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Myrtle Clover Mysteries #1
Pretty is as Pretty Dies
Pretty on the outside may not mean pretty on the inside.
Parke Stockard was certainly sitting pretty. Blessed with good looks and business sense to boot, she should have been content.
Instead, Parke makes trouble in her small town. When retired octogenarian schoolteacher Myrtle Clover discovers her body, no one in Bradley is particularly upset.
Myrtle decides to show up her police chief son and investigate the crime herself. And, just in time to play detective, she meets a widower newcomer who proves the perfect sidekick.
Parke Stockard was certainly sitting pretty. Blessed with good looks and business sense to boot, she should have been content.
Instead, Parke makes trouble in her small town. When retired octogenarian schoolteacher Myrtle Clover discovers her body, no one in Bradley is particularly upset.
Myrtle decides to show up her police chief son and investigate the crime herself. And, just in time to play detective, she meets a widower newcomer who proves the perfect sidekick.
228 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2009
775 people are currently reading
3021 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Spann Craig
92 books481 followersAuthor 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...
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
July 12, 2021
This is a cozy mystery, and this is the first book in A Myrtle Cover Cozy Mystery series. I found this book a fun cozy mystery to read. A police officer mother keeps putting me nose into the cases to try to help to solve the case. I found the characters where good, but the cozy where the police are working closely with the main character is not my favorite type of cozy. I won a kindle edition of this book from a goodreads giveaway, but this review is 100% my own opinion of this book.
April 15, 2014
I give this book ★★★★★★ and a♥!
OMG...can't stop laughing. this woman is the best. She is "Ms Marple" come to life, with a family that is great in personality, vitality and humor. I can SEE them. This is what reading is all about.
Chapter 15 took a while to complete due to the laughter. I put the book down a number of times to compose myself, and waited for my laughter to subside to continue.
This book ROCKED!!! Please continue to create many more Mrtyle Clover mysteries.
OMG...can't stop laughing. this woman is the best. She is "Ms Marple" come to life, with a family that is great in personality, vitality and humor. I can SEE them. This is what reading is all about.
Chapter 15 took a while to complete due to the laughter. I put the book down a number of times to compose myself, and waited for my laughter to subside to continue.
This book ROCKED!!! Please continue to create many more Mrtyle Clover mysteries.
March 25, 2017
A fairly decent book. I liked Myrtle. The mystery was interesting but I figured out the killer about 2/3rds the way through. I found it funny how her son kept trying to give her red herrings, but they just made her want to keep investigating. :) I'd probably read more in the series.
March 10, 2021
This book was published in 2010. It is the first book in what appears to be a successful Cozy Mystery series by Elizabeth Spann Craig. But I hated it!! I DNF'd this book after just 4 chapters.
The main character Myrtle Clover, was an interfering old biddy with absolutely no sense of humor. She may have been an english teacher back in her 60s when she retired, but clearly she was doing nothing to keep her brain mentally active in her 80s.
The formula of a cozy book series is that the protagonist must have a sidekick. Myrtle has no sidekick. So all we read were paragraphs and paragraphs of her thinking in her head. So boring.
Her 40 year old son Red (Clearly a mama's boy) was the chief of police and he was constantly telling his mother to "butt out" of the investigation. Also the first murder took place in a church. I detest all religions.
DNF'd after 4 chapters. I dont think I will read any more Myrtle Clover books.
I also understand that Ms Craig has 2 other cozy mystery series - both more recent. One is a quilting series and the other is a Library series. Hopefully these will stick to the cozy genre formula, now that she has more writing experience. I will try and read the first book in these series as well.
PS I LOVE Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote TV series. She was intelligent and mentally active. She wrote mystery books. She had spent many years as an english teacher. And her Sheriff (Amos) never told her to "butt out" of murder investigations!!
The main character Myrtle Clover, was an interfering old biddy with absolutely no sense of humor. She may have been an english teacher back in her 60s when she retired, but clearly she was doing nothing to keep her brain mentally active in her 80s.
