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Helen & Delyth Mystery #1
Persimmon Crown
Delyth Bitersee thought a great deal about murder—reporting on it, that is, not committing it. As the most junior reporter on the local newspaper, she was named the interim crime reporter while the usual reporter was on maternity leave. She hoped a big murder story could land her on the front page and jumpstart her career, but dating a homicide policeman complicates things because he resolutely refuses to discuss anything about police cases.
Helen Terfel didn’t think much about murder in her quiet Northern California town, where she’d taught school for thirty years. Not until her dog pulls her to the slain body of an old neighbor. She would have left it to the police until a former student is charged with the crime. Most neighbors think he returned from two tours in Iraq a damaged person, but Helen cannot believe the sweet boy she remembered from her class could have committed murder.
The two women don't rush to work together, but mutual need and growing respect lead them to a tentative partnership that unravels forty-year-old secrets to find the killer.
Persimmon Crown is a quick read that will appeal to anyone who loves well-developed characters, small-town mysteries, strong, complex female leads, neatly executed plot turns a and cleaver twist at the end.
Helen Terfel didn’t think much about murder in her quiet Northern California town, where she’d taught school for thirty years. Not until her dog pulls her to the slain body of an old neighbor. She would have left it to the police until a former student is charged with the crime. Most neighbors think he returned from two tours in Iraq a damaged person, but Helen cannot believe the sweet boy she remembered from her class could have committed murder.
The two women don't rush to work together, but mutual need and growing respect lead them to a tentative partnership that unravels forty-year-old secrets to find the killer.
Persimmon Crown is a quick read that will appeal to anyone who loves well-developed characters, small-town mysteries, strong, complex female leads, neatly executed plot turns a and cleaver twist at the end.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2019
5 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 16, 2019
This is a cozy mystery story for mystery lovers. From my girlhood (which was longer ago than I care to think on) I’ve been a huge fan of the genre. If a book promises me humor, interesting characters and locations, AND a dead body, I’ll give it a whirl. Given that these are my only qualifications, I’ve read a lot of mystery novels. Some good ones, infinitely more that were just mediocre, and a not insignificant number of stinkers. Persimmon Crown is definitely and solidly in the “Good” column.
From chapter one, when Helen (well, technically it was Helen’s chocolate lab, Coco Chanel) discovers a body surrounded by a “crown” of persimmons, I knew that this was going to be a quality mystery yarn, and the rest of the book did not disappoint.
To start with, the characters are interesting and authentic. Helen is an older schoolteacher with a warm disposition who is married to an artist. She lives a quiet, pleasant sort of life, which is disrupted when she finds the body of a neighbor. Things grow yet more complicated when one of her former students (who has recently returned from the war) becomes the prime suspect.
Helen’s ties to the case (and her innate curiosity) draw her into the mystery. She soon meets Delyth, a novice reporter who is covering what is supposed to be a relatively cut and dry story for a colleague out on leave. Delyth is ambitious and her innate vulnerability makes her cautious almost to the point of cynicism, but she is drawn in by Helen’s pragmatic skepticism about the prime suspect’s guilt and the thought of what that story could do for her career.
And so begins a warm friendship and a formidable mystery-solving duo. What follows are lots of twists and turns and interesting characters, all of which are made more enjoyable by the author’s obvious but unpretentious intelligence, culture, and skill.
In short, this is a great mystery yarn that ticks all of the boxes. It has fun, genuinely likable protagonists; a sharp mystery that will keep you guessing until the end; an appealing setting inhabited by diverse and interesting side characters; and skillful, intelligent writing. Oh, and it’s genuinely funny, which is always a bonus.
This was a lovely, enjoyable read. It earned all 5 stars, easily, and I can’t wait for the next installment!
From chapter one, when Helen (well, technically it was Helen’s chocolate lab, Coco Chanel) discovers a body surrounded by a “crown” of persimmons, I knew that this was going to be a quality mystery yarn, and the rest of the book did not disappoint.
To start with, the characters are interesting and authentic. Helen is an older schoolteacher with a warm disposition who is married to an artist. She lives a quiet, pleasant sort of life, which is disrupted when she finds the body of a neighbor. Things grow yet more complicated when one of her former students (who has recently returned from the war) becomes the prime suspect.
Helen’s ties to the case (and her innate curiosity) draw her into the mystery. She soon meets Delyth, a novice reporter who is covering what is supposed to be a relatively cut and dry story for a colleague out on leave. Delyth is ambitious and her innate vulnerability makes her cautious almost to the point of cynicism, but she is drawn in by Helen’s pragmatic skepticism about the prime suspect’s guilt and the thought of what that story could do for her career.
And so begins a warm friendship and a formidable mystery-solving duo. What follows are lots of twists and turns and interesting characters, all of which are made more enjoyable by the author’s obvious but unpretentious intelligence, culture, and skill.
In short, this is a great mystery yarn that ticks all of the boxes. It has fun, genuinely likable protagonists; a sharp mystery that will keep you guessing until the end; an appealing setting inhabited by diverse and interesting side characters; and skillful, intelligent writing. Oh, and it’s genuinely funny, which is always a bonus.
This was a lovely, enjoyable read. It earned all 5 stars, easily, and I can’t wait for the next installment!
December 20, 2025
cozy enough for winter
Charming characters, twisted family relationships, an off and on romance, two likable dogs and a murder add up to hours of light hearted reading pleasure.
Charming characters, twisted family relationships, an off and on romance, two likable dogs and a murder add up to hours of light hearted reading pleasure.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews