First in a series by Maia Chance. A comical murder mystery featuring Agnes, and her eccentric Aunt Effie. They must try and find the killer before they are accused. The beginning of a nice cozy murder mystery.

This an entertaining story with a cast of unlikely,loveable characters. The author weaves the mystery in a way that leads you to believe you have solved it...and then you find out you are wrong.

There is an old saying: You can never go home again. Perhaps, a more true statement might be that you SHOULDN'T go home again. 28-year old Agnes Blythe has returned to her hometown, only to have her life implode. She can't escape the ghosts of her high school self, her professor boyfriend breaks up with her because he's been sleeping with the local pilates instructor, she loses her job, and then on top of it all, she becomes a murder suspect. One body.....then two bodies....then three. Seems anywhere but Naneda, NY might be better for Agnes. She teams up with her great-aunt Effie to sleuth and to restore the dilapidated, old family inn. Hopefully it will only be the old inn that's condemned, as the bodies start stacking up.

Bad Housekeeping is heavy on the humor and small-town charm and light on the mystery, as with most cozy mysteries. I love the characters in this first book in the Agnes and Effie Mystery series. Agnes believes carbs will cure all ills, and Effie turns to cigarettes and liquor. Agnes is reeling from sudden life changes, but is supported by her eccentric and outspoken great-aunt. As a team, they really kick some butt. Add in Cousin Chester and local hunk Otis to round out the group and it really turns out to be a fun group of characters working to save the Inn and ferret out a killer. The group reminds me of a grown-up Scooby Doo team, minus the dog. I found myself totally rooting for them all the way! I half expected the killer at the end to be Old Man Smithers in a disguise. :)

I will definitely be reading more of this series. It was a fun, light-hearted read that made me laugh out loud several times. I like the characters and the concept. This was an enjoyable read from beginning to end. The mystery was well-paced, the humor was great, and there were plenty of suspects.

Maia Chance is the author of several other cozy mysteries. For more information on the author and her books check out her website: http://www.maiachance.com/

**I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**

Bad Housekeeping was a funny, light read. I really enjoyed it and finished it in an evening. I know Agnes is only 28 but I had a picture of my 80 yr. old Grandmother in my mind. Well-written and fast paced, filled with eccentric characters and ridiculous situations

First I want to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

Agnes is a late 20's woman who is dumped by her boyfriend and ends up agreeing to help her aunt restore an old inn. The first problem is the body found in the inn, things go from bad to worse as Agnes and Effie bumble their way around town stirring everyone up. As the body count piles up it become imperative that they solve this case before they are arrested and charged with the murders.

This is a cute story and I would like to read more from this series to get to know the characters better.

This book was so funny and interesting. Just the right amount of humor, mystery, and a tiny bit of romance. The female lead was terrific. I hope there will be more with these characters. I hope it becomes a series!

Bad Housekeeping, An Agnes and Effie Mystery, the first book in what is hopefully a long-running series by Maia Chance, was fun and intriguing! With a host of "interesting" family members, including eccentric Aunt Effie, jilted Agnes must restart her life by putting graduate school on hold, moving in with her father, and renovating the old family Inn. After altercations with both Agnes and Effie, Kathleen Todd, the head of the local historical society, turns up strangled and dead on the Inn's back porch. The townsfolk think Agnes and Effie are the murderers, especially since Agnes threatened to strangle Kathleen to death the previous evening. Get ready for a chaotic ride as Agnes and Effie try to clear their names in their own unpredictable style. Bad Housekeeping will keep you entertained as these two quirky women attempt to solve the mystery of Kathleen Todd's death and mend their fractured along the way. (Note: Aunt Effie should not have called Agnes "husky" when she was a child. That tends to stick with a person.) Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

A quick read. An engaging beginning to a cozy mystery. I was not comfortable with the ongoing description of the main character as overweight and overly interested in caloric foods. That most.y killed any higher rating I would have given it.

Dumped by the boyfriend she put through grad school and on the cusp of losing her summer job, things are not going well for Agnes. Faced with living at home and with no job on the horizon, Agnes agrees to help her larger than life Great Aunt Effie refurbish the Stagecoach Inn. Life goes from bad to worse when she and Effie discover the body of Kathleen Todd, the manipulative head of the local historical society strangled at the Inn. Faster than you can say murder, rumors are flying through town - rumors that point to Agnes and Effie. Determined to clear their names, the duo start their own investigation. Between Agnes's determined curiosity and Effie’s flagrant disregard of social moiré, the two manage to question suspects, run down clues and get themselves into a boatload of trouble. While I chuckled more than laughed out loud, I found their antics fun to observe.

