Good, Clean Fun: a Meh-rathon

From critic Hal Lefferson’s review of A Doze & a John Doe (Ms. Theroux mysteries, #16) in the Whodunnit Roundup (issue 14):

The premise holds some appeal, and is among Alicia Prescott’s most comical: Ms. Theroux, after weeks of poor rest, finally takes a sleep aid her client suggests. She immediately achieves sleep, only for there to be a murder, the likes of which Deputy Morten cannot solve himself. Ms. Theroux manages, somehow, to answer the phone in her sleep and then literally sleepwalks through solving the case. There are some good bits throughout, but the novelty quickly runs thin.

Beyond that, the occasional chapter when we see the strange hellish dreamscape that Ms. Theroux sees as she proceeds through the night can be confusing. What’s more, at several points, the aforementioned sleep aid is referred to as ‘magnesium of the finest quality,’ which makes one wonder: has Ms. Prescott greatly overestimated the supplement’s strength?

What better day for a spring-cleaning-themed Meh-ration than March 12th, the birthday of author Alicia Prescott? Creator of the character Ms. Theroux, the mystery-solving maid who appears in over 40 novels, Prescott has come to be known as “the queen of clean” in literary circles. So, stick around all day as we share excerpts from Prescott’s work, as well as tidbits from her letters, interviews, reviews, and more. Oh, and there will be deals too. On cleaning products. And also non-cleaning products.