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The Darling Dahlias #5
The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush
The New York Times bestselling author of the China Bayles Mysteries takes readers back to Darling, Alabama, in the spring of 1933—where the women of the Darling Dahlias’ garden club are betting their bottom dollar there’s going to be trouble…
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 “funny money” 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 bank’s new vice president, Alvin Duffy—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 don’t just go away when there’s a crisis. There’ll be no pennies from heaven, but if anyone can balance things out, folks can bank on the Darling Dahlias…
INCLUDES SOUTHERN-STYLE DEPRESSION-ERA RECIPES!
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 “funny money” 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 bank’s new vice president, Alvin Duffy—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 don’t just go away when there’s a crisis. There’ll be no pennies from heaven, but if anyone can balance things out, folks can bank on the Darling Dahlias…
INCLUDES SOUTHERN-STYLE DEPRESSION-ERA RECIPES!
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2014
66 people are currently reading
916 people want to read
About the author
Susan Wittig Albert
120 books2,375 followersSusan is the author/co-author of biographical/historical fiction, mysteries, and nonfiction. Now in her 80s and continuing to write, she says that retirement is not (yet) an option. She publishes under her own imprint. Here are her latest books.
A PLAIN VANILLA MURDER, #27 in the long-running China Bayles/Pecan Springs series.
Two Pecan Springs novella trilogies: The Crystal Cave Trilogy (featuring Ruby Wilcox): noBODY, SomeBODY Else, and Out of BODY; and The Enterprise Trilogy (featuring Jessica Nelson): DEADLINES, FAULTLINES, and FIRELINES.
THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE POINSETTIA PUZZLE #8 in the Darling Dahlias series, set in the early 1930s in fictional Darling AL
THE GENERAL'S WOMEN. Kay, Mamie, and Ike--the wartime romance that won a war but could have derailed a presidency.
LOVING ELEANOR: A novel about the intimate 30-year friendship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, based on their letters
A WILDER ROSE: the true story of Rose Wilder Lane, who transformed her mother from a farm wife and occasional writer to a literary icon
THE TALE OF CASTLE COTTAGE, #8 in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter
DEATH ON THE LIZARD, the 12th and last (2006) of the Robin Paige series, by Susan and Bill Albert
TOGETHER, ALONE: A MEMOIR OF MARRIAGE AND PLACE
AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR OF ORDINARY DAYS
WORK OF HER OWN: A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
WRITING FROM LIFE: TELLING YOUR SOUL'S STORY
A PLAIN VANILLA MURDER, #27 in the long-running China Bayles/Pecan Springs series.
Two Pecan Springs novella trilogies: The Crystal Cave Trilogy (featuring Ruby Wilcox): noBODY, SomeBODY Else, and Out of BODY; and The Enterprise Trilogy (featuring Jessica Nelson): DEADLINES, FAULTLINES, and FIRELINES.
THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE POINSETTIA PUZZLE #8 in the Darling Dahlias series, set in the early 1930s in fictional Darling AL
THE GENERAL'S WOMEN. Kay, Mamie, and Ike--the wartime romance that won a war but could have derailed a presidency.
LOVING ELEANOR: A novel about the intimate 30-year friendship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, based on their letters
A WILDER ROSE: the true story of Rose Wilder Lane, who transformed her mother from a farm wife and occasional writer to a literary icon
THE TALE OF CASTLE COTTAGE, #8 in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter
DEATH ON THE LIZARD, the 12th and last (2006) of the Robin Paige series, by Susan and Bill Albert
TOGETHER, ALONE: A MEMOIR OF MARRIAGE AND PLACE
AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR OF ORDINARY DAYS
WORK OF HER OWN: A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
WRITING FROM LIFE: TELLING YOUR SOUL'S STORY
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
March 9, 2018
Another good installment in the Dahlias sage - I really enjoy these characters so much.
