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Myrtle Clover Mysteries #7

Death Pays a Visit

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When psychic (and hubcap retailer) Wanda Alewine pays a late-night visit to Myrtle Clover, she urges the octogenarian sleuth to head straight to Greener Pastures Retirement Home. But Wanda doesn't want Myrtle to consider the Home's dubious amenities--she wants Myrtle to prevent a murder seen in a vision.

Reluctant Myrtle investigates with sidekick Miles, who seems a lot more interested in Greener Pastures than she is. As the duo digs, they uncover more than just Sudoku and Scrabble—they discover a sinister undercurrent… with murder as its outcome.

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2014

102 people are currently reading
480 people want to read

About the author

Elizabeth Spann Craig

91 books479 followers
Author also writes under Elizabeth Craig

Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, the Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries, the Village Library Mysteries, and Memphis Barbeque mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. Find out more about her books and sign up for her newsletter on her website: http://elizabethspanncraig.com . Find her books on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list...

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5 stars
195 (42%)
4 stars
171 (37%)
3 stars
77 (16%)
2 stars
16 (3%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for Joy.
744 reviews
July 15, 2017
Myrtle, Miles, and Wanda come through again. This time we get to see inside the Greener Pastures Retirement Home, and it is as uninviting as Myrtle has told Red all along. I love this series so much.
944 reviews3 followers
November 30, 2023
Fun, a bit heady as written, less a mystery novel, more a comedy play script, complete with stage directions and stage design notes. Which makes it less fun to read, as one has to constantly following the 'blocking' of the characters and track the 'set' changes - without the benefit of the actual visual cues. Suspecting more and more the author hopes for a production company to pick up the short stories and produce as a TV series, which could be fun - I Love Lucy meets the Golden Girls?
Profile Image for Kerry.
344 reviews1 follower
November 18, 2022
I love a cozy mystery when my powers of concentration are low. (Forced rest time due to a little surgery..don’t worry I’ll be up and back on my bike in a few weeks!.) I hadn’t read a Myrtle Clover in a long time and it was nice to revisit. Also knowing the author and the fact that these mysteries take place in my town are bonuses.
Profile Image for Julie Howard.
Author 2 books31 followers
April 2, 2020
I love this series and this book is no exception, you can trust Myrtle to bring a smile to your face In this fun book. I had worked out who the killer was but it was sure fun listening to Myrtle working it out. The characters are what I love best about this series, they always find themselves in trouble but are determined to get to the bottom of it. This is book 7 and even through they are stand alone books I think it really helps if you know the background behind the characters, such as things like the long running gnome fight between Myrtle and her son, the history of Pasha the cat and the neighbour, all very funny.
Myrtle has finally been talked into to going to Greener pastures retirement home and it only took the direr threat of a murder to make it happen. Wanda the psychic has seen that someone is going to die, she doesn't know who,why, when or even who the killer is but she wants Miles and Myrtle to stop it. Myrtle and Miles discover that Wanda just might be on to something and despite there best efforts there's a murder. Fearing there might just be another murder the pair start to spend a lot of time in the home asking questions and making friends, well Miles does. Can the pair get to the bottom of the mystery before Red finally gets his way and Myrtle is given her very own room?
I did like the narrator but having listened to the previous books it took a while to get use to the new voice and Myrtle just didn't sound right.
Profile Image for megan donaldson.
222 reviews1 follower
August 7, 2022
Solid writing and good twists

Solid writing and good twists. I wish we had half stars or could rate each section. Plot....twists like an Agatha Christie loved that. Characters... Myrtle had some backstory and I liked that I wasn't a huge fan of some of the retirement community members in the story. Some of the most wonderful people I have met (I'm in my 30s) are all living in retirement communities of sorts. My experience with the people is a bit more broad and this was a bit small that they appeared school aged in cattiness and such. I does happen, but overall I've seen community for widows/widower, sharing of beliefs and skills from previous life experiences and a sense of a new family. I guess as Green Pastures is Myrtle's nemesis, having it be less desirable makes sense. Myrtle is always 5 stars for me and her friendship with Miles gets ever better.
1,875 reviews1 follower
July 31, 2021
When psychic (and hubcap retailer) Wanda Alewine pays a late-night visit to Myrtle Clover, she urges the octogenarian sleuth to head straight to Greener Pastures Retirement Home. But Wanda doesn't want Myrtle to consider the Home's dubious amenities--she wants Myrtle to prevent a murder seen in a vision. Reluctant Myrtle investigates with sidekick Miles, who seems a lot more interested in Greener Pastures than she is. As the duo digs, they uncover more than just Sudoku and Scrabble—they discover a sinister undercurrent… with murder as its outcome. [amazon synopsis]

Took a while to get to the mystery. Surprise ending. Good cozy.

