads to a string of events that it is just one calamity after another with one of them even hiding from the cops at one point. It made me laugh and the ending was a pleasant surprise. I am really looking forward to the next installment and give this one 4.5/5 stars though since half stars are not an option I marked 4 on Goodreads.

Bad Housekeeping by Maia Chance is the first in a new series of Agnes and Effy mysteries. Agnes is the mayor's 28-year-old daughter who has recently moved back home after being jilted. Effy is her great aunt who has recently inherited a fairly decrepit inn. Effy offers Agnes a job helping to remodel the inn. Agnes accepts.

Effy and Agnes find a woman murdered on the back porch of the inn. A woman who they both had had words with the day before. They are the prime suspects in the case, though framed. And they are desperate to find someone else for the cops to blame.

They begin their somewhat inept investigation around the small town mostly on their own. They find quite a few people had reasons to kill the woman. It becomes a question of finding a motive and the killer from among their suspect pool as well as staying alive and out of jail long enough to get their man - or woman.

If you enjoy humorous mysteries, you will most likely enjoy this one. Both Agnes and Effy are good strong female characters and the rapport they share is funny. Agnes is reduced to living at home again now that her professor fiance has dumped her for a fitness instructor. She is wearing old clothes from high school that have seen better days and are a bit tight. But her brain is working on all four cylinders. Euphemia, aka Effie, has moved into the soon to be demolished Stagecoach Inn and is trying to get it a stay of execution. Effy has style and grace and is a chain-smoking fiend.

The mystery itself is a good one. The pool of suspects while wide narrows as a few of them bite the dust. The suspense and pace of the mystery are well done. I had fun trying to guess who had done the dastardly deed and why. I was still surprised in the end.

I give Bad Housekeeping 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good humorous mystery. And being first in a new series, I'm happy there will be more to look forward to.

The expected publication date for Bad Housekeeping is June 13, 2017 from Crooked Lane Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. This review is solely my opinion and freely given.

Agnes Blyth was 28 years old and finally going to be able to have her turn at going to grad school. After putting her fiance, Roger, through school while working multiple jobs, he has gotten a job teaching at the university in her old home town. When Roger abruptly dumps Agnes for a younger, blonder, more fun girlfriend, Agnes is forced to stay at her father's home and agrees to work for her great aunt Effie as an assistant in renovating the old Stagecoach Inn.

Effie is a woman of questionable morals, as she is currently driving a Cadillac owned by a former flame and stolen from him while he was out of the country. Even though the Inn is slated for demolition, she hires her great-great nephew Chester to rewire the Inn. Following Effie's adventures and convoluted logic made for a very enjoyable book. However when you add the murder of a widely known woman who was the head of the Historical Society and was found at the Stagecoach Inn, the tension cranks up a notch. Unfortunately Agnes was heard threatening her the night before her murder. Between the threats and the body location, Agnes and Effie become persons of Interest and are told not to leave town. Determined to prove her self worth after Roger's dumping, not to mention proving her innocence, Agnes begins to try solving the murder. Effie, enabler extreme, drives her around and even hires Agnes in order to give her a chance to recover from Roger and solve the mystery.

I had to laugh at Agnes and Effie as they tried on theories and suspects as if they were at a shoe sale. At one time almost everyone even remotely acquainted with the deceased was a valid suspect. Along the way they didn't make many new friends, but they did find more bodies! An unexpected twist near the end made for a surprise for the reader and people in the book as well.

I liked the subtle hint of romance when Agnes' good high school friend Otis joined in the sleuthing.
It was a nice reminder that not everything was bad about going home again!

A delightful cast of colorful characters mixed with a victim who rubbed everyone the wrong way combines to form a twisty fun-filled mystery.

Rarely does it take me more than a few days to finish a book, especially a cozy, this one took me two weeks. . The premise was good, I loved the idea of it but it just fell a little short. I was excited to read about the renovation of the inn but there was hardly any story line devoted to, I believe it was only mentioned a couple of times.
Agnes , the main protagonist, is very down on herself. She complains about her weight constantly. It became hard to ignore after awhile, and somewhat annoying.
The good side , I enjoyed the mystery itself, it was well paced and easy to follow.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

When 28-year-old Agnes Blythe, the contented bifocals-wearing half of an academic power couple, is jilted by her professor boyfriend for the town Pilates instructor, her future is suddenly less than certain. So when her glamorous, eccentric Great Aunt Effie arrives in town and offers a job helping to salvage the condemned Stagecoach Inn, what does Agnes have to lose? But work at the inn has barely begun when the unlikely duo find the body of manipulative Kathleen Todd, with whom Agnes and Effie both have recently had words. Words strong enough to land them at the top of the suspect list.