July 22, 2018
Once again we visit the small town of Darling, Alabama, and its No. 1 women's club, the Darling Dahlias Club. It is 1933, during the dark years of the Depression and the story opens with the bank closed and the town's folk wondering what they will do for money. Without it, the stores are not selling merchandise or ordering more; farmers can't sell their produce and commerce may come to a squealing halt. The only business not struggling is the moonshiner and the town is getting desperate.
But this is Darling and its womenfolk are busy helping each other and their town. While the bank's new vice president floats a plan to print Darling Dollars to keep commerce moving, the women are busy uncovering a couple of mysteries and lost loves. This is a sweet series that is not so much about the mystery but the lovely wonderful women who give this town its character and appeal. So sit down to a sweet tea, or a mint julep under a broad magnolia tree and enjoy a look back to a bygone era and a period of time that had its difficulties and its rewards.
But this is Darling and its womenfolk are busy helping each other and their town. While the bank's new vice president floats a plan to print Darling Dollars to keep commerce moving, the women are busy uncovering a couple of mysteries and lost loves. This is a sweet series that is not so much about the mystery but the lovely wonderful women who give this town its character and appeal. So sit down to a sweet tea, or a mint julep under a broad magnolia tree and enjoy a look back to a bygone era and a period of time that had its difficulties and its rewards.
December 5, 2015
It’s 1933, and the little town of Darling, Alabama is running out of money. Its only bank has closed, and depositors are out of luck. Businesses can’t meet payroll commitments. People can’t buy necessities, let alone luxuries. Shops, even if they could extend credit, can’t restock their shelves without funds. Only Mickey LeDoux, supplier of moonshine while folks await the end of prohibition, seems to be doing okay—for the time being, anyway.
Who is to blame for the bank’s closing and the town’s woes? Is it the former bank president, who sold the failing financial institution to a big corporation and quickly retired? Perhaps it’s the new president, Alvin Duffy, the person who proposes saving the town by issuing scrip, which seems like counterfeit money to some mistrusting townspeople. And what about Charlie Dickens, the drunken newspaper man, the one who agrees to print the scrip and then somehow “loses” it? Verna Tidwell, acting county treasurer and an officer of the Darling Dahlias Garden Club, resolves to find out who can or cannot be trusted.
If you haven’t read any of the four previous Darling Dahlias mysteries, you’ll delight in the personalities and foibles of the various Dahlia Club members and their fellow townspeople. There’s a guide at the beginning of the book in case you become confused by the plethora of characters. But not to worry—by the time Verna Tidwell gets busy checking out clues, you’ll know the main character, the town of Darling, quite well. During the Great Depression, the welfare of the town depends on the fortunes of the country and the deeds of the townsfolk. The Dahlias are committed to the preservation of Darling and stand ready to deal with its challenges.
Enjoy this book on its own, as I did, or start with the first book in the series and learn to know all the Dahlias well, as I want to do now I’ve been introduced. These gals seem to have grit enough to cope with the times and the crimes to take care of their town.
Who is to blame for the bank’s closing and the town’s woes? Is it the former bank president, who sold the failing financial institution to a big corporation and quickly retired? Perhaps it’s the new president, Alvin Duffy, the person who proposes saving the town by issuing scrip, which seems like counterfeit money to some mistrusting townspeople. And what about Charlie Dickens, the drunken newspaper man, the one who agrees to print the scrip and then somehow “loses” it? Verna Tidwell, acting county treasurer and an officer of the Darling Dahlias Garden Club, resolves to find out who can or cannot be trusted.
If you haven’t read any of the four previous Darling Dahlias mysteries, you’ll delight in the personalities and foibles of the various Dahlia Club members and their fellow townspeople. There’s a guide at the beginning of the book in case you become confused by the plethora of characters. But not to worry—by the time Verna Tidwell gets busy checking out clues, you’ll know the main character, the town of Darling, quite well. During the Great Depression, the welfare of the town depends on the fortunes of the country and the deeds of the townsfolk. The Dahlias are committed to the preservation of Darling and stand ready to deal with its challenges.