The formula of a cozy book series is that the protagonist must have a sidekick. Myrtle has no sidekick. So all we read were paragraphs and paragraphs of her thinking in her head. So boring.
Her 40 year old son Red (Clearly a mama's boy) was the chief of police and he was constantly telling his mother to "butt out" of the investigation. Also the first murder took place in a church. I detest all religions.
DNF'd after 4 chapters. I dont think I will read any more Myrtle Clover books.
I also understand that Ms Craig has 2 other cozy mystery series - both more recent. One is a quilting series and the other is a Library series. Hopefully these will stick to the cozy genre formula, now that she has more writing experience. I will try and read the first book in these series as well.
PS I LOVE Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote TV series. She was intelligent and mentally active. She wrote mystery books. She had spent many years as an english teacher. And her Sheriff (Amos) never told her to "butt out" of murder investigations!!
March 7, 2021
I SO badly wanted to love this book - I love cozy mysteries as a genre in general, and I love main characters who are not 20-something blonde bombshells. And I love the amateur sleuth genre - I grew up on Harriet the Spy and Nancy Drew, I can't help it. But it's unbelievably frustrating when a character actively tries to compete with genuine, actual, law enforcement to solve the case! Between Myrtle's refusal to butt out when told to by her law enforcement son and failing to disclose what may have been pertinent information, Myrtle crossed the line between "feisty older lady who figures out a crime and assists law enforcement" and "stereotypical stubborn old woman who won't mind her own business and does what she wants, darn anyone else".
I'm annoyed that I can't keep reading because I don't like Myrtle!
I'm annoyed that I can't keep reading because I don't like Myrtle!
March 19, 2020
I grabbed a couple of books by this author because I had seen her mentioned in some books about writing cosy mysteries. With (at the time of writing) 33 books to her name she is certainly prolific, but I felt that in this book, the first in the series about retired schoolteacher Myrtle Clover, she seemed to expect her readers to be as old as her protagonist, and possibly going senile! Points were hammered home repeatedly (one poor woman was described as a 'train wreck' at both the start and end of one paragraph, with the reasons why falling in between!) and I was getting more than a little irritated about being reminded that Myrtle was an octogenarian on a regular basis.
I have the first of another series to try yet, so I'll give that a shot before writing the author off completely.
I have the first of another series to try yet, so I'll give that a shot before writing the author off completely.
August 8, 2020
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
This mystery, first in a series, was really scattered and all over the place. It went into too many people’s perspectives, sometimes a different person in each paragraph which was hard to follow. The mystery was good and engaging but the writing style was not for me.
This mystery, first in a series, was really scattered and all over the place. It went into too many people’s perspectives, sometimes a different person in each paragraph which was hard to follow. The mystery was good and engaging but the writing style was not for me.
April 27, 2020
My first foray into cozy mysteries. During our lockdown period I need light reading. Competently done, but not really my cup of tea.
July 5, 2020
Since I got this book free on Kobo, I wasn't expecting very much; I guess I was surprised and the purpose of giving the first in a series away reached its goal, I will read the next for sure.
Myrtle Clover is an octogenarian whose son his trying to find her things to do, too bad his ideas of appropriate activities are not the same as hers. He has gone and sign her up for a church group and his mother goes to it in protest but finds the body of Parke Stockard by the altar; now she has found what she wants to do... solve this murder! There's lots of potential suspects, Parke was not a likable lady, a transplant from New York she was a realtor trying to develop the little town of Bradley, North Carolina.
It's a very quick read, the characters are engaging. I really like Miss Myrtle, she's no nonsense and her deductions if not always accurate are logical. As cozy mysteries go that one was very satisfying, I did get the right killer for the right reasons, but not too early in the story which is very important.
Myrtle Clover is an octogenarian whose son his trying to find her things to do, too bad his ideas of appropriate activities are not the same as hers. He has gone and sign her up for a church group and his mother goes to it in protest but finds the body of Parke Stockard by the altar; now she has found what she wants to do... solve this murder! There's lots of potential suspects, Parke was not a likable lady, a transplant from New York she was a realtor trying to develop the little town of Bradley, North Carolina.
