Too Late for Angels

Augusta Goodnight #5

by Michael Baker

Things in the town of Stone's Throw, South Carolina, rarely get much spicier than the extra red pepper Lucy Nan Pilgrim sprinkles into her homemade cheese straws. So when an elderly but surprisingly childlike woman calling herself Shirley shows up on Lucy's doorstep looking for her mama, Lucy thinks it must be another of her friend Ellis's pranks. But Ellis doesn't know a thing about it, and what's more, the two suspect the woman might be Ellis's cousin, Florence, who disappeared as a child more than fifty years earlier.

When the mysterious woman vanishes from Lucy's house, she and Ellis don't know what to think. And considering that Calpernia Hemphill, the town's theater and music aficionado, has just been found dead of an apparent fall from the tower at Bertram's Folly, life in Stone's Throw suddenly seems less safe than sinister.

Luckily, guardian angel Augusta Goodnight shows up to calm Lucy's nerves (with a basket of strawberry muffins, of course). And not a moment too soon, because Shirley/Florence is found dead at the bottom of a steep flight of steps in the parking lot behind the Methodist church.

She is not the last victim, and Ellis, whose inheritance could be threatened by the reappearance of her long-lost cousin, remains the number-one suspect. Augusta, Lucy and the Thursday Morning Literary Society (which now meets on Monday afternoons) must use their heads--and a little bit of home cooking--to solve the mystery.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was such a pleasant story--interesting characters; simple mystery with some surprises. For those looking for books without cursing and without sordid sex scenes, this is for you. This book also includes some very good recipes. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

[Linda Beech · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Augusta Goodnight book I have read, although I understand it is number five in the series. Augusta Goodnight is the guardian angel of the main character who finds herself involved with three deaths in her small South Carolina town. The guardian angel was an interesting premise which instead turned out to be an odd ‘extra’ unnecessary to the storyline. It seems all the angel Augusta did was cook and bake, work in the garden and fiddle with her color-changing beaded necklace. The plot could have carried on without her since the main characters did all the sleuthing to unravel the complicated plot and the angel was absent when they really needed her help anyway. There were a few too many improbable coincidences for me to give this book a higher rating, but I did enjoy the mystery and the other characters.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every thing in Stone's Throw SC goes on pretty much the same until an unusual addled woman named Shirley shows up on Lucy Nan Pilgrim's doorstep claiming it as her childhood home. Is this really Florence who disappeared over 50 years ago as a child? What about Calpernia? Her body was found at the bottom of the tower out by her home. She hated heights? What had she been doing in the tower, and was she pushed or did she just fall? What happen to Henry Boyd? Augusta Goodnight, Lucy's guardian angel moves into her home, just in time to help with all the strange goings-on in Stone's Throw. It's another charming Augusta Goodnight story.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one has a recipe for Augusta's "heavenly" strawberry muffins. Who couldn't use a guardian angel.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another quickie that kept me reading. I did want to know how it ended, but the 'angel' pretext and the Southern to the point of parody was a lot to chew.

[Connie Hansmeyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good cozy mystery with a Guardian Angel and small town setting. Murder mystery did take a few twists and dealt with an old missing child case.

[Mandolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doors are left unlocked and neighbors drop by through the hedge in the small town of Stone's Throw, South Carolina, where Lucy Nan Pilgrim has lived all her life. Life becomes a bit more exciting for the town residents, however, when an elderly woman arrives and is, too all appearances, the grown-up little girl who was kidnapped from the town decades ago. Before her identity can be confirmed, though, she's found dead in the church parking lot, the victim of what appears to be a robbery gone bad. Suspicion around her death grows, however, when another member of the town is found murdered, pushed from the top of a crumbling tower. Suddenly, life in Stone's Throw isn't quite as heavenly as it once was.

Fortunately, Augusta Goodnight has been assigned as a temporary guardian angel to Lucy and, bringing with her the scent of strawberries and an assortment of mouthwatering recipes, she breezes into town to help Lucy and her friends to investigate the strange occurrences that continue to plague the town and to untangle the mystery surrounding the two women's deaths. Their investigation takes a few deadly turns, to the sorrow of the entire town, but also brings about some wonderful changes in Lucy's life, including a chance for romance as well as for reconciliation with her estranged daughter.

Five stars to this cozy mystery, which is the best of the Augusta Goodnight series that I've read so far. The characters are realistic and likable, the plot is complex enough to satisfy and the warm, Southern atmosphere that the book imparts leaves the reader with a sweet taste long after the final page is turned.

[Cynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

In "Too Late for Angels" a mysterious elderly lady shows up at Lucy's door and claims to be the same person who was kidnapped from the area sixty years ago. Before anyone could confirm her identity, the lady is found dead, on the same night a member of the community is also killed under strange circumstances. A neighbor is also found dead a few days later. Lucy is caught up in the mystery as someone breaks in looking for something and tries to run over Lucy. But Lucy has friends and a guardian angel to help solve the mystery.

1) I did not guess who the culprit was--but that was because once all was revealed, the reasons behind the murders made absolutely no sense to me. Even if Lucy hadn't ruined their plans, forensically the whole thing would have fallen apart

2) The Angel concept was pretty cheesy, I think I could have lived with that but the angel was also useless. Didn't help solve anything, wasn't around anytime this stuff happened to Lucy, etc... Also, why does Lucy get a guardian angel, what about these poor murdered people? How come they didn't have an angel around for them?

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've only read one other book in this series and I was surprised to find the author had changed from first to third person point of view.
Lots of characters to keep track of, but over all a nice story.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is second or third in series. Pretty enjoyable mysteries, not too violent or ugly. Nice touch with the angel.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Augusta Goodnight. I wish they'd make some of these into a movie or two. I always picture Kathy Najimy playing the part of Augusta. It's a good read to the end.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute. I don't think it's my favorite Augusta Goodnight mystery, but then again, I read the others so long ago that I barely remember them. Part of a fun, non-gory murder mystery.

[Mischelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a boring mystery till the end. Was Glad when it ended.

[Sandra Kent]

Good story!!

[Leslie Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute fluff. ballard's always a good plotter.