Enjoy this book on its own, as I did, or start with the first book in the series and learn to know all the Dahlias well, as I want to do now I’ve been introduced. These gals seem to have grit enough to cope with the times and the crimes to take care of their town.
October 1, 2014
This is a such captivating series. I love the Dahlias, and this series keeps getting better and better. Susan Wittig Albert has a natural talent when it comes to creating fictional worlds inhabited by fictional characters. Her books and the people in them are just so darn real! She's got a great sense of time and place, so whether I'm in modern-day Texas with China and her friends, or in 1930's Darling, Alabama with the Dahlias, I feel right at home. Her wonderful characters are truly dear friends to me and I just can't wait until the next new book comes out. In this book the Dahlias, led by Verna and Liz, find their little town in dire straits. The town's only bank has shut down for a "bank holiday" and no one know for how long, or if it will even reopen. Times are tough in Darling in April of 1933 as it is all over with the Great Depression, but the Dahlias pull together and work with other leading town residents to try to bring their little town back from the abyss. This is a beautiful, idyllic little book with so much human interest within its covers. My suggestion, begin with Book One and get introduced to the Darling Dahlias. You'll be glad you did.
January 2, 2017
Swung back into 1933, in Darling, Alabama with the Darling Dahlias, we learn about Scrip, a form of money printed during the Bank Holidays. The Bank Holiday was declared by the newly elected President Roosevelt in order to stop the bank crashes. Some communities were lucky and the banks were able to recover, but many small towns ended up as 'ghost towns.'
Darling's bank is sold (to the community's shock.) A Louisiana Bank takes it over, but finds that it is almost bankrupt. The need to provide payrolls (Coca-Cola, Purina, etc. ) had their assets frozen within the one bank. Time to learn about Scrip and how it would work.
Other scandals are also happening. Prohibition is still law and the moonshine is still a fact of daily living. Surprise weddings and surprise funerals hit the small town. The Dahlias are attempting to keep their vegetable garden feeding the needy and planting flowers to keep the morale up.
This was an interesting look inside the life of the deep South during a period that some of our Grandparents and Parents lived. Remember Party Telephone lines...I do.
This novel is historically correct. Enjoy!
Darling's bank is sold (to the community's shock.) A Louisiana Bank takes it over, but finds that it is almost bankrupt. The need to provide payrolls (Coca-Cola, Purina, etc. ) had their assets frozen within the one bank. Time to learn about Scrip and how it would work.
Other scandals are also happening. Prohibition is still law and the moonshine is still a fact of daily living. Surprise weddings and surprise funerals hit the small town. The Dahlias are attempting to keep their vegetable garden feeding the needy and planting flowers to keep the morale up.
This was an interesting look inside the life of the deep South during a period that some of our Grandparents and Parents lived. Remember Party Telephone lines...I do.
This novel is historically correct. Enjoy!
September 29, 2014
These are so enjoyable to read and was an excellent distraction on a day when technology was not my friend.
October 19, 2019
Whew! A whirlwind of small town life in this installment of the garden club. A good read.
April 11, 2018
Since I love the China Bayles series, I wanted to try a Darling Dahlias book. Now I want to read all of the books! The Darling Dahlias are members of a garden club that not only cares for flowers and plants in a small town in Alabama in the thirties, but also a support, friendship group for most of the women. I enjoyed the garden club theme, the characters, the mystery telling, and the time period. There was a lot I learned about life in the 1930s from stills to "funny" money. I did not feel lost as a reader, because I started with book #5.
August 5, 2022
Here I go again, I guess you could say I’m addicted to this silly southern series that takes place during the 1930’s Depression. It will never rise above three stars but it is quick fill in between more “sophisticated literature.” The author always leaves it so I have to read the next episode!! Off to Book #6.
PS - is the author trying to tell us that Myra May is a lesbian? She seems to move her one more step in that direction with each book.
PS - is the author trying to tell us that Myra May is a lesbian? She seems to move her one more step in that direction with each book.
