Darling Dahlias Mysteries, No 3
Susan Wittig Albert
Berkley Hardcover
September 4, 2012 - ISBN-10: 0425247767
Historical Mystery / American / Alabama – 1930s
Amazon
Reviewed
by Brenda Weeaks
When Mr. Deyancy
(Cypress county treasurer) dies, Verna’s boss is put in charge
which means Verna now has double the duty. This also makes her the
perfect suspect when a large amount of money goes missing. Verna
is banned from the building and someone the ladies least expect
comes to Verna’s aid, but can they trust her? The embezzlement
storyline is the primary thread. The suspense held my attention
throughout the story.
In another
thread, Bessie owns Magnolia Manor and one of the residents, Miss
Roger (local librarian), has a tomcat terrorizing the manor and
residents. She finally comes to her senses when the tom shreds her
grandmother’s coveted pillow. The cover of the pillow is ruined
but the pillow itself reveals a possible encryption – a message.
They take the pillow to Charlie who doesn’t take it seriously
at first – and this may be why I thought this thread lagged
a bit for me. They toy with the idea that Grandma Rose may have
been a spy…
The third thread
has the hotel owner’s wife, Angelina Biggs, acting strangely
and making things up. Her gossip targets Charlie as well as Beulah
who runs the local beauty shop. This thread was very interesting
and reminds us of the importance of Government regulations and taking
gossip with a grain of salt.
I think this
title is my favorite in the series so far. Although it’s full
of historical detail it’s not overwhelming. It takes place
in an era of survival (1930s) where everyone has to earn their keep.
No credit cards. As usual the ladies stay as busy as one must to
survive. Rations were scarce but daily chores weren’t. The
ladies are strong in nature; they take care of the local gardening
and each other. It’s a pleasant, enjoyable mystery with some
charming, likeable characters.
Reviews of other titles in this series
The
Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies #2
The
Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose #3
The
Darling Dahlias & the Texas Star
#4
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