The pair have clearly been framed, but no one else seems interested in finding the real murderer and Agnes and Effie's sleuthing expertise is not exactly slick. Nevertheless, they're soon investigating a suspect list with laundry dirtier than a middle school soccer team's and navigating threats, car chases, shotgun blasts, and awkward strolls down memory lane.

In Bad Housekeeping, the first novel in the Agnes & Effie cozy mystery series by Maia Chance, danger mounts, deadlines loom, ancient knob-and-tube wiring is explored, and the ladies learn a thing or two about the awful, wonderful mistake that is going back home. (Goodreads)


Review:

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place. I enjoyed the small town feel and all the gossiping that goes along with that. The mystery was carried on well throughout the book and there were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through, that it was not an easy mystery to solve.

I felt that the characters could have been developed a little bit more. I did not really feel like I connected that well with them, and I do not know why. I got really tired of reading about Agnes being overweight, it was mentioned numerous times. That is only my opinion and other readers may not agree with me. I did find some of the situations and dialogue quite funny and there a few times that I laughed out loud.

There were many things that I did enjoy about the book and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery. I will read the next book when it is released.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Agnes Blythe is newly dumped by her boyfriend and back home living with her father. Her Great-aunt Effie comes to town and drafts her to be her assistant in the renovation of the condemned inn that Effie has inherited. They didn't expect the first thing they'd find was the body of Kathleen Todd who is the president of the local historical society. Both Effie and Agnes had had recent run-ins with the abrasive Kathleen and the police are convinced that they are persons of interest in the case.

Agnes and Effie need to clear their names and renovate the wiring at the inn in order to stop it from being demolished. As they investigate, they run into loads of suspicious characters including the victim's two daughters, her best friend, a local author, a nightclub owner, and a man doing renovations on a local mansion. Agnes and Effie find themselves dodging the police and threats from some of the suspects as they investigate.

This story had quite a bit of humor because Effie is a real character and Agnes has a wonderful, self-deprecating way of telling the story. It also has a romance as Agnes reconnects with the boy she loved in high school who is now a local business owner.

This was a fun mystery with interesting characters and a fast moving plot.

I love this author from The Fairy Tale Fatal series and was not disappointed in this first book with a brand new premise and set of very likable characters. The highlight has to be the humor - I have a friend who can't wait to read it when it comes out because I've constantly told her how funny this book is. I'll definitely be watching for more.

I think part of this book's title is correct - bad! In fact, bad is being polite in how I would describe this book. I seriously wanted to give up reading the book after the first few chapters as it was so awful, but I felt that I had to read on to see if it got better... it didn't!

I've read nearly half of this book, and don't care enough about any of the characters to finish it and find out how it all works out. My apologies!

I absolutely loved Agnes Blythe and laughed out loud throughout 'Bad Housekeeping!' At first I didn't think she could rescue herself the mire she was in, but it just go better and better. Great mystery, fantastic characters, loads of humor and a splash of romance all tied up with a slightly neurotic main character and her quirky aunt. This is just priceless!

The was a fast-paced and light-hearted whodunit that kept me entertained from beginning to end. The mystery was nicely done with a slew of suspects and it was fun watching this animated duo ferret out a killer with the situation that they found themselves ensconced in. Every scene had me chuckling at their efforts and the author did a good job in visually describing these interactions which enhanced the telling of this tale. I especially like the portrayal of Agnes who like me in times of stress goes for what comforts her and made her seem more real to me as a character. With a lovable cast of characters, engaging dialogue and a small-town atmosphere, this was very enjoyable and I can't wait to read the next book in this delightfully charming series which is a welcomed addition to the cozy genre.

Oh my! This was so enjoyable! Agnes has to move back in with her dad because her boyfriend dumps her. Agnes' great aunt Effie is in town to rehab an old inn in town and offers Agnes a job helping. Agnes only wants to escape but can't when they both stumble over a dead body and both become suspects. Doesn't help when the body count rises and it seems there is an endless list of suspects.

I found Agnes a bit slow on the uptake but she finally figured it out and things turned out well in the end. Effie is just a blast for a chain smoking old lady! I can't wait to see what's next with these two.