It's a very quick read, the characters are engaging. I really like Miss Myrtle, she's no nonsense and her deductions if not always accurate are logical. As cozy mysteries go that one was very satisfying, I did get the right killer for the right reasons, but not too early in the story which is very important.
January 20, 2026
The plot is good, but the majority of the characters are just irritating.
December 23, 2020
Entertaining and easy to follow
I appreciate that the main character is a mature woman and it is a bonus that she is a retired English teacher. Myrtle is also delightful and feisty. She isn't sitting down and letting life pass by without her. I look forward to diving into the rest of the series.
I appreciate that the main character is a mature woman and it is a bonus that she is a retired English teacher. Myrtle is also delightful and feisty. She isn't sitting down and letting life pass by without her. I look forward to diving into the rest of the series.
May 16, 2021
Clean puzzle
I enjoy the clean non gruesome story. Simple who done it. Read em all
Six more words required 🥱two now
I enjoy the clean non gruesome story. Simple who done it. Read em all
Six more words required 🥱two now
March 10, 2021
Didn't finish
so to be fair it might have gotten better.
It began with a death, of sorts, suppose to make you wonder who it was. Then, went into 'the suspects '. I couldn't get through chapter three. I wish there had been a mass murder that killed off all of these characters. The mom of the 2 year old boy, was even boring. The first appearance of her, running and locking herself alone with her toddler in another room.Two year olds are notorious for their antics, and he came across as a spoiled brat, they, I felt needed an old fashion swat across the butt. I had had hoped for the foreign exchange student,but, he didn't even say anything. If possible the last few pages I forced myself to read, were worse. The usual stereotypical people of an unknown small town, complete with a rich, pushy woman that knows it all. She was the victim and it was too bad it didn't happen as soon as the story opened. Good ridden to her and I don't care who did it.
I'm not recommending this book, may be it got better? But, not going to waste my time finding out.
so to be fair it might have gotten better.
It began with a death, of sorts, suppose to make you wonder who it was. Then, went into 'the suspects '. I couldn't get through chapter three. I wish there had been a mass murder that killed off all of these characters. The mom of the 2 year old boy, was even boring. The first appearance of her, running and locking herself alone with her toddler in another room.Two year olds are notorious for their antics, and he came across as a spoiled brat, they, I felt needed an old fashion swat across the butt. I had had hoped for the foreign exchange student,but, he didn't even say anything. If possible the last few pages I forced myself to read, were worse. The usual stereotypical people of an unknown small town, complete with a rich, pushy woman that knows it all. She was the victim and it was too bad it didn't happen as soon as the story opened. Good ridden to her and I don't care who did it.
I'm not recommending this book, may be it got better? But, not going to waste my time finding out.
May 15, 2020
While this sounded very promising, Myrtle comes across as an angry bitter old lady that does not get along with anyone. Had she been a likable character, I would have made it farther than 1/3 of the way into the book., but as it is, I'm going to move on.
August 23, 2021
I received this ebook through a Goodreads giveaway. It was the first time reading a cozy mystery novel. I enjoy a good mystery so I thought I would give this book a try. It was a fast and easy read. I enjoyed the characters and thought that there were some funny parts. The mystery wasn’t too hard to figure out. I would read another cozy mystery and I would read another one by this author.
September 11, 2021
New series for me. Slow start but really picked up. I enjoyed it very much
April 22, 2021
This was a fun book and I am on the hunt for the next in the series.
July 8, 2016
This book has been declared the first in a series (currently seven books with an eighth waiting in the wings) of murder mysteries starring a southern-American take on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple character, with Myrtle Clover as the aged but indomitable sleuth. I say "declared" because it would appear that A Dyeing Shame was originally published three years earlier (in 2006) but the author herself provides a chronological order to read the series in (should you so wish) on her website, so you can't argue with that.
