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Southern Ladies Mystery #2
Dead with the Wind
In the second novel in the charming Southern Ladies mystery series, the spry, sleuthing Ducote sisters attend a wedding and uncover an unhappily ever after...
An’gel and Dickce Ducote tend to stay put in Athena, Mississippi, but a wedding is a good reason to say a temporary farewell to Charlie Harris’s cat Diesel and go visit relatives. But while their stay in Louisiana is scorching hot, the atmosphere at the wedding is downright cold, with bride-to-be Sondra Delevan putting her trust fund above little things like love and loyalty.
When a violent storm supposedly sweeps Sondra off a balcony to her death, the sisters discover that many of the guests attending the wedding had major reasons to object to Sondra’s marriage. Now, it’s up to An’gel and Dickce to use their down-home instincts to expose dubious alibis, silver-plated secrets, and one relentless murderer who lives for “till death do us part.”
An’gel and Dickce Ducote tend to stay put in Athena, Mississippi, but a wedding is a good reason to say a temporary farewell to Charlie Harris’s cat Diesel and go visit relatives. But while their stay in Louisiana is scorching hot, the atmosphere at the wedding is downright cold, with bride-to-be Sondra Delevan putting her trust fund above little things like love and loyalty.
When a violent storm supposedly sweeps Sondra off a balcony to her death, the sisters discover that many of the guests attending the wedding had major reasons to object to Sondra’s marriage. Now, it’s up to An’gel and Dickce to use their down-home instincts to expose dubious alibis, silver-plated secrets, and one relentless murderer who lives for “till death do us part.”
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 29, 2015
190 people are currently reading
1090 people want to read
About the author
Miranda James
25 books1,256 followersPen name of Dean James, who also writes as Honor Hartman and Jimmie Ruth Evans
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
August 12, 2022
3 out of 5 stars to Dead with the Wind, the 2nd book in the "Southern Ladies" cozy mystery series, written in 2015 by Miranda James. I enjoyed reading about the two sisters and their rather rude family, feeling almost glad to see the character who died meet her maker this time.
Why This Book
I'd started reading another series by this author, also known as Dean James, and gave the first book in this series a chance earlier in the year. I enjoy the cozy mystery and try to incorporate one in the reading list every three books, just to have something a bit lighter. I'd ordered a couple through Amazon and this one was sitting on the shelf, calling to me. After a few thrillers, it sounded like a perfect comfy book to relax with for a day or two.
Overview of Story
An'gel and Dickce Ducote, two southern sisters, often referred to as old biddies who stick their noses into crimes around the lovely town of Athena, Mississippi, travel to a small Louisiana town to visit their cousin Mireille for her granddaughter's upcoming wedding. They bring along their ward, Benjy, a 20ish young guy who lost his own family in a previous mystery, and their new pet cat and dog. When they arrive, they find the house in a bit of an uproar. Mireille seems to be aging too quickly. Her daughter Jackie cannot control her own daughter, Sondra. Sondra, about to marry a man who has the intellect of a 6-year old, but the face a God, apparently has a 4-year old daughter no one knew about. And the help around the house seem to have an attitude about everything going on.
Sondra, a wicked woman who throws temper tantrums and treats her mother and grandmother quite poorly, suddenly falls off the balcony during a major thunderstorm. It looks like an accident, but when the police learn she had a car accident the previous day, due to the brake lines having been cut, murder is the new game in town. An'gel and Dickce try to keep things calm while figuring out all the mysterious goings-on around the house the last few weeks, but unfortunately, their poor cousin Mireille falls ill and is taken the hospital. Another murder happens. And the Ducote sisters find enough clues to realize between all the wills, someone stood to inherit a lot of money. Could that be the secret killer? As they wind down the mystery, eliminating each suspect, they're left with only one -- and a trap is needed to capture a confession.
Approach & Style
The book is told in past tense by a third person narrator. The narrator changes point of view from focusing on An'gel to Dickce across each chapter, sometimes throwing in a few scenes from the perspective of Benjy, their ward. The language reflects that of an upper-class southern family with historical roots and ties to the area. It's easy to understand and has a few laughs at the differences in sayings and expressions, at least from this northerner. Chapters are around ten pages each, stopping with a scene or perspective change between characters.
Strengths
James does a great job at portraying the two elderly sisters. At 82ish, they seem a little more spry than I'd expect, but you also get a certain southern charm and wit from them. Occasionally, I find them a bit too sensitive or rude, but seeing them slap a few characters around is always a hoot. I'm beginning to see enough differences between the two sisters in this second book, whereas in the first, I felt they were the same character.
The background setting, the description of the house and the extended family, and the dialogue are all good. You feel transported to the southern part of the country and enjoy the removal from every day life.
Benjy is a fun character. He's on the sidelines, but used very well to help with transitions or provide information the sisters wouldn't normally have access to obtain. He's great with kids and animals. I'm sure it's a setup for him to marry into their family down the line in a future book.
Open Questions & Concerns
The mystery had some complexities to it, but it wasn't as strong as it should have been. I liked the various family characters, as well as the extended help with the lawyer, neighbor, maid and butler; however, the reveal of the killer was too weak. The killer's motive wasn't strong, but making it any of the characters who seemed to have a strong motive would have been way too easy. It felt like the plot needed to be flushed out a tiny bit more to have some additional connections between various characters.
Author & Other Similar Books
It's a typical cozy mystery, and a bit similar to an American Miss Marple, in terms of characters. It's not as complex as an Agatha Christie book. The sisters seem like the female version of a James Qwilleran from Lilian Jackson Braun's Cat Who series.
Final Thoughts
I enjoy the characters and the setting, which means I'll come back for more. It's less about the mystery and more about watching how everyone interacts, seeing different parts of the south and exploring the depths of the two sisters' personalities. Given how you feel dropped into a great setting, the books are a good read, especially when it's about 4 hours of your time. Your mind works a little to solve the mystery, and you can usually figure them out on your own.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
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Why This Book
I'd started reading another series by this author, also known as Dean James, and gave the first book in this series a chance earlier in the year. I enjoy the cozy mystery and try to incorporate one in the reading list every three books, just to have something a bit lighter. I'd ordered a couple through Amazon and this one was sitting on the shelf, calling to me. After a few thrillers, it sounded like a perfect comfy book to relax with for a day or two.