Agnes and Effie are quite a pair, and I look forward to reading more of their adventures. Bad Housekeeping isn’t perfect, but it is a delightful cozy that will leave you with a smile on your face.

4 / 5

I received a copy of Bad Housekeeping from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Fabulously entertaining, lovable characters, great first book in a new cozy series.

At 28, Agnes Blythe finds herself moving back into her childhood bedroom, unemployed and with only the high school clothes in her closet.

When 70 something Great Aunt Effie arrives in Naneda NY to renovate the old Stagecoach Inn she inherited, Agnes becomes her accomplice. In Thelma & Louise fashion, they set out to prove they did NOT murder nasty Kathleen Todd.

Hijinx & murder in a plot with more twists & turns than you expect in this fast paced cozy.

I am waiting for the next book in this series.

A NetGalley e-book in exchange for an honest review.

A cute, and blundering, whodunit. The main character reminds me of a wannabe Stephanie Plum, down to the crazy family members, driving around a huge classic car, hot guy in jeans, and the sane and actual capable characters that help her save the day.

I would recommend this to those that like cozy mysteries. It is set in a quaint little town with people that you can see as your neighbors and friends. There are not overly gory details or explicit situations (keeping in mind someone is murdered and there are consenting adults characters).

Agnes Blythe is having the week from hell. Her “boy genius” boyfriend has left her for the towns Pilates instructor and her temp job has ended and school this semester is not an option since the ex has aligned himself to be her graduate advisor. To top it off she literally trips over a dead body. The dead body of a strangled woman she was just seen arguing and threatening to strangle to death the night before.

Making the situation worse is that Agnes is not alone as the prime suspect, her Great Aunt Effie is also being pegged as a prime suspect and it is in Effie’s Stagecoach Inn that the body is found.

To cloud the situation even further, the woman that is killed does not have a short suspect list.

The two women take off to investigate these suspects in a blundering fashion and also learn the meaning behind returning home.

Bad Housekeeping is the first book in Maia Chance's new Agnes and Effie Mysteries.

After her  fiancé, Roger, breaks the news that he is leaving her for his Pilates instructor, Agnes Blythe moves back in with her father, the mayor of Naneda, New York.  Naneda is a small college town with old town charm.  Agnes puts graduate school on hold after she finds out due to reorganizing at the college, Roger would be her graduate advisor.

Agnes then goes to work for her Great Aunt Effie in restoring an old Victorian house her Aunt Effie inherited to turn it into a bed and breakfast.  The house needs massive renovations to avoid being demolished by the city as being unsafe for habitation.

After Aunt Effie has words with the president of town historical society, Kathleen Todd,  concerning her house and Agnes having words with Kathleen in front of witnesses at the local library, Kathleen Todd is found murdered in the back of Aunt Effie's house. In a town where everyone knows everyone else,  both Agnes and Effie quickly become suspects in the murder and subjects of the towns gossip.  Effie and Agnes embark on an investigation of their own in order to clear their name, but will they find the killer or become a victims? 
This is a light, entertaining read cozy readers will enjoy.
**Note: I was given a copy of the book by the publishers through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review

I love this author and I love this book. The writing is witty and interesting. The characters are fun and likable. The mystery and plot were both original and different. I would definitely recommend this book!

Bad Housekeeping by author Maia Chance was a true pleasure to read. A sweet, light-hearted cozy mystery set in the small town of Naneda, New York. Mayor's daughter Agnes Blythe returns home (and is promptly dumped by her longtime boyfriend) and is given the opportunity by Great Aunt Effie to help restore the old Stagecoach Inn, which Effie has inherited. Agnes and Effie are a hoot, and their adventures (riding through town in Effie's big Cadillac, stumbling across multiple dead bodies, breaking and entering...) made me laugh out loud more than once. I did peg the killer early on, but kept waffling back and forth because there were so many red herrings thrown into the mix. A very enjoyable story, one I highly recommend, and I really hope that there are more books in this series. A+

Bad Housekeeping is story of 28-year-old Agnes Blythe who has just been dumped by her fiancé of 8 years and now has nowhere to live, no current job and basically nothing to her name since she somehow managed to leave it all in his apartment. So, now that she is completely down on her luck she agrees to help her eccentric aunt Effie renovate a crumbling old Inn. Before they have even gotten a chance to start though the body of a woman they both have had recent arguments with turns up dead in the inn. Both now suspects they set about trying to clear their names.

