Synopses & Reviews
The New York Times bestselling author of the China Bayles Mysteries takes readers back to Darling, Alabama, in the spring of 1933and#151;where the women of the Darling Dahliasand#8217; garden club are betting their bottom dollar thereand#8217;s going to be troubleand#133;
When the local bank suddenly closes, the small town of Darling is caught short on cash. To avoid disaster, town leaders hatch a plan to print Darling Dollars. The and#147;funny moneyand#8221; can serve as temporary currency so the town can function. But when the first printing of the scrip disappears, the Darling Dahlias set out to discover who made an unauthorized withdrawal.
Meanwhile, County Treasurer Verna Tidwell questions whether she can trust the bankand#8217;s new vice president, Alvin Duffyand#151;or the feelings he stirs up inside her. And Liz Lacy learns her longtime beau may be forced into a shotgun wedding. Seems other troubles donand#8217;t just go away when thereand#8217;s a crisis. Thereand#8217;ll be no pennies from heaven, but if anyone can balance things out, folks can bank on the Darling Dahliasand#133;
INCLUDES SOUTHERN-STYLE DEPRESSION-ERA RECIPES!
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Review
Praise for the Darling Dahlias Mysteries:
“The prolific Albert excels at the period piece, with a gracious plenitude of Southern color and Depression-era detail, and again offers an uplifting meditation on how friends, neighbors, and strangers combined to help each other during Americas darkest economic days.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“This sweet book captures the true tone of a small town.”—The Times-Picayune
“Captivating…Charming characters, a fast-paced plot, and a strong sense of history help make this a superior cozy.”—Publishers Weekly
“Cozy fans will be delighted…Another exceptional series.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Plenty of charm and period detail.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The author of the popular China Bayles Mysteries brings a small Southern town to life and vividly captures an era and culture—the Depression, segregation, class differences, the role of women in the South—with authentic period details. Her book fairly sizzles with the strength of the women of Darling.”—Library Journal
Review
“
Murder in Chelsea by Victoria Thompson has suspense, murder, great invigorating characters, a touch of love and romance, a child of love, and a ‘who done it that had me turning the pages very quickly, it was hard to put this book down! Victoria Thompson is the crème de la crème of mystery writers and I look forward to reading many more of her Gaslight Mysteries.”—Fresh Fiction
“An intense, well-plotted puzzler that will keep you turning the pages.”—RT Book Reviews
Review
and#8220;Albert once again tells a sweet story laced with personable characters and a strong sense of time and place.and#8221;
and#8212;Richmond Times-Dispatch
and#8220;Albert is a wonderful authorand#8230;I would recommend The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush to any cozy reader, garden lover, and anyone interested in life in the thirties.and#8221;
and#8212;Open Book Society
and#8220;Albertand#8230;does such a wonderful job of making the people in her stories come aliveand#8230;Her characters are real and dealt with real issues.and#8221;
and#8212;Debbieand#8217;s Book Bag
Synopsis
Sarah Brandt is shattered when she learns that a woman has inquired at the Daughters of Hope Mission for Catherine, the abandoned child she has taken as her daughter. The woman claims she was Catherines nursemaid, and is now acting on behalf of the girls mother to reunite them.
Unwilling to simply hand Catherine over to a complete stranger, Sarah asks Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to investigate. But when he goes to interview the woman at her tenement in Chelsea, he finds she has been murdered.
Though her death leaves Sarahs claim to Catherine unchallenged, her sense of justice compels her to work with Malloy to find the killer. Their search takes them from the marble mansions of the Upper West Side to the dilapidated dwellings of lower Manhattan and into the deepest and darkest secrets of Catherines past.
And while Malloy helps Sarah determine the fate of the child she loves, he faces a challenge of his ownand his decision could change both their lives forever
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.