Overview of Story
An'gel and Dickce Ducote, two southern sisters, often referred to as old biddies who stick their noses into crimes around the lovely town of Athena, Mississippi, travel to a small Louisiana town to visit their cousin Mireille for her granddaughter's upcoming wedding. They bring along their ward, Benjy, a 20ish young guy who lost his own family in a previous mystery, and their new pet cat and dog. When they arrive, they find the house in a bit of an uproar. Mireille seems to be aging too quickly. Her daughter Jackie cannot control her own daughter, Sondra. Sondra, about to marry a man who has the intellect of a 6-year old, but the face a God, apparently has a 4-year old daughter no one knew about. And the help around the house seem to have an attitude about everything going on.
Sondra, a wicked woman who throws temper tantrums and treats her mother and grandmother quite poorly, suddenly falls off the balcony during a major thunderstorm. It looks like an accident, but when the police learn she had a car accident the previous day, due to the brake lines having been cut, murder is the new game in town. An'gel and Dickce try to keep things calm while figuring out all the mysterious goings-on around the house the last few weeks, but unfortunately, their poor cousin Mireille falls ill and is taken the hospital. Another murder happens. And the Ducote sisters find enough clues to realize between all the wills, someone stood to inherit a lot of money. Could that be the secret killer? As they wind down the mystery, eliminating each suspect, they're left with only one -- and a trap is needed to capture a confession.
Approach & Style
The book is told in past tense by a third person narrator. The narrator changes point of view from focusing on An'gel to Dickce across each chapter, sometimes throwing in a few scenes from the perspective of Benjy, their ward. The language reflects that of an upper-class southern family with historical roots and ties to the area. It's easy to understand and has a few laughs at the differences in sayings and expressions, at least from this northerner. Chapters are around ten pages each, stopping with a scene or perspective change between characters.
Strengths
James does a great job at portraying the two elderly sisters. At 82ish, they seem a little more spry than I'd expect, but you also get a certain southern charm and wit from them. Occasionally, I find them a bit too sensitive or rude, but seeing them slap a few characters around is always a hoot. I'm beginning to see enough differences between the two sisters in this second book, whereas in the first, I felt they were the same character.
The background setting, the description of the house and the extended family, and the dialogue are all good. You feel transported to the southern part of the country and enjoy the removal from every day life.
Benjy is a fun character. He's on the sidelines, but used very well to help with transitions or provide information the sisters wouldn't normally have access to obtain. He's great with kids and animals. I'm sure it's a setup for him to marry into their family down the line in a future book.
Open Questions & Concerns
The mystery had some complexities to it, but it wasn't as strong as it should have been. I liked the various family characters, as well as the extended help with the lawyer, neighbor, maid and butler; however, the reveal of the killer was too weak. The killer's motive wasn't strong, but making it any of the characters who seemed to have a strong motive would have been way too easy. It felt like the plot needed to be flushed out a tiny bit more to have some additional connections between various characters.
Author & Other Similar Books
It's a typical cozy mystery, and a bit similar to an American Miss Marple, in terms of characters. It's not as complex as an Agatha Christie book. The sisters seem like the female version of a James Qwilleran from Lilian Jackson Braun's Cat Who series.
Final Thoughts
I enjoy the characters and the setting, which means I'll come back for more. It's less about the mystery and more about watching how everyone interacts, seeing different parts of the south and exploring the depths of the two sisters' personalities. Given how you feel dropped into a great setting, the books are a good read, especially when it's about 4 hours of your time. Your mind works a little to solve the mystery, and you can usually figure them out on your own.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
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September 6, 2021
I loved this twisty turny adventure with the Ducote sisters. The surprise ending and confrontation was wonderful!
April 1, 2017
Good read. The ladies help figure out why all mayhem has broken out and who caused it.
October 1, 2015
Elderly sisters An’gel and Dickce Ducote travel to Louisiana for their cousin’s granddaughter’s wedding. But what promises to be a fun time catching up with family turns into tragedy when the tension between the various members of the cousin’s family builds to the breaking point. Then a storm comes in and leaves someone dead. But An’gel and Dickce don’t think the death was because of the storm. Can they figure out what is happening?
This book is a wonderful read. The tension is strong from start to finish, and I wasn’t sure what has really happening until the end. The characters are strong as well, and I love spending time with the series regulars. If Agatha Christie were writing books set in the modern day South, this is what she would write.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
This book is a wonderful read. The tension is strong from start to finish, and I wasn’t sure what has really happening until the end. The characters are strong as well, and I love spending time with the series regulars. If Agatha Christie were writing books set in the modern day South, this is what she would write.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
October 6, 2015
Author Miranda James has kicked it up a notch with the long anticipated second book in the Southern Ladies Mystery series and it was worth every minute of the wait. While the first book, BLESS HER DEAD LITTLE HEART was fantastic, DEAD WITH THE WIND is spectacular!
I was so lost in this amazingly well written story I was shocked to be over a hundred pages into it when I realized there hadn’t been a death. Enjoying An’gel and Dickce Ducote and their witty dialog, and sharing in their exasperation of bridezilla Sondra Delevan, I didn’t come up for air until the body was discovered. The story from that point got even better as the search for answers brought up even more questions, all leading up to one of the funniest reveals I have ever read.
Murder, mystery, fun, and southern charm have ensured that the more wonderful books in this series are a done deal!
I was so lost in this amazingly well written story I was shocked to be over a hundred pages into it when I realized there hadn’t been a death. Enjoying An’gel and Dickce Ducote and their witty dialog, and sharing in their exasperation of bridezilla Sondra Delevan, I didn’t come up for air until the body was discovered. The story from that point got even better as the search for answers brought up even more questions, all leading up to one of the funniest reveals I have ever read.
Murder, mystery, fun, and southern charm have ensured that the more wonderful books in this series are a done deal!
February 7, 2016
Wow! This is a whirlwind of a story! An'gel and Dickce Ducote travel to Louisiana to visit relatives and attend a wedding. Joining the sisters is their ward, Benjy, and cute pets...a Labradoodle and Abyssinian cat. They find a mansion filled with clashing, dysfunctional relatives about to drive each other crazy--or to murder. There is constant drama until someone finally reaches the breaking point. The spirited and spritely Southern sisters have had more than enough rudeness and immaturity and prove they can handle any situation with finesse. Bravo!
March 16, 2017
For complete review check out my blog at https://booksaplentybookreviews.blogs...
May 28, 2017
The octogenarian sisters, Misses An'gel and Dickce Ducote have left their home in Athena MS to travel to St. Ignaitusvilla, LA to visit their cousin and to attend Mirelle's granddaughter's wedding. Of course their Abyssinian cat, Endora and Peanut, the labradoodle, have come to visit too. Benjy, the Ducote's ward is also ensconced in a cabin of his own on Willowbanks property.
Jacqueline greets her Godmother and Tante Dickce with warm charm and grace, but Mirelle Champlain looks anxious and frail. Sondra Devlin is her usual self-absorbed, spoiled self. Three days before her wedding has not soften the young bride. Most Bridezillas would be blushing, so awfully impolite and demanding is the bride to be.
