Joan Hess writes a series about bookstore owner, Claire Malloy, who also solves murders in her hometown of Farberville, Arkansas. Claire is a quirky character full of mayhem and mischief. Or is it her teenage daughter Caron who always talks in capitals ("Mother, you are So Not Funny!")?  The titles of each of these 18 novels give the reader an idea of the wry humor inside.  This lastest one is "Deader Homes & Gardens."  Claire and her new husband are in the market for a new house. Her two bedroom, one bath double just is not big enough now. When she finds the perfect house (think swimming pool, meadow, orchard) no matter what comes along Claire has to have it. Of course, murder comes along to this very strange place called Hollow Valley, full of Hollow idiosyncrasies. Pandora Butterfly is an aging hippie who dances in the road, while her in-laws are so strictly evangelistic that they cannot accept any deviation from their narrow viewpoint. Add in a fourteen-year old goth niece, an ancient demented patriarch and his caretaking relative to this mix and pandemonium reigns.  This is a great ride of humor plus an excellent whodunit.  But if you haven't read any of Hess's books, start with the first Claire Malloy "Strangled Prose."  Hess also writes another series about a police chief Arly Hanks in Maggody (there are sixteen of those).  They have the same kind of humor and endearingly nutty characters.