Out on a Limb (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 14) - Hardcover

Praise for the Claire Malloy Mystery Series

"Joan Hess is one of the funniest people in the mystery world."-Margaret Maron, author of Slow Dollar

"With her wry asides, Claire makes a most engaging narrator...the surprising denouement comes off with eclat."-Publishers Weekly

"Joan Hess is seriously funny. Moreover, she is seriously kind as well as clever when depicting the follies, foibles, and fantasies of our lives. Viva Joan!"-Carolyn Hart, author of April Fool Dead

"Joan Hess shares with P.G. Wodehouse an unmistakable comic voice and the ability to juggle a dizzying number of subplots. She has the remarkable ability to take caricatures and bring them to life and make us care about them in book after book."-M. D. Lake, author of Death Calls the Tune

"Witty, ironic, and biting...Joan Hess has an unerring comedic instinct."-Bookpage

"Joan Hess fans will find a winning blend of soft-core feminism, trendy subplots, and a completely irreverent style that characterizes both series and the sleuth, all nicely onstage."
-Houston Chronicle

"Breezy and delightful...Claire Malloy is one of the most engaging narrators in mystery."
-The Drood Review

"Definitely entertaining. Hess deftly sprinkles red herrings and odd characters throughout."
-Library Journal on The Murder at the Mimosa Inn

"Dear Miss Demeanor is great fun...Hess's poniard is tipped with subtle wit."
-Chicago Sun Times

"Hess's theme is a serious one, but she handles it with wit. Claire is an appealing character, and this is an engaging mystery for anyone who likes crime mixed with comedy."
-Booklist on Roll Over and Play Dead
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"Hess's style-that of a more worldly Erma Bombeck-rarely flags. Amiable entertainment with an edge."-Kirkus Reviews

"Joan Hess is one funny woman."-Susan Dunlap

When the Bough Breaks...It's Murder.
Faberville bookstore owner Claire Malloy is ruminating over the state of her love life when she gets disturbing news. Elderly Miss Emily Parchester is up a tree. Chained to an old oak, packing a thermos of tea and a gun, the retired schoolteacher is ready to go down with the ship, or rather the tree, before she'll let another historic piece of Farberville be bulldozed in the name of "progress," i.e., developer Anthony Armstrong's condominiums.

With Miss Parchester armed, and therefore dangerous, Claire fears this noble act will end tragically. Unfortunately, it does-when someone murders Armstrong. And suddenly Claire herself is out on a limb: a baby has been left on her doorstep, the child's teenage mom is suspect number one in Armstrong's death, and Claire needs to find the real killer fast. Especially when she discovers Miss Parchester knows more than she's willing to tell....