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

I am sorry but I found the main characters to be obnoxious. I really don't care about Agnes' weight, that just grated my nerves. Also there was a little mention about the renovation, and THAT I wanted to read more. I guess I just didn't connect with the characters in here. Sorry book

The characters were unlikable. The main character was particularly annoying and whiny with her never ending body image issues. I found the story to be very unengaging.. I love cozy mysteries, but this read like a charachater of the genre. Cannot recommend.

This is the first book in the new Agnes and Effie Mystery series by Maia Chance. It was delightfully warm and witty and had a pretty good mystery to go with it. The series ‘stars’ are pudgy, twenty-eight-year-old Agnes Blythe and seventy-something, former super-model Great-Aunt Effie. Add in a former high school sweet heart and a girl-crazy cousin and you have quite a cast of characters!

Agnes is very insecure about her body image, mostly because of an incident in high school. She was never the svelte and supremely confident person her great-aunt Effie is and when someone posted a nasty sign about her weight on her locker at school, she skipped the last two weeks of high school. That insecurity stayed with her and even affected her choice of fiancé – who is a really stodgy, self-centered piece of work. So, when said fiancé dumps her, she flees to her father’s house. (Note: I picture Velma from Scooby-Doo.)

Great-Aunt Effie, who has just inherited a condemned old inn in their town, sweeps in and just engulfs Agnes. Effie is a former super-model, is very rich, and has had several husbands. She is a chain smoking force of nature!

The banter between the characters is funny as in:
“He was going to give us the little lady treatment," Effie said.
"What?"
"You know, like John Wayne. Treating us like lobotomy patients because we haven't got boy parts.”

The morning after Effie arrives in town and Agnes moves back to her dad’s house, they stumble upon the dead body of a nasty woman that both of them had a confrontation with the day before. They, of course, become the prime suspects and end up investigating the murder themselves. A few bodies and several close calls later, they have their murderer! However, getting there is filled with car chases, confrontations, people in strange liaisons, blackmail – you name it and it is there!

Then, there is Otis Hatch, Agnes’ high school crush. He’s still a first-class hunk and keeps showing up wherever Agnes happens to be. I think we’re going to see a full-fledged romance there and maybe see Agnes overcome some of her body image issues.

Of course, I’m thinking the ex-fiancé, Dr. Roger Hollins, will go forward with the series as well. Maybe just as a counterpoint to Otis. Not that there will be any competition between Roger and Otis – Roger will be more the comic relief.

So, we have a great set of characters set up for the following books in the series. I can’t wait to see what Agnes and Effie get into next!

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an open and honest review.

Okay, open and honest bit… I was introduced to Ms Chance’s writing via an anthology of Christmas themed short stories. Due to liking that book I was approached and asked to read her 1920’s cosy crime/ mystery series and loved it. To the point I started fan following Ms Chance on social media. And a fan I did become. So when I saw another story by her on Netgalley, I wanted to see what else she could do… and I was once more not disappointed by Ms Chance’s skill to write in another era, style and tone. No cookie cut outs from this author! Yet another new world, new characters and new ways things got done. Simply her great level of humour – similar to my own – and her talented ability to weave a good story linked this book to previous works I have read.

Fine, enough fan-girling from me, on to the review of the actual book… In two words – loved it. It reminded me of Sharyn McCrumb’s Elizabeth MacPherson series, without it being in any way a rip off. There were no actual similarities… it was more a feel. And as I have been a fan of Ms McCrumb’s for decades… this is a big compliment.

It also had that small town America cosy crime/ mystery feel I enjoy and ticked all the right boxes for an entertaining read – our self-doubting, sarcastic protagonist, erratically eccentric side kick, a town of its own colourful characters, the dud ex, the cute new guy, some red herrings and entertaining padding out of the tale and a crime to solve. And it did have me thinking whodunit until near the end and then finished it off with a good bit of drama and a neat wrap up. All in all – the perfect cosy crime/ mystery and something fans of this genre will delight in adding to their summer/ winter reading lists.

Would I recommend this book to others?
Um, I think I just did. ;-) But yes, cosy crime/ mystery fans – you will love ‘Bad Housekeeping’. Better yet, it’s the first book in a rather promising new series so you’re getting in at the beginning and will no doubt enjoy the tales as they are brought to us.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Yes I would, as an eBook – my virtual shelves are far bigger than my real ones. When a story reminds you of one of your other favourite authors, without being in any way a rip off of their work… you know you’re onto a good thing and so yes, a book – and series – for me.

In summary: Great first book to a potentially highly entertaining new cosy crime/ mystery series. Highly recommend.