To Live and Die in Dixie

Callahan Garrity Mystery #2

by Kathy Hogan Trocheck, Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews brings back cleaning lady and sleuth Callahan Garrity in the whodunit To Live and Die in Dixie.

Former Atlanta police officer Callahan is known for scrubbing all kinds of muck, but she has no idea what she's getting herself into when she is hired by Elliott Littlefield, a notorious Atlanta antiques dealer.

Right from the start, Callahan's job turns into a lively quest to find a priceless Civil War diary penned by an infamous madam. Soon Callahan and her team become entangled with a motley group of Civil War collectors, right-wing extremists, and nosy teens, making the case messier and tougher to clean.

The witty Callahan Garrity mysteries by Mary Kay Andrews always entertains and delight.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Southern, Chick Lit, Mystery Thriller

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

aka Mary Kay Andrews

Kathy Hogan Trocheck is the author of critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series. A former reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, she is also the author of Little Bitty Lies and the Edgar®- and Macavity-nominated Savannah Blues, under the name Mary Kay Andrews.

Reviews

[Sabine]

I listened to the audio version of the book and really liked (what I assume is called) the Southern drawl. Interesting characters and a well paced story. I am just not 100% convinced by how it works out in the end. I mean the motive is there but the way it unfolds I find a little weak. Nevertheless it was a very good mystery and kept me hooked.

[Angie]

3.5 stars...

Fun, southern, cozy mystery with a colorful cast of characters.

This audiobook was my companion during the stocking of a new bookshelf. It was an entertaining and light-hearted murder mystery full of southernisms and charm.

Mary Kay Andrews was recommended by a co-worker who shares my love of books and reading, and I'm thrilled to have a new cozy author with lots of books under her belt.

Although it's part of a series, I had no trouble jumping in at book 2.

[Kathy]

Decided to read the Callahan Garrity series written by Kathy Hogan Trocheck who now writes under the name Mary Kay Andrews. Love all the Andrews books and loved this Trocheck one. Just ordered two more from amazon
Callahan Garrity quits her job as a policeman and opens a cleaning business in Atlanta called House Mouse. The women who work for her are worth the read all by them selves. Callahan aso gets a private detective's license and mixes detecting with cleaning. the plot of this one is very convoluted and suspects pop up left and right but Callahan straightens it all out in the end

[Susan]

Like this series! On to number three!

[Anna's Herding Cats]

Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup. (live 6/26/2017)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qo6uKC

The Series:

So the quick of the series is that Callahan used to be a police officer but now she owns a cleaning service. She and her crew keep stumbling upon strange disappearances and murders and it pulls her back into that investigative lifestyle because Callahan cannot let things go. lol She's a little abrasive, determined, and has a kind heart even if she tries to hide it a little. I'm really enjoying her and the people that surround her.

You can tell these titles are older---they originally came out in the 90s and it shows in a few spots with the investigation/dialogue but it wasn't bad and worked for me overall. So a bit about each of the three I've listened to so far!

This Book:

The cover on this one was just adorable! So Callahan and her ladies kinda find a dead body while cleaning a house. Ergs! The mystery well done and kept me curious and guessing. While Callahan and I didn't agree over a few of her actions I did enjoy the story and spending time with her crazy crew and potential love interest who is just a good guy and kinda yummy. There were some real life issues like eating disorders and cancer scares that add an interesting element to the story and make the characters seem more real.

The Narration:

Hillary Huber was a new to me narrator and I synced up with her narration easier than any other I've tried so far. I finished listening to each of these in about 2 days which is really fast for me when it comes to audiobooks. The narration was just fantastic. Easy to fall in to, excellent distinction between characters, the male voices were nicely done, pacing was great. I have no complaints at all with the narration. I've already put a hold on the rest of the audiobooks at the library :)

[Lynn]

To Live and Die in Dixie is the second entry in the Callahan Garrity series. Callahan is a former Atlanta police officer who has opened a house cleaning company, House Mouse, with her mother and a cast of colourful employees.

Callahan is hired by a sleazy man to find missing historical items that were stolen during a break-in when a young woman was killed. He's not too concerned about the murder, but he sure does want the valuables back in his possession. Callahan takes the job so that she can poke around in the murder investigation, eventually joining forces with the victim's sister.

There's a few suspects on Callahan's radar, although I think the narrative was more complicated than it needed to be. I missed the energy and humour of the House Mouse women who were peripheral to this story. Still, an entertaining, light mystery.

[Macy Ghilardi]

This book was okay. Very predictable and it was hard to be interested in until the middle. I feel that the ending made sense but the last chapter of recapping everything felt rushed and unrealistic.

[Melanie]

I'm glad I continued on with the Callahan Garrity series as she is growing on me. The story is a murder mystery along with a theft. Callahan is investigating the theft, but also helps the police solve the murder. This was an enjoyable story.

[Toni Perreira]

It will come as no surprise that any book about Dixie land is goi g to have at least one amazingly racist character and this book didn’t vary from the formula. My biggest complaint with southern based cozies is that they all seem to go out of their way to include something racist in the story so that they can justify calling someone the N word. It’s tiresome and it’s lazy. The racist man in this book manages to be seen and described as a racist by the MC and by a neighbor who happens to be Jewish and who details an instance where the racist flew a swastika. The racist confirms it when discussing various things to the MC and vehemently verbally attacks his “Jew” neighbor. Yet when talking about the neighbor, he unleashes the N word, more than once, describing people he thinks the neighbor knows- people who aren’t even characters in the book. So why doesn’t he use racial slurs on the person who he actually knows and has beef with? Guess that’s not as fun a word. I’m so sick of the laziness in using slurs against people of color that seems so present in every cozy written by a southerner. It’s boring. It’s predictable and it completely turns me off of these writers and this genre.