August 27, 2022
I really enjoy this series but this volume didn’t have as much positivity as most of the books in this series. Just a bit sadder than the others. I’m still glad that I read it though.
November 5, 2018
Reading about life in small towns is always refreshing. Not too many people understand the. Struggles that a community faced together. The characters seemed real .
October 24, 2014
Originally post on Smitten by Books Blog
For fans of: Ann Purser
It’s April of 1933 and the country is in the grips of a crushing economic depression. The people of Darling, Alabama are barely scraping by, so when Darling Savings and Trust closes without warning, leaving its customers with nothing but the cash in their pockets, panic ensues. The bank’s owner has retreated to his house, and while the institution’s new vice president supposedly has a top-secret plan to save the day, the townsfolk are unwilling to pin all their hopes on a stranger. Is the bank closed for good? Is their money gone? What will become of Darling and its citizens?
The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush is the fifth of Susan Witting Albert’s Darling Dahlias Mysteries. It’s the third I’ve read in this series, and while I’ve grown quite fond of the characters who inhabit Albert’s fictional universe and always appreciate the chance to catch up on their lives, to call this book a mystery would be a blatant mischaracterization.
Like all of Albert’s tales, The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush is a well-mannered, character-driven tale that paints a vivid picture of a time in history about which I know very little. Albert does a marvelous job transporting the reader back to 1933 small-town Alabama, when food was scarce, owning gold was illegal, and banks could fold and take your money with them. And there’s no shortage of drama here; in fact, Albert puts the residents of Darling through the wringer. But while I generally enjoyed my read of The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush, the mystery element is so mild and accounts for so little of the story that when it came time for me to write this review, I had to think long and hard on whether there actually was one. Without a puzzle for the characters to solve, the book feels a bit unfocused. There’s no investigation to drive the narration, and as a result, the story doesn’t have a climax – it just ends.
If you read Susan Witting Albert’s Darling Dahlias Mysteries for the characters, The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush won’t disappoint; if you’re expecting a whodunit, though, Albert’s latest can’t help but leave you wanting.
Reviewed by Kat
For fans of: Ann Purser
It’s April of 1933 and the country is in the grips of a crushing economic depression. The people of Darling, Alabama are barely scraping by, so when Darling Savings and Trust closes without warning, leaving its customers with nothing but the cash in their pockets, panic ensues. The bank’s owner has retreated to his house, and while the institution’s new vice president supposedly has a top-secret plan to save the day, the townsfolk are unwilling to pin all their hopes on a stranger. Is the bank closed for good? Is their money gone? What will become of Darling and its citizens?
The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush is the fifth of Susan Witting Albert’s Darling Dahlias Mysteries. It’s the third I’ve read in this series, and while I’ve grown quite fond of the characters who inhabit Albert’s fictional universe and always appreciate the chance to catch up on their lives, to call this book a mystery would be a blatant mischaracterization.
Like all of Albert’s tales, The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush is a well-mannered, character-driven tale that paints a vivid picture of a time in history about which I know very little. Albert does a marvelous job transporting the reader back to 1933 small-town Alabama, when food was scarce, owning gold was illegal, and banks could fold and take your money with them. And there’s no shortage of drama here; in fact, Albert puts the residents of Darling through the wringer. But while I generally enjoyed my read of The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush, the mystery element is so mild and accounts for so little of the story that when it came time for me to write this review, I had to think long and hard on whether there actually was one. Without a puzzle for the characters to solve, the book feels a bit unfocused. There’s no investigation to drive the narration, and as a result, the story doesn’t have a climax – it just ends.
If you read Susan Witting Albert’s Darling Dahlias Mysteries for the characters, The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush won’t disappoint; if you’re expecting a whodunit, though, Albert’s latest can’t help but leave you wanting.