Profile Image for Chris.
127 reviews3 followers
March 28, 2022
I am really enjoying this fun series, of which this is # 7. Written in such a humorous style, I love the thoughts and remarks by Myrtle. I have all ten of them, so will be a bit upset when I have read the next 3. Octogenarian Myrtle and friend and sidekick Miles try to solve the next murder mystery before her cop son Red, who lives opposite, does. Myrtle often gets clues from Wanda (hubcap retailer and Psychic) but they are very cryptic. Miles was horrified to find out that Wanda is a cousin. Poor Wanda lives out on a rural road and her car is up on cinder blocks. Read these if you want a lighthearted, fun read to relax and unwind.
Profile Image for kathy.
1,469 reviews
May 27, 2017
I read this book as a standalone book and didn't realize it was part of a series. I really love the main character Myrtle!! She has spunk and she is smart. I love the gnomes that she puts out when she's upset with her son Red who currently is out of commission with knee replacement surgery. She has a great side kick in her neighbor, Miles who goes along for the ride helping her investigate the mystery at Green Pastures retirement home. The story was engaging for me and held my interest throughout! I really enjoyed it!
Profile Image for tami burden.
104 reviews2 followers
October 10, 2018
Super Myrtle

Myrtle is at it again along with her trusty sidekick Miles. Although we find her leaning more on Wanda because Miles isn't really pulling his wait. And Red is down for the count much like Puddings lovelife, the gnomes are out and Greener Pastures doesn't know what hit them. A must read as usual. I really wish I could visit this world as regularly as Tomorrow 's Promise hooks all who watch it.
Profile Image for Bette.
785 reviews
July 1, 2022
Octogenarian Myrtle Clover and her sidekick Miles set out to solve a murder that is about to happen. Wanda, Myrtle's psychic friend and Mile's rather disreputable cousin has come to Myrtle because of a vision of murder that is about to happen. Wanda only knows that the victim is a sharp-tongued woman at Greener Pastures Retirement Home. Though Myrtle dislikes the retirement home she won't forgo an opportunity to solve a mystery.
I am enjoying this series.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,381 reviews1 follower
September 8, 2020
Love this series. Myrtle is occasionally a little too ascerbic towards Miles but otherwise sharp lady dealing with interesting characters. In this book, Myrtle and Miles find out about a murder that hasn't even happened yet. This series has had several narrators and Linda Kimbrough was quite good.
Profile Image for Shelley.
180 reviews13 followers
March 11, 2021
Fun Series

Myrtle Clover is a great female lead character. She is sassy, funny, and intuitive.

The stories are formulaic and somewhat predictable, but quite entertaining fast reads.
6 reviews
August 13, 2017
Great story. I love the all the Myrtle Clover stories as an easy read. It was fun for a change getting to learn more about the retirement home and for another officer to be in charge.
Profile Image for Sandra.
1,015 reviews9 followers
January 19, 2019
3.5 stars. Not as funny as earlier books in the series, but ok.
Profile Image for Lina Hansen.
Author 7 books66 followers
August 30, 2019
This is the archetype of the cozy mystery. A Miss Marple style sleuth and her male sidekick and a lovely rural setting.
Agatha Christie gone to the US and channelling the 21st century. Love it!
40 reviews2 followers
March 2, 2020
Great series

I love the characters and stories in this series. So glad I found this author. Totally enjoying these books. Highly recommend this author.
9 reviews1 follower
August 24, 2025
Red wanted Myrtle to give Greener Pastures a try. Don't think this is what he had in mind. Love this series. Myrtle and Miles are very entertaining sleuths.
Profile Image for Cassie Kelley.
Author 5 books13 followers
July 10, 2023
Myrtle Clover has made it no secret that she disdains the Greener Pastures Retirement Home. So the last thing she expects is to willingly walk through their doors. But when Wanda, a trusted friend with the Sight, comes to her and reports that a murder will soon happen at the Home, she finally has some interest in the home.

But when she visits, she discovers a tight-lipped community that doesn’t give up their secrets lightly. Wanda has given details, but they are vague, and Myrtle is unable to prevent the murder. But then she finally gets into her territory of amateur sleuth, and she begins to dig deeper. What she discovers is a web of deceit and secrets that is stickier than she could ever imagine. And with a friend in danger, Myrtle must hurry before another body turns up. But can she survive this clever killer? Or is her time finally up?

At the moment, this is my second favorite Myrtle Clover book. The characters are great, we get more of Myrtle’s history, and there is a surprising twist that left me shocked. This is one of the best books in the series so far, and it was so much fun to heave a change in setting. I don’t think Myrtle is going to live at Greener Pastures anytime soon, but she’ll certainly solve any mystery she can.