Apparently this is a "cozy mystery, a genre I didn't know existed until now but which has retroactively included the Miss Marple canon which I have enjoyed reading in the past. I read this book because I want to read A Body in the Backyard, the fourth Myrtle Clover book, and it seemed like a good idea to at least start at the beginning to get the genesis story. If I was just reading for the sake of enjoyment, I probably wouldn't continue with the series. It was OK, I didn't actively dislike it and I did enjoy the setting of the story, it was quite interesting to get a glimpse into rural/urban Southern America. The plot was somewhat twisty/turny but felt almost from the beginning like it was just going through the motions of getting from start to end and the villain unmasked at the end was not a surprise. I wasn't really a fan of Ms Clover, although now that I've said that I'm having trouble articulating why. Possibly just because she's not a likable person?
I think the only major issue I had with with the book (I read the Kindle version) was either editing or my inability to read. About three-quarters of the way through the book one of the suspects whilst being quizzed by Ms Myrtle mentions, almost in passing, that . I swear that was the first I'd heard of that, yet Ms Myrtle thought (I assume it was a thought to be attributed to her) "Word travelled fast around here.". I've scanned backwards through the book trying to determine where I missed a chunk somehow and, so far, I've failed to find it. It doesn't really have an impact on the story, it just seemed rather odd.
In conclusion, if you like small-town murder mysteries starring somewhat obnoxious old ladies set in America's south then this might be of interest to you.
Apparently this is a "cozy mystery, a genre I didn't know existed until now but which has retroactively included the Miss Marple canon which I have enjoyed reading in the past. I read this book because I want to read A Body in the Backyard, the fourth Myrtle Clover book, and it seemed like a good idea to at least start at the beginning to get the genesis story. If I was just reading for the sake of enjoyment, I probably wouldn't continue with the series. It was OK, I didn't actively dislike it and I did enjoy the setting of the story, it was quite interesting to get a glimpse into rural/urban Southern America. The plot was somewhat twisty/turny but felt almost from the beginning like it was just going through the motions of getting from start to end and the villain unmasked at the end was not a surprise. I wasn't really a fan of Ms Clover, although now that I've said that I'm having trouble articulating why. Possibly just because she's not a likable person?
I think the only major issue I had with with the book (I read the Kindle version) was either editing or my inability to read. About three-quarters of the way through the book one of the suspects whilst being quizzed by Ms Myrtle mentions, almost in passing, that . I swear that was the first I'd heard of that, yet Ms Myrtle thought (I assume it was a thought to be attributed to her) "Word travelled fast around here.". I've scanned backwards through the book trying to determine where I missed a chunk somehow and, so far, I've failed to find it. It doesn't really have an impact on the story, it just seemed rather odd.
In conclusion, if you like small-town murder mysteries starring somewhat obnoxious old ladies set in America's south then this might be of interest to you.
November 15, 2009
Pretty Is As Pretty Dies
A Myrtle Clover Mystery
By Elizabeth Spann Craig
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive
Woodburg, Minn.
ISBN: 978-0-7387-1480-6
Paperback, 214 pages, $13.95
Retired schoolteacher Myrtle Clover is not ready to be shuffled off to an assisted living home in her small Southern town.
Her son Red, who’s also the police chief, decides to sign her up for the Altar Guild and United Methodist Women to keep her busy. But, Myrtle wants nothing to do with that.
Over night a village of a hundred gnomes mysteriously appear in Myrtle’s yard to the horror of Red, who lives across the street. The ceramic gnomes are Myrtle’s way of showing her son she disapproves of what he’s done.
Despite her misgivings, Myrtle stomps off to the church for the United Methodist Women meeting. She’s not looking forward to it because of Parke Stockard, who seems to be taking over everything in town.
Parke is already at the church. But, she’s sprawled on the floor dead.
No one seems to be grieving over the deceased. In fact, Myrtle sees Parke’s death as a way to prove her independence to Red. She’ll solve the murder before he does.