Reviewed by Kat
October 9, 2014
The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar is the fifth book in the Darling Dahlias Garden Club series. The location is Darling Alabama and the time is 1933. Franklin Roosevelt has been newly elected and the country is in a deep depression. Banks have been closed through out the country and there is a lack of money. Payrolls can't be met and people lack the funds to buy the basics. The Darling Savings and Trust Bank was closed and then reopened. Then it is mysteriously closed again and the town of Darling is in very dire straits. The future of Darling is in question if the bank doesn't open again.
This book was more about the characters and their daily lives as they go though this very difficult time than it was a mystery, There were questions to be answered as to what is going on with the bank and if George Johnson, president of the bank, is involved in the second closing. It is a book about friendship and how the Darling Dahlias support each other as they go through this difficult period.
I love this series. I returned to the 1930's and savored each word as I read this book. The characters grow and go through their own joys and sorrows. One of my favorite scenes was when a Dahlia was broken hearted and she answers a knock at the door. The Darling Dahlias members are there to have a party in the back yard. Each has bought a dish to pass.
This series is a top favorite series for me. It is the characters, the friendships and how they live with the problems that the Depression has dealt them. There were some major changes or possible new beginnings for some of the characters in this period on 1933. I am looking forward to the next book and the return to Darling Alabama..
This book was more about the characters and their daily lives as they go though this very difficult time than it was a mystery, There were questions to be answered as to what is going on with the bank and if George Johnson, president of the bank, is involved in the second closing. It is a book about friendship and how the Darling Dahlias support each other as they go through this difficult period.
I love this series. I returned to the 1930's and savored each word as I read this book. The characters grow and go through their own joys and sorrows. One of my favorite scenes was when a Dahlia was broken hearted and she answers a knock at the door. The Darling Dahlias members are there to have a party in the back yard. Each has bought a dish to pass.
This series is a top favorite series for me. It is the characters, the friendships and how they live with the problems that the Depression has dealt them. There were some major changes or possible new beginnings for some of the characters in this period on 1933. I am looking forward to the next book and the return to Darling Alabama..
October 22, 2017
First of all, let me say that this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I read it over the course of two days during my Thanksgiving vacation, and wanted to write up this review before I started the last book in the series. It was an easy, entertaining read, much like the rest of the series has been - it's still a familiar, comfortable universe the author has created, even as she brings new faces into it.
That being said, I don't think you can read this book out of order with the others. I mean, you can, but so much of the gut-punching relies on you knowing the past plots the Dahlias have had to deal with, both the actual mystery stories as well as the secondary threads that draw the characters together in their tiny little town.
The mystery mentioned in the summary is actually like the third or fourth plotline in the book, and it takes all of a chapter to solve. Everybody is far more interested in - and spends way more time talking about - Mickey LeDoux's ongoing battle with the Revenue agents, and Liz Lacy's terrible luck with love.
Let's start with LeDoux. This has been a running plotline in all of the books, because his moonshine is the town's favorite, and it's sold right off the shelf in Mann's Mercantile (you just have to know who to ask). The revenue agents have been after his operation for awhile, and this particular agent, Kinnard, is hellbent on finding it and smashing it. Which seems rather on the pointless side, considering Prohibition is well on its way to being repealed, even in perpetually-dry Alabama. Most of the Darling residents are on LeDoux's side, not only because they enjoy his brew, but also because he's related to quite a few folks, and employs even more than that. Considering the shortage of money and available jobs, people are even willing to risk their lives and limbs to work in the backwoods and swamps making illegal whiskey.
The battle between LeDoux and the Agent Kinnard takes a front seat here, and it ends with (wholly unnecessary) tragedy. It will be interesting to see if the antagonist of this one gets his comeuppance in the final novel, because the whole town was talking about it (and most of them attended the funeral).
The other major bit of gossip going 'round is about Grady Alexander, Liz Lacy's longtime beau. Spoiler: there's no "maybes" about it, he's having a shotgun wedding because he got another girl pregnant, and the whole town is buzzing with the news. Grady at least had the decency to tell Liz himself before she heard the rumors, and it devastates her, but not quite in the way you'd imagine. In the end, her boss Mr. Moseley offers to let her leave for a temporary part-time job in Montgomery, wanting to help her escape the malicious talk going around (and the fact that Grady is moving to a house on her block with his new young bride).