If you love Myrtle Clover, this is a great book for you. She’s full of her usual sass, and this time she’s around more of her peers than usual. So there’s plenty of fun dialogue to laugh through, and the setting is unique in the series, with most of the sleuthing taking place in one general area. This is a fun book, and I think you could enjoy this without having read any of the others (though it’s better if you have). This is a fun detective story with a shocking killer. One of my favorites.
Profile Image for SalScamander.
350 reviews
February 14, 2017
Loved this book. These books are brilliant. They're funny, interesting & keep you hooked right to the end. Definitely worth a read.
Profile Image for Massanutten Regional Library.
2,882 reviews73 followers
June 24, 2015
Sandra, Shenandoah patron, June 2015, 4 stars:

Death Pays a Visit is in the Myrtle Clover series written by Elizabeth Spann Craig. I have read the entire series through this one and have enjoyed each one. I love the antics of Myrtle, a lady of age who is discouraged from driving, walks with a cane and has a neighbor, Miles, who is her partner in crime solving and official wheels when she needs to get somewhere. This book is set in Greener Pastures Home for the Elderly, the very place that Myrtle's son Red has been trying to talk Myrtle into calling home in her later years. In the end Red sees that Greener Pastures may not be a great place to spend you last days as Myrtle figures out the secreats that lurk around every corner and the "who done it" in this facility for the elderly. Myrtle is Miss Marple with a kick.
Profile Image for Laura Cushing.
557 reviews13 followers
February 8, 2015
Number 7 in the Myrtle Clover series- I've read and loved them all. This installment has Myrtle's psychic friend Wanda dropping in with a cryptic message that there will soon be a murder at the Greener Pastures Retirement Home.

Feisty Myrtle has been trying to keep out of that home for years, in spite of her son Red wanting her to retire to there. But now she and her sidekick / best friend Miles must go investigate and blend in with the seniors there to find a killer.

Like the other Myrtle books, it was full of fun and laugh out loud moments. The mystery was well plotted and the end was a surprise.

Can't wait for more Myrtle Clover - one of my favorite cozy mystery series ever.
Profile Image for Amanda.
194 reviews26 followers
February 22, 2016
Death Pays a Visit

Myrtle's friend and psychic Wa.David delivers a cryptic message that sends Myrtle and Miles out to the retirement home of Greener Pastures. Under the pretext of visiting her friend Ruby, Myrtle starts investigating only to stumble onto a body. Deemed a natural death, Myrtle isn't convinced and has her son open an investigation and she sets out investigating on her own. When her investigation leads to her own life being threatened, will she put all the pieces together in time or will she end up a casualty herself? Delightful characters, humorous storyline, great plot & setting- I'll be looking for more Myrtle Clover Mysteries.
45 reviews
January 30, 2016
Great book!

I've read all the Myrtle Clover books and they just keep getting better. Death Pays a Visit is fast paced (well as fast paced as a octogenarian can get). Myrtle is a hoot and the other characters blend quite well into the story. I was shocked when Myrtle actually spent the night at Greener Pastures! Anyone who has read this series knows how much Myrtle hates Greener Pastures. I highly recommend this book, especially if you like cozy mysteries. Elizabeth Spann Craig is a fantastic writer. She also writes under other names.
Profile Image for Gantwick.
7 reviews
June 26, 2015
Another fun read

I enjoy reading the adventures of Myrtle (and her sidekick, Miles). Things start off at a casual pace until Myrtle gets on somebody's bad side (not always the "bad guy"), and then the fun begins.
It missed five stars due to a bit of confusion - perhaps another round of proofreading would have cleared up a couple of missteps.
Overall, I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a quick, and often funny, mystery.
Profile Image for Nola Arganbright.
1,592 reviews32 followers
June 29, 2015
I can't get enough of Myrtle Clover! I love her quirky antics and personality! You never know what she might say or do when she is out to solve a murder! Miles is the perfect sidekick for her. Red her son and the town's law enforcement officer becomes as exasperated with her as my son's do with me at times.
I want to Myrtle Clover when I grow up!
Profile Image for Val.
1,385 reviews7 followers
July 27, 2022
Death at a retirement community is only natural right? Not when it's MURDER! Myrtle has her work cut out for her this time. Not only does she have a murder to solve but she has to keep Miles from wanting to move to Greener Pastures Retirement Home. All in a days work for our octogenarian friend, but when the killer is much closer than she thinks it could be lights out for Myrtle.
91 reviews
December 8, 2015
Great easy read

I love the Myrtle Clover Mysteries. A little twist in the end Myrtle always finds the murderer. She also smooths out problems with Puddin and shows real affection for her housekeeper and lawn person.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

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