After one unpleasant incident after another, the night before her wedding An'gel finds Sondra lying dead on the front yard. Her death eerily matching the circumstance of another young bride 100 years ago. Did Sondra fall to her death during the big storm? Or was she murdered? If it wasn't an accident, who is her killer? The better question is whom didn't want the young woman dead?
I do love the male author who writes under the Non deplume, Miranda James. But in this 2nd entry in the Southern Ladies Mystery Series James spent way too much time on the backstory. The murder happened 2/3's into the novel, so the "solving" the whodunit seemed rushed, too rushed, even with both sisters and Benjy contributing clues. But I do love the characters and the southern settings. Dead with the Wind is a sweet and humorous cozy mystery.
Jacqueline greets her Godmother and Tante Dickce with warm charm and grace, but Mirelle Champlain looks anxious and frail. Sondra Devlin is her usual self-absorbed, spoiled self. Three days before her wedding has not soften the young bride. Most Bridezillas would be blushing, so awfully impolite and demanding is the bride to be.
After one unpleasant incident after another, the night before her wedding An'gel finds Sondra lying dead on the front yard. Her death eerily matching the circumstance of another young bride 100 years ago. Did Sondra fall to her death during the big storm? Or was she murdered? If it wasn't an accident, who is her killer? The better question is whom didn't want the young woman dead?
I do love the male author who writes under the Non deplume, Miranda James. But in this 2nd entry in the Southern Ladies Mystery Series James spent way too much time on the backstory. The murder happened 2/3's into the novel, so the "solving" the whodunit seemed rushed, too rushed, even with both sisters and Benjy contributing clues. But I do love the characters and the southern settings. Dead with the Wind is a sweet and humorous cozy mystery.
May 26, 2019
I had read the first book in this series last year and had been wanting to continue the series, because I'd enjoyed my first trip to Athena MS so much. This book took place mostly in Louisiana with the sisters An'gel and Dickce traveling with Benjy and the pets to a wedding of An'gel's cousin's daughter. When the bride died under suspicious circumstances, An'gel and her sister started investigating. There was an a really cool and unexpected twist toward the end which led to an even better and more satisfying showdown with a killer.
I just love these two ladies! And Benjy their ward is the sweetest guy ever. Peanut and Endora are pretty special too. Endora was good at warning people and Peanut was always good for a hug or doggie snuggle when a little girl who just lost her mama needed it. I'll look forward to when I can read the next in the series.
I just love these two ladies! And Benjy their ward is the sweetest guy ever. Peanut and Endora are pretty special too. Endora was good at warning people and Peanut was always good for a hug or doggie snuggle when a little girl who just lost her mama needed it. I'll look forward to when I can read the next in the series.
September 25, 2020
I read a lot of non-fiction so it's really nice sometimes to take a break and read something different and fun. This book is all of that, a very light, quick read that is fun, has ridiculous characters, a typical mystery with just enough suspense to keep you interested. The one annoying character was a little girl who was written with a speech impediment, I know it was meant to be cute but it just didn't come off that way. You expect the title to be a play on "Gone With the Wind" but don't be fooled, it has no elements of that story at all. Still it was enjoyable.
March 13, 2021
I must say I'm really liking Miranda James as an author. This Southern Ladies mystery series is so good I look forward to more southern style murder and adventure. This book had all kinds of murder, blackmail and evern a dead person raising from her coffin in the funeral home during calling hours. You will have to read the book to find out how and why. Happy reading.
October 6, 2015
Dead With The Wind is the second book in the A Southern Ladies Mystery series.
Another enjoyable read from Miranda James.
An'gel and Dickce Ducote and Benjy, their ward, are off to visit with their cousin, Mirelle in Louisiana. They haven't seen Mirelle, or her daughter, Jacqueline, for a few years and also to attend the wedding of Sondra, Mirelle's granddaughter.
Quickly they begin to have their regrets, as Sondra is very spoiled and rude to her grandmother and mother. The housekeeper, Estelle is much better. Estelle tells an old tale of a young lady was swept to her death by the wind on the eve of her wedding. On the eve of Sondra's wedding, she tears up her heirloom wedding gown and throws the pieces down to the first floor in front of everyone. She then meets an untimely death in much the same fashion the housekeeper was relating.
Only An'gel and Dickce are of the mind that Sondra was murdered and begin to do their own investigation of the tragic event.
The book has a very interesting and believable cast of characters. One will want to take Mirelle and her family and give them a good shake and tell them to wake up. As in the first book An'gel and Dickce are absolutely adorable. I want to give them a hug, a kiss on the cheek and say: “Go for it, ladies”.
Will certainly be watching for the next book in this delightful series.
Another enjoyable read from Miranda James.
An'gel and Dickce Ducote and Benjy, their ward, are off to visit with their cousin, Mirelle in Louisiana. They haven't seen Mirelle, or her daughter, Jacqueline, for a few years and also to attend the wedding of Sondra, Mirelle's granddaughter.
Quickly they begin to have their regrets, as Sondra is very spoiled and rude to her grandmother and mother. The housekeeper, Estelle is much better. Estelle tells an old tale of a young lady was swept to her death by the wind on the eve of her wedding. On the eve of Sondra's wedding, she tears up her heirloom wedding gown and throws the pieces down to the first floor in front of everyone. She then meets an untimely death in much the same fashion the housekeeper was relating.
Only An'gel and Dickce are of the mind that Sondra was murdered and begin to do their own investigation of the tragic event.
The book has a very interesting and believable cast of characters. One will want to take Mirelle and her family and give them a good shake and tell them to wake up. As in the first book An'gel and Dickce are absolutely adorable. I want to give them a hug, a kiss on the cheek and say: “Go for it, ladies”.
Will certainly be watching for the next book in this delightful series.
August 13, 2021
Originally published at Reading Reality
On what was feeling that Mondayest Monday ever, I needed a comfort read. Since I’m currently caught up with the Cat in the Stacks series, I turned to the same author’s Southern Ladies Mystery series to sink into a whole lot of cozy, with animal companions both around me and between the pages – along with just a couple of dead bodies to add a bit of excitement. But not too much.
Dead with the Wind is a story about family ties. The ones that bind get the Ducote Sisters into this situation, but it’s the ties that strangle that lead to the murder. Not that someone shouldn’t have strangled Sondra Delevan a long time ago.
The Ducote Sisters are in St. Ignatiusville, Louisiana at their cousin Mireille’s antebellum city mansion for Sondra’s wedding. An occasion that does not get off to an auspicious start when An’gel Ducote righteously dumps a vase filled with water on Sondra’s overreacting head.