Finally, there is the mystery with the Darling Savings & Trust. It's been mysteriously shut down, and nobody really knows why. The whole town is on edge about it, especially when the rumors start that the long-time bank president (and husband of a Dahlia member) George E. Pickett Johnson is no longer in charge. Instead, a slick city man from New Orleans named Alvin Duffy has rolled into town as the new VP, and he's determined to get cash money circulating around Darling again, even if its in the form of monopoly money. A lot of town elders are opposed to this measure, but are eventually browbeaten into conforming by a combination of the force of Mr. Duffy's personality and long-time commissioner Amos Tombull, who played a role in a previously featured mystery plot.
Verna is brought into the mess as acting county treasurer, and she's skeptical of Mr. Duffy from the start. The only problem is that he's pulled his Romeo act on her as well, and she's found herself taken in by it. So she's torn by her natural skepticism and her attraction to him, but is determined to get down to the truth of the matter.
Verna and Liz are the featured Dahlias in this book, with a small sideline to Myra May and Violet (Myra May is incredibly jealous when Mr. Duffy starts hitting on Violet, and makes her feelings known to one and all, pretty much). There is a lot of non-Dahlia character focus, especially on newspaperman Charlie Dickens. He's not only running off (and subsequently losing) the Darling Dollars scrip, but he's also trying to rescue his relationship with the newly-returned Fannie Champaign.
Just like the first book, however, all of the plotlines eventually weave together in an interesting way, and the puzzles are solved in a similar fashion. I was able to guess pretty much right off the bat who had stolen the scrip money, so that's not a tough one to figure out. More interesting (to me) was Verna delving into Mr. Duffy's past to suss out his motives and future plans for their bank, and Liz dealing with the fallout from Grady's betrayal and subsequent marriage.
Just like the first book, too, it is the women of the town who come to the rescue (at least as far as the bank is concerned). I am really enjoying all this female power in such a traditional small Depression-era Southern town. It doesn't really feel out of place, which is nice =)
The focus has expanded off the (main) Dahlias, which is a bit of a letdown, but the characters at the center of this story are just as interesting, IMO. It's nice to visit with the rest of the town, so to speak, which is why I gave this one a B.
And as an aside - the parallels of reading this series right now, in this political climate, are starting to become a little creepy. We pretty much will need another New Deal to get out of our own way, considering the mess our economy is in. The last book features Roosevelt's Tree Army and the CCC camps, so it'll be interesting to read about those and decide if such a thing would be relevant again, nearly 100 years later.
That being said, I don't think you can read this book out of order with the others. I mean, you can, but so much of the gut-punching relies on you knowing the past plots the Dahlias have had to deal with, both the actual mystery stories as well as the secondary threads that draw the characters together in their tiny little town.
The mystery mentioned in the summary is actually like the third or fourth plotline in the book, and it takes all of a chapter to solve. Everybody is far more interested in - and spends way more time talking about - Mickey LeDoux's ongoing battle with the Revenue agents, and Liz Lacy's terrible luck with love.
Let's start with LeDoux. This has been a running plotline in all of the books, because his moonshine is the town's favorite, and it's sold right off the shelf in Mann's Mercantile (you just have to know who to ask). The revenue agents have been after his operation for awhile, and this particular agent, Kinnard, is hellbent on finding it and smashing it. Which seems rather on the pointless side, considering Prohibition is well on its way to being repealed, even in perpetually-dry Alabama. Most of the Darling residents are on LeDoux's side, not only because they enjoy his brew, but also because he's related to quite a few folks, and employs even more than that. Considering the shortage of money and available jobs, people are even willing to risk their lives and limbs to work in the backwoods and swamps making illegal whiskey.
