Publisher's Weekly Review
An unplanned pregnancy, a destructive break-in and a nasty gazpacho incident are just a few of the problems facing Julia Murdoch in Ross's diverting 10th cozy to feature the North Carolina matron (after 2008's Miss Julia Paints the Town). When naOve Hazel Marie, the former mistress of Miss Julia's first husband, learns that her flulike symptoms have another cause, it's up to the enterprising Miss Julia to patch things up between Hazel Marie and her estranged PI boyfriend, J.D. Pickens. Meanwhile, a burglary at the house of lawyer Sam Murdoch, Miss Julia's second husband, means trouble. The disappearance of Sam's meticulous files on local court cases suggests there are parties who don't want information on Abbot County's philandering judge and corrupt sheriff to see the light of day. Those who prefer a leisurely pace, a touch of screwball comedy and gentle puzzles in their mysteries will enjoy this paean to smalltown nosiness and steadfast loyalties. 6-city author tour. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
Verdict: As evidenced in the tenth book in her "Miss Julia" series, Ross (Miss Julia Paints the Town) has a solid handle on the matronly know-it-all who can't stop meddling in the lives of her loved ones. Although the mystery angle is lukewarm, fans of the series will enjoy. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/08.] Background: Enterprising busybody Julia Murdoch learns that her unmarried housemate (and her late husband's mistress) Hazel Marie is pregnant with twins and that the father is leaving town following their break-up. Who else can be counted on to right such a monumental wrong? Miss Julia knows that Hazel Marie, already a single mother, will be the town outcast-but Miss Julia must juggle the attempted reconciliation with solving the mysterious burglary of her current husband's home, where the only things missing are interview tapes.-Natasha Grant, New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