I’d say Sondra was a bridezilla, but that implies that she’s normally a halfway reasonable human being and is only being such a demanding bitch because of the wedding, and that’s not remotely the case. Sondra is demanding bitch 100% of the time and always has been. She’s one of those adults that people other than her immediate family look at and think that the universe would have been better off if she’d been disciplined instead of indulged a few – possibly a lot – of times in her childhood when it would have done some good.
So when Sondra is murdered, it’s not so much that the reader is surprised that someone killed her as amazed that it didn’t happen a whole lot sooner.
But the circumstances of Sondra’s death are rather suspicious, because her death and the manner of it fall all too closely on the heels of the housekeeper proclaiming that the wedding is ill-omened as it resembles a long-ago tragedy much too much. There’s a long arm of coincidence here that is way too long to convince either of the Ducote Sisters.
That before her death Sondra was such a heartless little bitch as to stage a scene that drove her grandmother, the Ducotes’ Cousin Mireille, into a heart attack and her grave does not help anyone to think well of the recently and spectacularly departed Sondra, but it does make the Sisters wonder just who benefits from both of those deaths.
There’s something rotten in Cousin Mireille’s beautiful mansion. It looks like there’s someone close to the family circle determined to bump off everyone in their way. But in the way of what, exactly?
The Sisters – along with the local police – follow that first rule of investigation. They follow the money, and it leads them straight to the killer. Or does it?
Escape Rating B-: I went into this because I wanted something familiar but not quite so familiar that I’d know every single thing before it happened. And that is kind of what I got. The Ducote Sisters of Athena, Mississippi, introduced in the author’s Cat in the Stacks series, are the power behind nearly everything going on in Athena, and have been for decades. An’gel is 84 and Dickce is 80. They live in a palatial family mansion, they’re the last of their direct family, never married, never had kids, and pretty much keep Athena running, sometimes it seems all by themselves.
So it was fun to see them out of their element in this story, which is kind of a locked-room mystery. Not that the room or the house is literally locked, but rather that everything that happens seems to happen in the house and inside the rather tight family circle. Even if all the members of the family aren’t related by blood.
What made this story a bit less fun than I usually find this author, or even the first book in this series, Bless Her Dead Little Heart, is that no one involved is all that likeable except for Sondra’s little girl Tippy and the family butler and general factotum, Grayson. All the rest of them are pieces of work, from Sondra the spoiled sociopath to her on-again-off-again fiancé to her stepfather and unfortunately but definitely including her mother and grandmother (Cousin Mireille). The mansion seems to be a veritable hothouse of all sorts of -pathy. Except sympathy as there really isn’t a whole lot of that going around.
Also, a big part of the story is that Sondra is marrying Lance because, frankly, Sondra is looking for someone she can control, getting married gets her control of the substantial fortune she inherited from her father, and there’s something not quite right about Lance. There are multiple things about Lance that aren’t quite right, but his maturity level and that of Sondra’s three-year-old daughter are about on a par. The family treats it as an open joke, but are still allowing the marriage because no one wants to cross Sondra. The situation did not sit well, or rather the way everyone treated did not sit well.
This turned out to be one of those stories about families that pretend everything is fine but where things are really, really wrong. Like Sondra’s extremes of behavior and self-centeredness. And Lance’s undiagnosed but joked about issues.
So I felt a bit more discomfort than desired for something I picked up as a comfort read. Even though Sondra’s death was very cathartic. Some characters just need to be let out of a story at the very first opportunity. By the time the killer’s identity was revealed it wasn’t much of a surprise – nor was I expecting it to be as this is not that kind of book.
But the way it got revealed – now that was a surprise. And it made a wonderful ending for a story that had a few more downs than ups.
I’m glad that the next book in this series, Digging Up the Dirt, places the Sisters back home in Athena where they belong!
On what was feeling that Mondayest Monday ever, I needed a comfort read. Since I’m currently caught up with the Cat in the Stacks series, I turned to the same author’s Southern Ladies Mystery series to sink into a whole lot of cozy, with animal companions both around me and between the pages – along with just a couple of dead bodies to add a bit of excitement. But not too much.
Dead with the Wind is a story about family ties. The ones that bind get the Ducote Sisters into this situation, but it’s the ties that strangle that lead to the murder. Not that someone shouldn’t have strangled Sondra Delevan a long time ago.
The Ducote Sisters are in St. Ignatiusville, Louisiana at their cousin Mireille’s antebellum city mansion for Sondra’s wedding. An occasion that does not get off to an auspicious start when An’gel Ducote righteously dumps a vase filled with water on Sondra’s overreacting head.
I’d say Sondra was a bridezilla, but that implies that she’s normally a halfway reasonable human being and is only being such a demanding bitch because of the wedding, and that’s not remotely the case. Sondra is demanding bitch 100% of the time and always has been. She’s one of those adults that people other than her immediate family look at and think that the universe would have been better off if she’d been disciplined instead of indulged a few – possibly a lot – of times in her childhood when it would have done some good.
So when Sondra is murdered, it’s not so much that the reader is surprised that someone killed her as amazed that it didn’t happen a whole lot sooner.
But the circumstances of Sondra’s death are rather suspicious, because her death and the manner of it fall all too closely on the heels of the housekeeper proclaiming that the wedding is ill-omened as it resembles a long-ago tragedy much too much. There’s a long arm of coincidence here that is way too long to convince either of the Ducote Sisters.
That before her death Sondra was such a heartless little bitch as to stage a scene that drove her grandmother, the Ducotes’ Cousin Mireille, into a heart attack and her grave does not help anyone to think well of the recently and spectacularly departed Sondra, but it does make the Sisters wonder just who benefits from both of those deaths.
There’s something rotten in Cousin Mireille’s beautiful mansion. It looks like there’s someone close to the family circle determined to bump off everyone in their way. But in the way of what, exactly?
The Sisters – along with the local police – follow that first rule of investigation. They follow the money, and it leads them straight to the killer. Or does it?
Escape Rating B-: I went into this because I wanted something familiar but not quite so familiar that I’d know every single thing before it happened. And that is kind of what I got. The Ducote Sisters of Athena, Mississippi, introduced in the author’s Cat in the Stacks series, are the power behind nearly everything going on in Athena, and have been for decades. An’gel is 84 and Dickce is 80. They live in a palatial family mansion, they’re the last of their direct family, never married, never had kids, and pretty much keep Athena running, sometimes it seems all by themselves.
So it was fun to see them out of their element in this story, which is kind of a locked-room mystery. Not that the room or the house is literally locked, but rather that everything that happens seems to happen in the house and inside the rather tight family circle. Even if all the members of the family aren’t related by blood.