The battle between LeDoux and the Agent Kinnard takes a front seat here, and it ends with (wholly unnecessary) tragedy. It will be interesting to see if the antagonist of this one gets his comeuppance in the final novel, because the whole town was talking about it (and most of them attended the funeral).
The other major bit of gossip going 'round is about Grady Alexander, Liz Lacy's longtime beau. Spoiler: there's no "maybes" about it, he's having a shotgun wedding because he got another girl pregnant, and the whole town is buzzing with the news. Grady at least had the decency to tell Liz himself before she heard the rumors, and it devastates her, but not quite in the way you'd imagine. In the end, her boss Mr. Moseley offers to let her leave for a temporary part-time job in Montgomery, wanting to help her escape the malicious talk going around (and the fact that Grady is moving to a house on her block with his new young bride).
Finally, there is the mystery with the Darling Savings & Trust. It's been mysteriously shut down, and nobody really knows why. The whole town is on edge about it, especially when the rumors start that the long-time bank president (and husband of a Dahlia member) George E. Pickett Johnson is no longer in charge. Instead, a slick city man from New Orleans named Alvin Duffy has rolled into town as the new VP, and he's determined to get cash money circulating around Darling again, even if its in the form of monopoly money. A lot of town elders are opposed to this measure, but are eventually browbeaten into conforming by a combination of the force of Mr. Duffy's personality and long-time commissioner Amos Tombull, who played a role in a previously featured mystery plot.
Verna is brought into the mess as acting county treasurer, and she's skeptical of Mr. Duffy from the start. The only problem is that he's pulled his Romeo act on her as well, and she's found herself taken in by it. So she's torn by her natural skepticism and her attraction to him, but is determined to get down to the truth of the matter.
Verna and Liz are the featured Dahlias in this book, with a small sideline to Myra May and Violet (Myra May is incredibly jealous when Mr. Duffy starts hitting on Violet, and makes her feelings known to one and all, pretty much). There is a lot of non-Dahlia character focus, especially on newspaperman Charlie Dickens. He's not only running off (and subsequently losing) the Darling Dollars scrip, but he's also trying to rescue his relationship with the newly-returned Fannie Champaign.
Just like the first book, however, all of the plotlines eventually weave together in an interesting way, and the puzzles are solved in a similar fashion. I was able to guess pretty much right off the bat who had stolen the scrip money, so that's not a tough one to figure out. More interesting (to me) was Verna delving into Mr. Duffy's past to suss out his motives and future plans for their bank, and Liz dealing with the fallout from Grady's betrayal and subsequent marriage.
Just like the first book, too, it is the women of the town who come to the rescue (at least as far as the bank is concerned). I am really enjoying all this female power in such a traditional small Depression-era Southern town. It doesn't really feel out of place, which is nice =)
The focus has expanded off the (main) Dahlias, which is a bit of a letdown, but the characters at the center of this story are just as interesting, IMO. It's nice to visit with the rest of the town, so to speak, which is why I gave this one a B.
And as an aside - the parallels of reading this series right now, in this political climate, are starting to become a little creepy. We pretty much will need another New Deal to get out of our own way, considering the mess our economy is in. The last book features Roosevelt's Tree Army and the CCC camps, so it'll be interesting to read about those and decide if such a thing would be relevant again, nearly 100 years later.
September 9, 2014
The ladies of the garden club that gives this series its name are involved in various ways with the bank holiday that threatens the town's well-being. There's a lot of basic economics explained, as the new bank vice president proposes using scrip to substitute for money. One of the most popular young women in town is jilted; a woman who has long dismissed romance from her life meets a man who might melt her suspicious heart, and one of the Dahlias reunites with the love of her life. There are two funerals. But--there is really no mystery, and whether or not there's a crime is mostly in the eye of the reader. Well, I guess that those poor 1930's women have solved enough murders--maybe they needed a rest.