Myrtle begins her investigation (snooping) into the life of Parke Stockard. Soon the octogenarian Holmes decides she needs a “Mr. Watson” to help solve the murder or at least to drive her around. She enlist the help of her new neighbor, who has all the local widows swooning.
Before long the suspect list is growing and the body count is going up as well.
Red’s “red herrings” backfires and Myrtle closes in on the killer.
Author Elizabeth Spann Craig throws together a cast of zany church members, a frazzled daughter-in-law with a rowdy two-year-old, and a French exchange student for the makings of a laugh-out-loud murder mystery. The antics of the 80-something-year-old Myrtle leaves you holding your breath one minute and shaking your head the next.
“Pretty Is As Pretty Dies” is a cozy mystery that will have you guessing “Who dun ‘it” until the end.
Having never been a gnome person before, they now have a quirky place in my heart. Every time I see one, I’ll wonder what mystery Myrtle is solving now.
Grab a glass of sweet tea and a copy of “Pretty Is As Pretty Dies” for an enjoyable read and a wonderful, witty new character to love.
Myrtle Clover is not your typical grandmother.
For more on the Myrtle Clover Mystery series, as well as mysteries by author Elizabeth Spann Craig, go online to www.mysteryismurder.blogspot.com , In addition, check out author Elizabeth Spann Craig at www.MysteryLoversKitchen.com
A Myrtle Clover Mystery
By Elizabeth Spann Craig
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive
Woodburg, Minn.
ISBN: 978-0-7387-1480-6
Paperback, 214 pages, $13.95
Retired schoolteacher Myrtle Clover is not ready to be shuffled off to an assisted living home in her small Southern town.
Her son Red, who’s also the police chief, decides to sign her up for the Altar Guild and United Methodist Women to keep her busy. But, Myrtle wants nothing to do with that.
Over night a village of a hundred gnomes mysteriously appear in Myrtle’s yard to the horror of Red, who lives across the street. The ceramic gnomes are Myrtle’s way of showing her son she disapproves of what he’s done.
Despite her misgivings, Myrtle stomps off to the church for the United Methodist Women meeting. She’s not looking forward to it because of Parke Stockard, who seems to be taking over everything in town.
Parke is already at the church. But, she’s sprawled on the floor dead.
No one seems to be grieving over the deceased. In fact, Myrtle sees Parke’s death as a way to prove her independence to Red. She’ll solve the murder before he does.
Myrtle begins her investigation (snooping) into the life of Parke Stockard. Soon the octogenarian Holmes decides she needs a “Mr. Watson” to help solve the murder or at least to drive her around. She enlist the help of her new neighbor, who has all the local widows swooning.
Before long the suspect list is growing and the body count is going up as well.
Red’s “red herrings” backfires and Myrtle closes in on the killer.
Author Elizabeth Spann Craig throws together a cast of zany church members, a frazzled daughter-in-law with a rowdy two-year-old, and a French exchange student for the makings of a laugh-out-loud murder mystery. The antics of the 80-something-year-old Myrtle leaves you holding your breath one minute and shaking your head the next.
“Pretty Is As Pretty Dies” is a cozy mystery that will have you guessing “Who dun ‘it” until the end.
Having never been a gnome person before, they now have a quirky place in my heart. Every time I see one, I’ll wonder what mystery Myrtle is solving now.
Grab a glass of sweet tea and a copy of “Pretty Is As Pretty Dies” for an enjoyable read and a wonderful, witty new character to love.
Myrtle Clover is not your typical grandmother.
For more on the Myrtle Clover Mystery series, as well as mysteries by author Elizabeth Spann Craig, go online to www.mysteryismurder.blogspot.com , In addition, check out author Elizabeth Spann Craig at www.MysteryLoversKitchen.com
August 13, 2021
Cute premise. Just a little slow.
March 24, 2015
I had read one of the later Myrtle Clover books and liked it so I went back to the beginning.
