Synopses & Reviews
National bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to the small town of Darling, Alabama, in the 1930s—and the Darling Dahlias, the ladies of a garden club who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty solving mysteries… Just in time for the Confederate Day celebration, the Darling Dahlias are ready to plant Confederate roses along the fence of the town cemetery. Of course, Miss Dorothy Rogers, club member and town librarian, would be quick to point out the plant is in fact a hibiscus. The Confederate rose is not the only thing that is not what it first appears to be in this small Southern town. Earle Scroggins, the county treasurer, has got the sheriff thinking that Scroggins' employee Verna Tidwell (also the Darling Dahlias’ trusted treasurer) is behind a missing $15,000. But Darling Dahlias president Liz Lacy is determined to prove Verna is not a thief. Meanwhile Miss Rogers has discovered her own mystery—what appears to be a secret code embroidered under the cover of a pillow, the only possession she has from her grandmother. She enlists the help of a local newspaperman, who begins to suspect the family heirloom may have larger significance. With missing money, secret codes, and the very strange behavior of one resident, Darling, Alabama, on the eve of Confederate Day, is anything but a sleepy little town... Includes Southern-Style Depression-Era Recipes
Review
Praise for the Darling Dahlias novels: “[Albert] hits all the right notes…The plot’s believable, the Southern color brims with authenticity, and the characters are charmingly and realistically drawn...Here’s hoping the ladies have many more opportunities to dig into crime.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch “As always in any Susan Wittig Albert’s series including this one, the reader feels transplanted in time and place as the meticulous interwoven tidbits bring to life late 1930.” —The Mystery Gazette “This sweet book captures the true tone of a small town.” —Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
Synopsis
From the national bestselling author of the China Bayles mysteries- a brand-new series about some spunky lady sleuths in Depression-era Alabama.
The country may be struggling through the Great Depression, but the ladies of Darling, Alabama, are determined to keep their chins up. Their garden club-The Darling Dahlias-has a clubhouse, a garden, a flag, and a weekly column in The Darling Dispatch written by their own Miss Elizabeth Lacy. Unlike their snooty rivals-Sisters of the Spade- they welcome members from across the social spectrum. What better way to know everything there is to know about everyone in town?
But when a treasure trove of sterling silver is found buried under the town's famous Cucumber Tree, two of the Dahlias claim ownership, which leads to some very unladylike behavior. And the unpleasant discovery of an unknown young woman's body on a hill outside of town points to even worse behavior. If anyone can get to the root of these mysteries, it's the Darling Dahlias.
Synopsis
The country may be struggling through the Great Depression, but the good ladies of Darling, Alabama, are determined to keep their chins up and their town beautiful. Their garden club, the Darling Dahlias, has just inherited a new clubhouse and garden, complete with two beautiful cucumber trees in full bloom.
But life in Darling is not all garden parties and rosemary lemonade.
When local blond bombshell Bunny Scott is found in a suspicious car wreck, the Dahlias decide to dig into the town's buried secrets, and club members Lizzy, Ophelia, and Verna soon find leads sprouting up faster than weeds. The town is all abuzz with news of an escaped convict from the prison farm, rumors of trouble at the bank, and tales of a ghost heard digging around the cucumber tree. If anyone can get to the root of these mysteries, it's the Darling Dahlias.
Synopsis
The good old ladies of Darling, Alabama, are determined to keep their town beautiful. The Darling Dahlias garden club is off to a good start until rumors of trouble at a bank, an escaped convict, and a ghost digging around their tree surface. If anyone can get to the root of these mysteries, it's the Darling Dahlias.
About the Author
Susan Wittig Albert grew up on a farm in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley. A former professor of English and a university administrator and vice president, she is the author of the China Bayles Mysteries, the Darling Dahlias Mysteries, and the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. Some of her recent titles include Widow's Tears, Cat's Claw, The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose, and The Tale of Castle Cottage. She and her husband, Bill, coauthor a series of Victorian-Edwardian mysteries under the name Robin Paige, which includes such titles as Death at Glamis Castle and Death at Whitechapel.