January 30, 2015
This series typifies the type of cozy mystery I enjoy reading every now and then. Appeal factors: the Great Depression era, a southern small town and folksy, yet believable characters. No graphic violence. Charming indeed, and since I seem to have missed a few of the other Darling Dahlias titles, I'll order another one from the public library soon. I must add that the author's mother was once a library customer who frequented the library where I worked. I can still picture Mrs. Albert. She was very proud of her daughter and let us know whenever Susan had a new book coming out. Kudos to a wonderful Texas author!
August 1, 2016
This is the most informative of the series. In the previous book we had the bank fail and now Darling is having to deal with that problem. There is a suggestion that the bank could issue scrip, which would help locally, but suppliers wouldn't be willing to accept payment that way. Because this is a very small town it is possible for the author to lay out the whole economic situation very simply and clearly. She does it very well and leaves the situation ready for the next book in the series in which a CCC camp is located in the county. The mysteries are pretty good in this series but it is the way the town deals with the thirties that is most fascinating. It was really good.
September 17, 2017
Another five-star book by Susan Wittig Albert. This series just keeps getting better and I can't wait till the next excursion to depression-era Darling, Alabama. There's history here (always, always, always learn something new) raw emotion, a marvelous cast of characters, and the author's usual marvelous, in-depth writing. I feel like this series is just getting started and I hope it continues for several more books. Light but deep, fun but real. The next book looks like it's going to take an interesting twist, so I'll stay tuned.
November 13, 2015
I found this book off to a very slow start and it was not until I got to the middle that the story picked up and went on to be the typical Darling Dahlias book. I don't know if I could really call this a mystery as there was no real mystery to it except for the disappearance of the "scrip" which was solved by the new bank president, not the Dahlias. I am a big fan of the author and although I've enjoyed the other books in this series, this one did not seem as good. The book leads us to believe that romance is in the air of Darling and that is something to look forward to in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2015
The Depression is at peak and F D Roosevelt has just been elected president. Many banks have closed all the nation including the Darling Trust and Save. Moonshiners are active and the still in Darling has not been found by the revenuers. Mr Duffy is now the bank's president and a has plan to print Darling dollars to start business moving again. The Dahlias are all busy with their lifes and gardens to supply food to those in need.
October 27, 2014
I think I was two chapters away from the end before I realized:
a. no one has been murdered (unless you count Rider-but that's different)
b. there are still plenty of unanswered questions
c. i can't put the book down because I want to see how it will all be resolved.
Great writing. Great storytelling. Who said murder mysteries have to have a murder? Thank you Susan for an enjoyable read.
a. no one has been murdered (unless you count Rider-but that's different)
b. there are still plenty of unanswered questions
c. i can't put the book down because I want to see how it will all be resolved.
Great writing. Great storytelling. Who said murder mysteries have to have a murder? Thank you Susan for an enjoyable read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2019
It would be a stretch to call this entry in the cozy mystery series an actual mystery, but rather it's an historical novel set during the Depression in a southern town with familiar characters dealing with problems. So it was fun and nice but not much mysterious going on, although there's some set-up for mystery in the next volume. Lots of character development here for the members of the garden club.
March 5, 2015
According to the book jacket this was about the disappearance of some money and how the Dahlias solved the mystery. The money didn't disappear until pg. 180, took up about 10-5 pages total of the book and the Dahlias had nothing to do with printing it or solving the mystery!
March 27, 2018
I enjoy this cozy series set in the Great Depression Era in Alabama. This one was less mystery and more little town problems when a bank closes, but it was a fun read.
May 9, 2018
I liked it! Not exactly as mysterious as most mystery books, I wouldn't even really classify it. But a cute vintage hometown story. I would read other books by this author after reading this.
March 3, 2019
Not much of a mystery. But since I read this series for characters, gardening, and recipes that didn't bother me.
April 12, 2019
The plot was fine, but it was so repetitive--updating with information from past books.
April 23, 2019
A fun little story and quick beach read
November 27, 2019
Funny fluff series
October 5, 2020
I love this series!
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