[Kaitlyn]

Listened to as an audiobook on Libby.

Series Rating: (2.9 ⭐️ average)
1. Every Crooked Nanny ★★☆☆☆
2. To Live & Die in Dixie ★★★☆☆
3. Homemade Sin ★★★☆☆
4. Happy Never After ★★☆☆☆
5. Heart Trouble ★★★☆☆
6. Strange Brew ★★★☆☆
7. Midnight Clear ★★★★★
8. Irish Eyes ★★☆☆☆
Fatal Fruitcake: A Christmas Short Story ★★★★☆
Killer Fudge: Short Story ★★☆☆☆
The Family Jewels: Short Story ★★★☆☆

[Jennifer]

Callahan Garrity returns in book #2. Former police officer, now running a cleaning service, takes a job to clean up a mansion before a party. She finds more than she bargained for, as it is obvious that the place has been tossed...and then she finds the body. This house has seen a murder before, and the owner got out on a technicality. Did he murder again? But there's more than just the murder, there's a priceless Confederate Madam's diary that was stolen, and Callahan has been hired to find it.

I liked this book and found it hard to put down. There's a lot of side action going on, which creates some tension as well as other mysteries to be solved. There is a lot of stereotyping going on in this book, and certainly one could argue about whether some references and language are politically correct. But the mystery, and sidebar mysteries, were pretty well done.

[Ruth]

Technically, I fell asleep during the last 8%-10%, but I had it all figured out, so should I say DNF or just give it 2☆☆? Mary Kay Andrew's has come a long way with her writing since she published under the name Kathy Hogan Trochek. I don't think I will continue on with this series, unless I need an audio book when another is not available.

[Sherri Raby]

I’m really enjoying this Mary K Andrews series. There is a little bit of everything in the story line; mystery, suspense, humor and a little romance. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

[Bobbi]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as the first one. I like the reader, but at times I felt like the tone of her voice made Callahan sound a bit stupid and I didn’t feel that way in the first book. Edna is a hoot though.

[Sierra Lirette]

I enjoy the Callahan novels though always feel some more plot development could happen

[Pat McGhan]

Great series. The house cleaning business is a great theme for getting into all kinds of intrigue. The characters really draw you in and the ending was quite suspenseful.

[Maria]

Another product of its time. I like Callahan, I like the ease and quirkiness of the story and characters. I like that it’s specific to Atlanta. For all of those reasons I will probably continue with the series.

[Juliana Kulak]

3.75 Stars

[Mary Ellen Dempsey]

This one was just hard for me to get into but I did finish it …. I don’t like to give low rating. Just because it isn’t for me doesn’t mean it isn’t a 5 ⭐️ for the next

[Connie]

Great read, intrigue and Jeeps your attention

[Lauren]

Fun easy read

[Stacey E.]

It's not my favorite MKA book but a good one none the less. I love listening to her books as it just makes the stories come alive in a different way.

[Shannon]

3.5 stars

[Book Concierge]

Former Atlanta police officer Callaghan Garrity runs The House Mouse, a professional maid service, and also dabbles in private investigation. A new client has an emergency need for a thorough cleaning; Elliot Littlefield owns Eagle’s Keep, one of Atlanta’s most elegant old mansions and his housekeeper has quit the day before a major party. The team arrives to complete disarray, and discovers a body in an upstairs bedroom. But this isn’t the first time a young woman has met her death at Eagle’s Keep…

This is a fast-paced, well-plotted cozy mystery. I like Callaghan – she’s intelligent, resourceful, strong, and professional. Some of her crew members are a little too eccentric to be believable, but it’s all in good fun. I did figure out the murderer the minute that character was introduced, but that was okay because I still liked watching how Trochek developed the plot.

[Tammy]

I highly do NOT recommend the audio version of this story. Although the gal reading tries to sound southern. She clearly is NOT. I had to yell at her repeatedly while being forced to listen to her butcher "Kennesaw" (there is no "i" in it. .... Chamblee-Dunwoody..... (It's "sham" doesn't rhyme with "char"... And the one that really gave me eye twitches every time she said it, can't reach through the radio and throat punch her.... was "kudzu". It's not "koo".... It's CUD". Geez.... So, Atlanta natives steer clear of the audio. The book is interesting, mentions many local references. Not a great book, maybe they get better as it's a series.

[Renee]

I suppose we all get what we deserve eventually.

This is a solid series so far. Especially if you like Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone, Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone, or Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott and Sigrid Harald.

[Joan]

I loved the first book in this series (it is from the early 90s bit I just discovered it) but this one featured the murder of a cat, which always puts me off of a book/author. I was going to read the series because I liked the first book so much, but now I have had second thoughts.

[Margaret]

meh. old book from the 90s. getting a feel for Mary Kay Andrews to know what to recommend to library patrons. Just couldn't get into it. I can see the series working for certain patrons. kind of a poor man's Kinsey milhone series by Grafton. Also the whole Southern thing just doesn't work for me

[Renee]

Fun, fun, fun! Time spent with Callahan, Edna, Mac & company is always entertaining.

[Kathleen]

Unnecessary rough language

I do not enjoy reading books that contain unnecessary profanity I would think author was capable of getting her point across without the use of profanity