From Publisher's Weekly: A small Southern town blooms into life in Albert's nostalgic first in a new Depression-era mystery series. Darling, Ala., is in the midst of financial upheaval surrounding the Darling Savings and Trust, though the ladies of the Darling Dahlias Garden Club are still excited about their clubhouse, an old estate recently inherited from Mrs. Dahlia Blackstone, whose garden includes a possibly haunted cucumber tree, which might shelter a buried treasure. Also distracting the members--especially widow and probate clerk Verna Tidwell; legal secretary and freelance journalist Elizabeth "Lizzy" Lacy, and Mayor Jed Taylor's wife, Ophelia Snow--are a prison break and the disappearance of drugstore clerk Eva Louise "Bunny" Scott, the town tart. After Bunny turns up dead in a wrecked stolen van, the ladies investigate. Veteran Albert (Holly Blues) combines great period detail with surefooted sleuthing that should satisfy fans and attract new ones.**************************************
I listen to audiobooks on a daily basis since I keep one going in the car at all times for my commute and alone errands. I haven't felt like reviewing most of them for a long while, but DARLING DAHLIAS changes that.
I love Susan Wittig Albert's 'China Bayles' series. I've read or listened to most of the series and always have a good time with the folks in Pecan Springs.
Now I get to look forward to spending time with the folks in Darling, Alabama in the 1930's. The Dahlias are a group of ladies who spend time together as a gardening club. Times are tough, but the ladies still enjoy their time and activities.
There are also mysteries aplenty to be solved. Two convicts have escaped the local prison farm, money has gone missing in the town's bank, a woman has been found dead. All of the mysteries make sense, the ladies getting involved in the mysteries are written well, and I found myself intrigued with each character. There are sweet ladies, nice ladies, peppery ladies, ornery independent ladies....all neat to spend time with. That's a good story. And I can highly recommend it.
Five sparkly looking forward to more Darling Dahlias diamonds....
4 comments:
Yeah, I love this series as well. Do you have the second one, the Darling Dahlia's and the Naked Ladies, ready?
I'm sold! Can't wait to listen to this - thanks for introducing me to the series and the author!
Aurian: I don't have the next in the series ready, but am looking forward to it. I hope that Simply Audio has the series available. They took over for Recorded Books not long ago and I haven't had a chance to look over their library catalogue.
Mary: I hope you will like this as much as I did. I can't wait to listen to more.
I put this one on my TBR list as soon as I heard about it. I love her China Bayles series and I love books with fun Southern characters so I was pretty sure I'd like this new series. I haven't managed to actually read it yet, so I'm very happy to see your review.
Who reads this?
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