What made this story a bit less fun than I usually find this author, or even the first book in this series, Bless Her Dead Little Heart, is that no one involved is all that likeable except for Sondra’s little girl Tippy and the family butler and general factotum, Grayson. All the rest of them are pieces of work, from Sondra the spoiled sociopath to her on-again-off-again fiancé to her stepfather and unfortunately but definitely including her mother and grandmother (Cousin Mireille). The mansion seems to be a veritable hothouse of all sorts of -pathy. Except sympathy as there really isn’t a whole lot of that going around.
Also, a big part of the story is that Sondra is marrying Lance because, frankly, Sondra is looking for someone she can control, getting married gets her control of the substantial fortune she inherited from her father, and there’s something not quite right about Lance. There are multiple things about Lance that aren’t quite right, but his maturity level and that of Sondra’s three-year-old daughter are about on a par. The family treats it as an open joke, but are still allowing the marriage because no one wants to cross Sondra. The situation did not sit well, or rather the way everyone treated did not sit well.
This turned out to be one of those stories about families that pretend everything is fine but where things are really, really wrong. Like Sondra’s extremes of behavior and self-centeredness. And Lance’s undiagnosed but joked about issues.
So I felt a bit more discomfort than desired for something I picked up as a comfort read. Even though Sondra’s death was very cathartic. Some characters just need to be let out of a story at the very first opportunity. By the time the killer’s identity was revealed it wasn’t much of a surprise – nor was I expecting it to be as this is not that kind of book.
But the way it got revealed – now that was a surprise. And it made a wonderful ending for a story that had a few more downs than ups.
I’m glad that the next book in this series, Digging Up the Dirt, places the Sisters back home in Athena where they belong!
July 24, 2025
I love this series I wish it had continued. Four books aren't enough.
October 19, 2015
http://openbooksociety.com/article/de...
Dead with the Wind
Southern Ladies Mystery, Book #2
By Miranda James
ISBN: 9780425273050
Author website: http://www.catinthestacks.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
The New York Times bestselling author of Bless Her Dead Little Heart and the Cats in the Stacks mysteries brings back the Ducote sisters, two spry Southern sleuths.
An’gel and Dickce Ducote tend to stay put in Athena, Mississippi, but a wedding is a good reason to say a temporary farewell to Charlie Harris’s cat Diesel and go visit relatives. But while their stay in Louisiana is scorching hot, the atmosphere at the wedding is downright cold, with bride-to-be Sondra Delevan putting her trust fund above little things like love and loyalty.
When a violent storm supposedly sweeps Sondra off a balcony to her death, the sisters discover that many of the guests attending the wedding had major reasons to object to Sondra’s marriage. Now, it’s up to An’gel and Dickce to use their down-home instincts to expose dubious alibis, silver-plated secrets, and one relentless murderer who lives for “till death do us part.”
Review:
Miranda James has done it again. I love the Cat in the Stacks books and this is the second in a new series starring 2 wonderful senior southern ladies. Dead with the Wind is the second in the Southern Ladies mystery series and it just as entertaining as the first. Along with sisters An’gel and Dickce Ducote they have their ward Benjy Stephens and Labradoodle Peanut and Abyssinian cat Endora to sniff out the answers to who killed unlikable bride to be Sondra Delevan. And their southern charms and intellect abound in this great cozy. They have traveled to Louisiana to visit old friends and help prepare for a big wedding. That wedding never happens when Sondra passes in the way of an old legend. She takes a dive off the balcony. A terrible storm could be to blame but too many people did not want this wedding to happen.
The trouble starts as soon as this great group arrive at cousin Mireille Champlain’s family plantation. Granddaughter Sondra is not just rude, but demanding and spoiled rotten. The housekeeper warns that she may be in danger due to the legend of a Civil War bride being sweep off the balcony in a storm and a storm is due to hit soon. A tragic death bodes badly for the ladies and the household before the storm even hits. Stranger still is Sondra’s fiancee and his odd behavior. Then there is Sondra’s stepbrother who seems too interested in her. Things really turn badly when the household is checking for storm damage and find the spoiled bride in the front yard dead. The sisters do not believe it was the storm or the legend. They are bound and determined to find answers and protect the deceased young daughter.
Miranda James’ writing style is as always superb and draws the reader in and holds tight. The story builds slowly, but effectively. The characters are all very developed and as odd as some of them are, you cannot help but love learning about them. A bit in the vein of a good PBS mystery, old plantation home, a gaggle of offbeat family members and two wonderful senior sleuths who use charm and intelligence to search for answers. Legends, suspicious characters and a ton of southern charm and lack thereof make Dead with the Wind a fun, entertaining and highly enjoyable read. The mysteries are intricate. I was surprised by the twists and kept wondering who done what.
The second book in Miranda James’ Southern Ladies Mystery series is even better than the first. You could read Dead with the Wind without having read Bless her Dead Little Heart and still truly enjoy it. The author does a good job of getting readers basically caught up while not boring or over loading them with too much backstory. An’gel and Dickce Ducote are delightful characters that remind me of Miss Marple if she were a southern belle senior. The addition of war Benjy and of course the critters really gives even more depth to their sleuthing. This is a wonderful mystery cozy that keeps the reader entertained. This is a great series and seems to be getting better and I can only imagine the third in it will be even more fabulous. I cannot wait. I did miss Diesel of course, but hope to see him in another of the authors Cat in the Stack book soon.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
Dead with the Wind
Southern Ladies Mystery, Book #2
By Miranda James
ISBN: 9780425273050
Author website: http://www.catinthestacks.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
The New York Times bestselling author of Bless Her Dead Little Heart and the Cats in the Stacks mysteries brings back the Ducote sisters, two spry Southern sleuths.
An’gel and Dickce Ducote tend to stay put in Athena, Mississippi, but a wedding is a good reason to say a temporary farewell to Charlie Harris’s cat Diesel and go visit relatives. But while their stay in Louisiana is scorching hot, the atmosphere at the wedding is downright cold, with bride-to-be Sondra Delevan putting her trust fund above little things like love and loyalty.
When a violent storm supposedly sweeps Sondra off a balcony to her death, the sisters discover that many of the guests attending the wedding had major reasons to object to Sondra’s marriage. Now, it’s up to An’gel and Dickce to use their down-home instincts to expose dubious alibis, silver-plated secrets, and one relentless murderer who lives for “till death do us part.”