And thus begins a very long novel about these two slightly obnoxious characters driving around in a stolen car, and questioning everyone under the sun. It’s a good mystery, complete with lots of family drama and secrets but for me it was lacking a few things. For one thing Agnes was more than obnoxious about her weight. I felt like it was mentioned every few pages. Her low self-esteem also started to get on my nerves after a few chapters.

One of the reasons I was excited to read this book is that the main characters were renovating an old inn. I love stories where people are doing renovations and they often discover old secrets hidden in the building! There was little to no renovation in this book and I found that to be depressing. Hopefully the author will include a little more about that, and maybe a hidden secret or two, in her next book.

Could things get any worse for Agnes? Her fiancé dumped her and tossed her out of their apartment. She doesn’t have a job, or clothes and her Great Aunt Effie has shown up declaring she is going to refurbish the old Stagecoach Inn which is scheduled for demolition. Oh, and the town harridan has turned up dead on the back porch of the inn.

Quirky characters abound in the first Agnes and Effie mystery. Readers who enjoy laughing out loud while they read will completely enjoy this book. Running around town in questionable clothing from high school while continuing to cross paths with her high school, hunky crush keep this story lively. Not to mention dear Great Aunt Effie, who has maintained her professional modeling style and manners. The mystery is well plotted and many will be able to relate to dear, downtrodden Agnes and head strong Effie. This one is sure to be a popular series. So much fun!!!

Bad Housekeeping is the debut novel in the Agnes and Effie Mystery series. We start with poor Agnes, dumped by her boyfriend, her part time job has concluded, little money. Her entire world is turned upside down. Agnes has had to move back in with her father and is trying to determine some direction while wallowing in her misery. Enter her Aunt Effie, back in town and trying to restore a condemned inn and tries to rope Agnes into helping.
When attempting to extend her temporary part time job, Agnes runs into the queen of the town, Kathleen Todd and when provoked, Agnes explodes, threatening the woman and losing any change of extending her employment. Agnes is forced to accept her Aunt Effie's offer of assisting with restoring the inn. When Kathleen turns up dead at the inn, Agnes and Effie are thrown right into the investigation as suspects one and two.
This was a strong start to what promises to be an exciting and intriguing series. The main characters are lovable messes, the plot strong, and writing superb. I cannot wait to see where the rest of the series takes us and what kind of chaos the characters can stir up.

Bad Housekeeping is the debut of the An Agnes and Effie Mystery series featuring Agnes Blythe, recently dumped by her boyfriend, jobless and now having to move back into her family home in Naneda, New York. With the whole town talking about how she was dumped for the Pilates instructor by boyfriend, Dr. Roger Hollins, Agnes just wants to hide out, but when your dad is Gary Blythe, Town Mayor it's just not that easy.

Agnes' Great Aunt Euphemia "Effie" has drifted into town having inherited Uncle Herman's dilapidated and condemned old home, the Stagecoach Inn. Effie is determined to restore the old home and turn it back into an Inn, problem is that it's scheduled to be demolished within the week. Agnes can't stand Effie, all because the older woman made the mistake of calling her "husky" when she was a child.

In a desperate attempt to prolong her temp job at the library, Agnes encounters Kathleen Todd, Chairman of the Historical Society and not in a good way. Plowing through the libraries swinging door, Agnes knocks a box of relics to the floor and while she thinks it's just a bunch of Pyrex dishes, Kathleen is not amused. Later on Aunt Effie encounters Kathleen at the supermarket and the two exchange words, Kathleen is determined that the Stagecoach be demolished. Unfortunately for both ladies, the next morning Kathleen turns up dead on the back porch of the Inn.

With them both under suspicion for murder, the unlikely duo of Agnes and Effie team up to find the real killer and save the Stagecoach. Agnes is having to go around town riding a bicycle and wearing the too small clothes leftover in her childhood bedroom as Roger sent everything she owned to Goodwill. Effie it seems has stolen the Caddy she's driving, is claiming there are ghosts in the Inn where she's illegally camping out, and is a chain smoking fiend. Add in Cousin Chester who claims to be a handyman extraordinaire and Agnes' high school crush Otis Hatch and the adventures begin.

A fun mystery with plenty of suspects and a misfit cast of characters that will have you laughing out loud from page one to the end. A perfect cozy to cuddle up with on a snowy winter day, I can't wait for the next adventures of Agnes and Effie.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

Simplistic writing and characters without sense made me uninvolved with this one. The plot wasn't particularly interesting to me either. I'm so sorry