Sep 18, 2015

The Darling Dahlias and the Eleven O'Clock Lady by Susan Wittig Albert

 I love mystery novels with a gardening theme or setting. Would you get into this one?
The Darling Dahlias and the Eleven O'Clock Lady by Susan Wittig Albert, published September 1, 2015; Berkley
Genre: Southern historical mystery
 ...the summer of 1934 in the small Southern town of Darling, Alabama—the ladies of the Darling Dahlias’ garden club love to solve mysteries… The eleven o’clock lady has always been one of garden club president Liz Lacy’s favorite spring wildflowers. The plant is so named because the white blossoms don’t open until the sun shines directly on them and wakes them up.

But another Eleven O’Clock Lady is never going to wake up again. Rona Jean Hancock—a telephone switchboard operator who earned her nickname because her shift ended at eleven, when her nightlife was just beginning.... (book description)

Book beginning, first paragraph:
In less than an hour, Violet Sims' well-ordered life was going to change. But right now, she was enjoying what in her opinion was the very best hour of a summer's day -- the earliest hour. That was the time when she went out to work in the vegetable garden behind the Darling Diner, which she owned and managed with her friend, Myra May Mosswell. And this hour, on this Saturday, seemed especially perfect. It had been hot and sultry all week, and the day ahead was likely to be another hot one, with the prospect of a storm in the afternoon. But the morning air was still cool and fresh, the dew was a silvery sheen on the ripe and flawless tomatoes, and the sun had just begun to peer over the rooftops of the little town of Darling to see if something of interest might be happening there on this very last day of June 1934. 
Page 56:
"Sarah's birthday?" Lizzy asked. "I've lost track. How old is she?"
The Friday 56: *Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader. Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. Post it. Add your (url) post in Linky at Freda's Voice.
Also, visit Book Beginning at Rose City Reader.

10 comments:

  1. I do enjoy a good cozy, and I love opening lines that set the scene, pulling me right into the world of the characters. Thanks for sharing! Here's mine: “HOUSE OF GLASS”

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  2. Hi,
    I love a good mystery, I'll be checking this out. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!

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  3. I don't think I've seen this one from Albert before. I love a good mystery and I love Albert's books. Have you read any by Robin Paige? They're written by Susan Wittig Albert and her husband and are set in the early 1900s.

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  4. I read the first book in this series with my mystery group several years ago and we had a good time with it. I haven't read further in the series, but I need to. Those Darling ladies are a lot of fun!

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  5. I love early morning hours in the summer too. I walk, though, and don't garden. :)

    Thanks for sharing, and enjoy your weekend.


    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Book Beginnings

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  6. I love Southern mysteries and haven't read anything by this author in a while...adding this to my list. Sounds good! Here's my Book Beginnings and Friday 56

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  7. Sounds like a great read! I've heard great things about her books but have yet to read anything.
    Happy weekend!

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  8. Harvee, this sounds wonderful. I love garden themes.

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I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

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