Review:
Miranda James has done it again. I love the Cat in the Stacks books and this is the second in a new series starring 2 wonderful senior southern ladies. Dead with the Wind is the second in the Southern Ladies mystery series and it just as entertaining as the first. Along with sisters An’gel and Dickce Ducote they have their ward Benjy Stephens and Labradoodle Peanut and Abyssinian cat Endora to sniff out the answers to who killed unlikable bride to be Sondra Delevan. And their southern charms and intellect abound in this great cozy. They have traveled to Louisiana to visit old friends and help prepare for a big wedding. That wedding never happens when Sondra passes in the way of an old legend. She takes a dive off the balcony. A terrible storm could be to blame but too many people did not want this wedding to happen.
The trouble starts as soon as this great group arrive at cousin Mireille Champlain’s family plantation. Granddaughter Sondra is not just rude, but demanding and spoiled rotten. The housekeeper warns that she may be in danger due to the legend of a Civil War bride being sweep off the balcony in a storm and a storm is due to hit soon. A tragic death bodes badly for the ladies and the household before the storm even hits. Stranger still is Sondra’s fiancee and his odd behavior. Then there is Sondra’s stepbrother who seems too interested in her. Things really turn badly when the household is checking for storm damage and find the spoiled bride in the front yard dead. The sisters do not believe it was the storm or the legend. They are bound and determined to find answers and protect the deceased young daughter.
Miranda James’ writing style is as always superb and draws the reader in and holds tight. The story builds slowly, but effectively. The characters are all very developed and as odd as some of them are, you cannot help but love learning about them. A bit in the vein of a good PBS mystery, old plantation home, a gaggle of offbeat family members and two wonderful senior sleuths who use charm and intelligence to search for answers. Legends, suspicious characters and a ton of southern charm and lack thereof make Dead with the Wind a fun, entertaining and highly enjoyable read. The mysteries are intricate. I was surprised by the twists and kept wondering who done what.
The second book in Miranda James’ Southern Ladies Mystery series is even better than the first. You could read Dead with the Wind without having read Bless her Dead Little Heart and still truly enjoy it. The author does a good job of getting readers basically caught up while not boring or over loading them with too much backstory. An’gel and Dickce Ducote are delightful characters that remind me of Miss Marple if she were a southern belle senior. The addition of war Benjy and of course the critters really gives even more depth to their sleuthing. This is a wonderful mystery cozy that keeps the reader entertained. This is a great series and seems to be getting better and I can only imagine the third in it will be even more fabulous. I cannot wait. I did miss Diesel of course, but hope to see him in another of the authors Cat in the Stack book soon.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
September 1, 2017
This is a quick cozy book. The two southern ladies try to solve the latest murder case in their charming southern way. Add their two pets and others makes this an enjoyable story.
May 23, 2020
An'gel and Dickce Ducote are older sisters who live together in their mansion in Athena, Mississippi, but they find themselves going on the road to visit their cousin Mireille and her family at their estate in Louisiana. Mireille's granddaughter Sondra is due to be married, and it is to be the even of the season. Unfortunately, things take an unfortunate turn when Sondra, who is quite dramatic and spoiled, ends up dead on the evening before the wedding. To make matters worse, Mireille passes away the same evening when her heart is unable to handle the shock of family drama earlier in the evening.
It all starts as a strong storm hits the area. Sondra is found dead on the front lawn. Most assume that she was swept from her balcony by the storm's gale, something that would match the lore of the estate and a story of an ancestor who met the same fate the night before her own wedding.
An'gel and Dickce have quite a lot of experience in solving mysteries in their home time, and they are doubtful of the assumption, a fact that is later supported by the result of the autopsy. The two sisters delve into the drama surrounding their cousins. The intrigue is enough to challenge that of the Ewings from the show Dallas. The question is whether they will be able to solve the mystery before the body count continues to rise.
This is a spin-off series from the authors The Cat in the Library series which centers around an older academic library who lives in An'gel and Dickce's community. He is a good friend of theirs, and they often were supporting characters in his adventures ... thus, their experiences with being amateur detectives. I have always found them interesting. My only complaint is they don't necessarily seem to read as separate characters with their own personalities or identities. With that said, this was a truly enjoyable read with interesting characters in the case. I am definitely a fan.
It all starts as a strong storm hits the area. Sondra is found dead on the front lawn. Most assume that she was swept from her balcony by the storm's gale, something that would match the lore of the estate and a story of an ancestor who met the same fate the night before her own wedding.
An'gel and Dickce have quite a lot of experience in solving mysteries in their home time, and they are doubtful of the assumption, a fact that is later supported by the result of the autopsy. The two sisters delve into the drama surrounding their cousins. The intrigue is enough to challenge that of the Ewings from the show Dallas. The question is whether they will be able to solve the mystery before the body count continues to rise.
This is a spin-off series from the authors The Cat in the Library series which centers around an older academic library who lives in An'gel and Dickce's community. He is a good friend of theirs, and they often were supporting characters in his adventures ... thus, their experiences with being amateur detectives. I have always found them interesting. My only complaint is they don't necessarily seem to read as separate characters with their own personalities or identities. With that said, this was a truly enjoyable read with interesting characters in the case. I am definitely a fan.
November 3, 2015
Who couldn't resist a great Southern-themed mystery that features two sassy sisters, a labradoddle dog and a Abyssinian cat! Well, I couldn't! Especially one from the great storyteller Miranda (Dean) James!
"Dead With The Wind" (a play on words for "Gone With The Wind!) is the second book in James' "Southern Ladies Mysteries" and it is absolutely wonderful! Sisters An'gel and Dickce are attending the wedding of their goddaughter's daughter and all sorts of mayhem erupts right before the big day! The two find themselves once again deeply involved in finding the true identity of the bride-to-be's killer - hopefully before they become targets of violence themselves! It's a week that should have been full of celebrations, but now was a week of tragedy. But with the sisters' help, the culprit will soon be discovered and hopefully all will be well again!
I love the characters in this series - the sisters are grand ol' dames that are a hoot to be around, and Benjy, their ward, is so sweet and kind to them as he helps out with the dog and cat, and the occasional investigation! The Southern setting always wins my heart, and the snappy action and dialogue is just the icing on the proverbial cake!
If you have not had a chance to read the first book in this series, "Bless Her Dead Little Heart," do yourself a favor and find it! It is just as wonderful as "Dead With The Wind," and you'll be properly introduced to all the charming characters from the beginning!
I highly recommend Miranda (Dean) James as a writer to keep on your list of authors to look for. And I highly recommend this well-written cozy mystery!