This was a wonderful laugh out loud book. Myrtle is an octogenarian who has the sharp mind and clever wit of a much younger woman. She establishes herself in this book as a great amateur sleuth. But what I liked most was her feisty personality. I laughed so hard that I was crying and had to stop reading for a few minutes. I especially liked her attitude toward the book club. Her neighbors and friends are great characters too. Myrtle's son is the chief of police who doesn't want his mother "investigating" and as he tries to encourage Mama to back away Myrtle shows her determination but filling her yard with "gnomes" which she knows irritates him. (He lives across the street from her and so is greeted by the gnomes every morning when she puts them out.)
Myrtle's neighbor Erma really gets on Myrtle's nerves and their interaction is one of the most humorous aspects of the Myrtle Clover series. Not only is Erma a pain in the neck neighbor, she also drives Myrtle, a former high school English teacher, nuts at bookclub.
In this volume I loved the all the talk about quality writing and Erma's not really knowing what she is talking about when she comments on "To Kill a Mockingbird". Myrtle knows what she likes and doesn't like being pushed into activities by her son, or the lack of "good" literature read by the book club. I look forward to reading more of Myrle's sleuthing adventures.
This was a wonderful laugh out loud book. Myrtle is an octogenarian who has the sharp mind and clever wit of a much younger woman. She establishes herself in this book as a great amateur sleuth. But what I liked most was her feisty personality. I laughed so hard that I was crying and had to stop reading for a few minutes. I especially liked her attitude toward the book club. Her neighbors and friends are great characters too. Myrtle's son is the chief of police who doesn't want his mother "investigating" and as he tries to encourage Mama to back away Myrtle shows her determination but filling her yard with "gnomes" which she knows irritates him. (He lives across the street from her and so is greeted by the gnomes every morning when she puts them out.)
Myrtle's neighbor Erma really gets on Myrtle's nerves and their interaction is one of the most humorous aspects of the Myrtle Clover series. Not only is Erma a pain in the neck neighbor, she also drives Myrtle, a former high school English teacher, nuts at bookclub.
In this volume I loved the all the talk about quality writing and Erma's not really knowing what she is talking about when she comments on "To Kill a Mockingbird". Myrtle knows what she likes and doesn't like being pushed into activities by her son, or the lack of "good" literature read by the book club. I look forward to reading more of Myrle's sleuthing adventures.
December 13, 2019
A few weeks ago I can across this series. A couple of reviewers suggested skipping this first one and just read the rest. So, I skipped this one and read the rest of them up to the Nov 2019 one and really enjoyed Miss Myrtle, she is so different from the usual cozy mystery protagonist. In her 80's she is feisty and stubborn. I agree, she is not entirely likable, a few of the characters are just that, characters and the constant bad cooking was annoying. As a senior I got a kick of all the different seniors in Myrtle's town and I liked Miles and Myrtle's son, Red, (the Chief of Police),his wife Elaine, toddler Jack. And yes, the on going "feud with gnomes" with Red can get silly but a lot of times funny. There's lots of humor in all the books in this series. After I was done reading the series I read this first one. The other books are better, in this one I guessed the killer about 1/4th into it and I don't usually even try to solve my cozy mysteries, I'm just there for the ride. The characters surrounding Myrtle take on more personality as the books progress. The town it takes place in (Bradley, NC) has only 1500 residents and they all appear to be white. I did find that a little odd, but for a town that size maybe it's not unusual? For the most part I had a good time reading this series and hope there's another Myrtle book coming soon.
November 7, 2021
Myrtle Clover is een oudere dame in een klein stadje in Amerika. Wanneer er in het stadje een moord gepleegd wordt, wil Myrtle haar zoon (de lokale politieagent) overtroeven door de moordenaar eerder te vinden.