"Dead With The Wind" (a play on words for "Gone With The Wind!) is the second book in James' "Southern Ladies Mysteries" and it is absolutely wonderful! Sisters An'gel and Dickce are attending the wedding of their goddaughter's daughter and all sorts of mayhem erupts right before the big day! The two find themselves once again deeply involved in finding the true identity of the bride-to-be's killer - hopefully before they become targets of violence themselves! It's a week that should have been full of celebrations, but now was a week of tragedy. But with the sisters' help, the culprit will soon be discovered and hopefully all will be well again!
I love the characters in this series - the sisters are grand ol' dames that are a hoot to be around, and Benjy, their ward, is so sweet and kind to them as he helps out with the dog and cat, and the occasional investigation! The Southern setting always wins my heart, and the snappy action and dialogue is just the icing on the proverbial cake!
If you have not had a chance to read the first book in this series, "Bless Her Dead Little Heart," do yourself a favor and find it! It is just as wonderful as "Dead With The Wind," and you'll be properly introduced to all the charming characters from the beginning!
I highly recommend Miranda (Dean) James as a writer to keep on your list of authors to look for. And I highly recommend this well-written cozy mystery!
January 6, 2016
There is just something about octogenarians An'gel and Dickcee Ducote that make you want to keep reading about their exploits. This time they travel to Louisiana to attend a wedding.
To say Sondra is a Bridzilla, doesn't even begin to cover her nasty temper tantrum personality and the tension around the house. How her family has managed to live with such a child and now woman is beyond understanding. Her scheme to get married is primarily to get her hands on her inheritance and she doesn't care who or how anyone is hurt.
The housekeeper temperament is not a lot better and when she tells the tale of a bride that is swept of her balcony during a storm, you just know Sondra is going over, but was it the storm or some other force.
The story is well drawn out and has plenty of twists and turns with interesting characters in Sondra's life. Secrets about everyone in the family and closely associated with the family have to be uncovered and An'gel and Dickcee go about it with the grace of elderly southern women.
There doesn't seem to be a person without a reason to kill Sondra. However, when a second death takes place things really heat up. The ending is one that makes you howl with laughter as the killer is revealed.
Great read and highly recommended.
To say Sondra is a Bridzilla, doesn't even begin to cover her nasty temper tantrum personality and the tension around the house. How her family has managed to live with such a child and now woman is beyond understanding. Her scheme to get married is primarily to get her hands on her inheritance and she doesn't care who or how anyone is hurt.
The housekeeper temperament is not a lot better and when she tells the tale of a bride that is swept of her balcony during a storm, you just know Sondra is going over, but was it the storm or some other force.
The story is well drawn out and has plenty of twists and turns with interesting characters in Sondra's life. Secrets about everyone in the family and closely associated with the family have to be uncovered and An'gel and Dickcee go about it with the grace of elderly southern women.
There doesn't seem to be a person without a reason to kill Sondra. However, when a second death takes place things really heat up. The ending is one that makes you howl with laughter as the killer is revealed.
Great read and highly recommended.
May 8, 2016
This is the second instalment in Miranda James' Southern Ladies Mystery series, where Peanut - the Labradoodle - and Endora - the Abyssinian - become a little more involved with the amateur sleuths, and Benjy - the ward - is now also firmly part of the extended Ducote family.
This adventure, though, does not take place in Athena this time round - where both the Southern Ladies as well as the Cat in the Stacks mysteries usually take place, nonetheless, the south of the United States appears to have great respect for their elders and even away from home and those they know and are familiar with, the ladies get their way and taken seriously by what appears at first to be a rather chauvinistic policeman. Never having visited Louisiana myself, I cannot confirm whether this scenario is likely to really happen, but that was the one aspect of the story that made me a little 'queezy'.
Other than that, the storyline is well believable, once again dealing with (southern/old) family matters that the Ducote sisters have to unravel. The subject matter is intriguing and well set up as well as very believable. The words literally fly off the page and once the readers starts, it will feel difficult to put the book down. And a little big twist at the end most definitely does not hurt either.
This adventure, though, does not take place in Athena this time round - where both the Southern Ladies as well as the Cat in the Stacks mysteries usually take place, nonetheless, the south of the United States appears to have great respect for their elders and even away from home and those they know and are familiar with, the ladies get their way and taken seriously by what appears at first to be a rather chauvinistic policeman. Never having visited Louisiana myself, I cannot confirm whether this scenario is likely to really happen, but that was the one aspect of the story that made me a little 'queezy'.
Other than that, the storyline is well believable, once again dealing with (southern/old) family matters that the Ducote sisters have to unravel. The subject matter is intriguing and well set up as well as very believable. The words literally fly off the page and once the readers starts, it will feel difficult to put the book down. And a little big twist at the end most definitely does not hurt either.
November 24, 2015
Dead with the Wind by Miranda James.
An'gel and Dickce Ducote are on the way to their cousin Mirielle's home in St. Ignatiusville for the wedding of her grand-daughter, Sondra. Benjy, their ward, is happily (for Peanut and Endora) going with them. Their arrival at Riverhill, the home of Mirielle, was to be much more than they had ever expected.
Since Mirielle had been running a bed & breakfast at her home the Ducote sisters were pleasantly surprised at the lovely cottage that was made ready for them as well as for Benjy. Both the Labra doodle (Peanut) and the Abyssinian cat (Endora) would be well cared for by Benjy so they were unencumbered and could socialize with their cousin and god-daughter, Jacqueline.
Then Sondra, the betrothed grand-daughter, burst onto the scene in a less than gracious manner. The Ducote sisters were taken aback at her manipulative outbursts...but this was just the beginning of a perilous experience neither one of them had counted on.
An in-depth story of the Ducote Sisters exposing the bare facts behind this latest in the Southern Ladies mystery series. Wonderfully written and highly recommended for all true cozy fans.
An'gel and Dickce Ducote are on the way to their cousin Mirielle's home in St. Ignatiusville for the wedding of her grand-daughter, Sondra. Benjy, their ward, is happily (for Peanut and Endora) going with them. Their arrival at Riverhill, the home of Mirielle, was to be much more than they had ever expected.
Since Mirielle had been running a bed & breakfast at her home the Ducote sisters were pleasantly surprised at the lovely cottage that was made ready for them as well as for Benjy. Both the Labra doodle (Peanut) and the Abyssinian cat (Endora) would be well cared for by Benjy so they were unencumbered and could socialize with their cousin and god-daughter, Jacqueline.
Then Sondra, the betrothed grand-daughter, burst onto the scene in a less than gracious manner. The Ducote sisters were taken aback at her manipulative outbursts...but this was just the beginning of a perilous experience neither one of them had counted on.
An in-depth story of the Ducote Sisters exposing the bare facts behind this latest in the Southern Ladies mystery series. Wonderfully written and highly recommended for all true cozy fans.
October 31, 2015
Southern style entertainment delightfully delivered in a complex and twisted murder plot. Book#2 in this new series delivers everything you could want in a story. In their 80's,southern sisters, An'gel and Dickce Ducote, from Athena, Mississippi are attending a family wedding in Louisiana. The out-of-control bride gives her grandmother a heart attack and then has a fatal accident of her own. The accident turns out to be murder and the sisters are off and running to solve the crime. The sisters are filled with wry humor, pithy comments, while their genteel manners and upbringing cover razor sharp minds. The background and setting are well defined and all of the characters become real as you get entangled in their lives. The murder plot revolves around family, lies, deceptions, marriages, lawyers and husbands. Set back and enjoy this adventure. I highly recommend that you try this series. You won't be disappointed.
October 7, 2015
What can I say I have been a bit selfish and lazy about entering a review here or there..But Dead with the Wind by Miranda James has kicked me back in gear!I absolutely fell in love with the DuCote sisters when they were first introduced in Bless Her Dead Little Heart and the separation from the Cats in the Stacks has been deemed a huge success IMHO! I simply adored this book so much I stretched out the last few pages knowing who dunnit.An'gel and Dickce along with their ward, Bengy and their pets go off to Louisiana for a family wedding that smacks of just too much closeness, promises not kept, and survivors, plotters and blackmailers all wanting a piece of the pie. Kind of Nouveau Gothic with a twist of humor that will make you laugh, cry and love those ladies and little Tippy a 4year old I would like to see pay the sisters and Bengy a visit down the road. Thank you sooooooo much Miranda/Dean James for this gem of a book..can never get enough of this crew....
December 1, 2016
Although I probably didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, I still liked the story and the Ducote sisters are still as awesome as ever. One of the reasons I disliked it was probably the setting; taking them away from their own home and surroundings, as well as the usual police force, made this story feel off from the start. Plus a lot of this book is just making lunches and looking after Tippy with very little sleuthing until the random big reveal (that I'd already guessed at) so yeah.
But there is still plenty of Southern charm, Benjy, Endora and Peanut. There is still the awesome sisterly relationship. Even though there was WAY too much of it, reading about food always makes me hungry and therefore I get even happier to have a cup of tea and biscuit with my books. I actually have the next book on order, so hopefully it won't take too long to arrive. Somewhere between three and four stars, but I rounded up out of love for the first book, and the promise of a third.
But there is still plenty of Southern charm, Benjy, Endora and Peanut. There is still the awesome sisterly relationship. Even though there was WAY too much of it, reading about food always makes me hungry and therefore I get even happier to have a cup of tea and biscuit with my books. I actually have the next book on order, so hopefully it won't take too long to arrive. Somewhere between three and four stars, but I rounded up out of love for the first book, and the promise of a third.
February 9, 2017
In Miranda James's Dead with the Wind, the second in the Southern Ladies Mystery series, octogenarians An'gel and Dickce Ducote go to visit their cousin Mireille for Sondra, Mireille's granddaughter's wedding. They bring along with them their ward, Benjy; their labradoodle, Peanut; and their Abyssinian cat, Endora. Soon the ladies are aghast to discover the very disrespectful way the granddaughter, Sondra, treats Mireille and Jacqueline, her mother and Miss An'gel's goddaughter.The two ladies have no control over the young lady, who suddenly announces three days before the wedding that in no way will she wear the wedding gown worn by several generations of women in her family because now-dead people once wore it.
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
December 31, 2015
There is no way I could not fall in love with the Ducote sisters, An'gel and Dickce. They remind me of my first and second grade teachers (a very very very long time ago), the Grace sisters. Neither had been married. One was tall and thin with red hair and the other was short and stocky with dark hair. We counted ourselves lucky if we got Miss Grace (one and/or two) to be our teacher. The Ducote sisters and their ward, Benjy (along with Peanut the labradoodle and Endora, the Abyssinian cat) are on the way to a family wedding in St Ignatiusville, Louisiana. They would much rather stay at home in Mississippi. When they arrive they find a spoiled rotten bride to be who has frazzled everyone. A car accident. A shredded wedding dress. A leap from a balcony. Are they all as they seem to be? Southern charm, humor. The Ducote sisters are feisty and fun. I hope I'm as much fun at 80+!
November 5, 2015
In this book, we find An'gel and Dickce in Louisiana with their ward Benjy, Endora the cat, and Peanut, the dog. An'gel and Dickce have gone to visit their cousin and see her granddaugher get married. But, all is not as it seems and there are problems with the bride and the wedding. There is a bad storm and the bride is found dead. But, was it a murder, or the result of a severe storm that came through the area, and curiously paralleling a story about a bride and a storm from the Civil War era. Then there is a another murder and a death. This book has some suprises and quite a few twists and turns and you will not be able to completely figure out the whole case until you finish the story!
January 24, 2016
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
March 14, 2017
As always I enjoyed reading about the Ducote sisters.
This time they are in Louisiana attending a family wedding when the night before the wedding the obnoxious bride dies. And to top it off An'gel's cousin and grandmother of the bride has died the day before of a heart attack brought on by the bride cutting up the antique gown she was to wear.
Then the housekeeper is poisoned right in front of An'gel and the ladies begin to wonder who is next.
With the stepfather having money problems and the fiancé having mental health problems, who could be next?
As much as I enjoyed the story I missed visiting with the sisters in their own home in their own town.
This time they are in Louisiana attending a family wedding when the night before the wedding the obnoxious bride dies. And to top it off An'gel's cousin and grandmother of the bride has died the day before of a heart attack brought on by the bride cutting up the antique gown she was to wear.
Then the housekeeper is poisoned right in front of An'gel and the ladies begin to wonder who is next.
With the stepfather having money problems and the fiancé having mental health problems, who could be next?
As much as I enjoyed the story I missed visiting with the sisters in their own home in their own town.
October 5, 2015
An'gel and Dickce are in Louisiana along with their ward Benjy and dog and cat for the wedding of their cousins granddaughter.
When they walk into the house emotions are high and the brides behavior is effecting the whole family.
After a storm the bride is found dead. Was it murder? Did the winds sweep her off the porch during the storm?!
The sisters believe she was murdered, but can they find facts to prove it!
A great book with twists and turns, suspense and humor.
The ending really surprised me!
Can not wait to see what the ladies do next.
When they walk into the house emotions are high and the brides behavior is effecting the whole family.
After a storm the bride is found dead. Was it murder? Did the winds sweep her off the porch during the storm?!
The sisters believe she was murdered, but can they find facts to prove it!
A great book with twists and turns, suspense and humor.
The ending really surprised me!
Can not wait to see what the ladies do next.
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