Dit was absoluut een cozy mysterie! Een gezellige oude vrouw die een moord probeert op te lossen om haar hersens te blijven gebruiken, een heerlijk concept. Doordat je ook stukken van andere inwoners leest, leer je allerlei achtergronden kennen. Zo wordt het verhaal nog levendiger. De dader zag ik niet direct aankomen en daar houd ik van. Al met al een heerlijk begin van de Myrtle Clover mysterie-serie. Ik verheug mij op de overige delen.
Dit was absoluut een cozy mysterie! Een gezellige oude vrouw die een moord probeert op te lossen om haar hersens te blijven gebruiken, een heerlijk concept. Doordat je ook stukken van andere inwoners leest, leer je allerlei achtergronden kennen. Zo wordt het verhaal nog levendiger. De dader zag ik niet direct aankomen en daar houd ik van. Al met al een heerlijk begin van de Myrtle Clover mysterie-serie. Ik verheug mij op de overige delen.
March 22, 2017
It was an okay book.Nothing really to say about it.The only thing that I didn't like was those dual points of view,it would be better if it had just one. I think it has a potential to be a better TV show/movie then a book.
July 14, 2020
Laugh out loud enjoyable
I have read the Village Library books and since I really enjoyed them , I wanted to try other works by this author. This book was so well written, the characters so intriguing and the dialogue so entertaining that I was hooked on Myrtle Clover right from the start. Since I live in a small Western N.C. town, I connected with these characters and the setting at once. I had to give this story 5 stars, if for nothing else, for the hilarious laugh out loud humor. Read it, you'll see what I mean!
I have read the Village Library books and since I really enjoyed them , I wanted to try other works by this author. This book was so well written, the characters so intriguing and the dialogue so entertaining that I was hooked on Myrtle Clover right from the start. Since I live in a small Western N.C. town, I connected with these characters and the setting at once. I had to give this story 5 stars, if for nothing else, for the hilarious laugh out loud humor. Read it, you'll see what I mean!
June 27, 2019
The very first book in the Myrtle Clover series - I read this series a bit out of order, as I had picked up other books while they were on sale on Kindle. This one I had to pay full price for- but it was worth it, because I really wanted to see where the story began.
Here is where Myrtle meets her sidekick Miles for the first time, and where you get to meet many residents of her small town. This is a great start to the series, and octegenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover is well worth the read.
Here is where Myrtle meets her sidekick Miles for the first time, and where you get to meet many residents of her small town. This is a great start to the series, and octegenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover is well worth the read.
August 1, 2020
Did Not Finish! I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads give-away. Thank goodness I didn’t pay for it!!!! I made it through 2 chapters and that was all I could stomach. Myrtle Clover is an instantly unlikable character-meddlesome, controlling, interfering, etc, etc, etc—and while presumably (since it’s a Myrtle Clover mystery) clever enough to solve a murder, she isn’t clever enough to find worthwhile and fulfilling pursuits otherwise. Five thumbs down.
January 25, 2019
Myrtle Clover is in her 80's, as sharp as any retired English teacher, and really unhappy that her son, the local police chief, thinks she needs some quiet activities, like the Altar Guild. At her first meeting, however, she finds the body of a much-disliked local real estate promoter, and determines to beat her son to finding the culprit.
June 11, 2013
This book was just ok for me. I read it mostly because the summer reading program (for prizes) said I had to read a mystery. This is not usually my genre, but the librarian recommended it. I found the story to be a little slow for me, but it was set in the south, so that makes sense. I did skip to the end to check my prediction about the murderer, and I was right.
December 10, 2015
Great reading
I enjoyed reading this book very much. I've read several other books about Myrtle before reading this one. Myrtle is quite a character and so feisty for an 80 something. The book I read had duplicate pages in chapters 17 and 18 so chapter 18 was really missing. I was still able to enjoy the book. I highly recommend this series about Myrtle Clover.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. I've read several other books about Myrtle before reading this one. Myrtle is quite a character and so feisty for an 80 something. The book I read had duplicate pages in chapters 17 and 18 so chapter 18 was really missing. I was still able to enjoy the book. I highly recommend this series about Myrtle Clover.
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