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Dixie Divas #1
Dixie Divas
"You found my philandering ex-husband?" Bitty asked. "Where? Mexico? Paris? In Tupelo with a cocktail waitress?"
"In your closet," I answered. "Dead."
Break out the hoop skirts and the zinfandel. The Divas are on the case. Wine. Chocolate. Transvestite strippers. Just another good-time get-together for the Dixie Divas of historic Holly Springs, Mississippi, where moonlight and magnolias mingle with delicious small-town scandal.
But Eureka "Trinket" Truevine, the newest Diva, gets more than she bargained for when she finds her best Diva girlfriend Bitty Hollandale's ex-husband in Bitty's hall closet. He's dead. Very dead. Now Trinket and the Divas have to help Bitty finger the murderer and clear her name.
Virginia Brown is the nationally acclaimed, award-winning author of fifty novels.
"In your closet," I answered. "Dead."
Break out the hoop skirts and the zinfandel. The Divas are on the case. Wine. Chocolate. Transvestite strippers. Just another good-time get-together for the Dixie Divas of historic Holly Springs, Mississippi, where moonlight and magnolias mingle with delicious small-town scandal.
But Eureka "Trinket" Truevine, the newest Diva, gets more than she bargained for when she finds her best Diva girlfriend Bitty Hollandale's ex-husband in Bitty's hall closet. He's dead. Very dead. Now Trinket and the Divas have to help Bitty finger the murderer and clear her name.
Virginia Brown is the nationally acclaimed, award-winning author of fifty novels.
266 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2009
216 people are currently reading
1230 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Brown
103 books107 followersSince writing her first romance novel in 1984, Virginia Brown has written nearly 50 romance novels. Many of her books have been nominated for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice, Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter, and Career Achievement Award for Adventure. Her works regularly appear on national bestseller lists. Having written under several different names about historical eras such as the old West, Regency-era, and the American Civil War, she now writes under a new pseudonym, Juliana Garnett, to focus upon the medieval era.
A native of Tennessee, Virginia spent her childhood traveling with her parents as a "military brat,” living all over the US and in Japan. This influenced her love of travel and adventure, which is reflected in her work.
Twice a year, Virginia visits England to research her novels, and includes Scotland in her travels. She feels this adds a new dimension to her work, and enables her to more authentically impart the true flavor of the geographical and historical sites.
In addition to appearing on the nationally syndicated television program What's Hot, What's Not, Virginia Brown has been interviewed by Jane Pauley on the Today Show, and regularly appears on local television and radio shows in addition to coverage by the press. She also experienced a first for a romance writer by appearing on the cover of Memphis, the magazine.
Virginia is the mother of four grown children, and now enjoys her menagerie of dogs that includes a fat beagle, two part-chows, a hound and five cats. As the grandmother of three lovely children, one of her greatest pleasures these days is visiting with Justin, Christina, and Gaby.
A native of Tennessee, Virginia spent her childhood traveling with her parents as a "military brat,” living all over the US and in Japan. This influenced her love of travel and adventure, which is reflected in her work.
Twice a year, Virginia visits England to research her novels, and includes Scotland in her travels. She feels this adds a new dimension to her work, and enables her to more authentically impart the true flavor of the geographical and historical sites.
In addition to appearing on the nationally syndicated television program What's Hot, What's Not, Virginia Brown has been interviewed by Jane Pauley on the Today Show, and regularly appears on local television and radio shows in addition to coverage by the press. She also experienced a first for a romance writer by appearing on the cover of Memphis, the magazine.
Virginia is the mother of four grown children, and now enjoys her menagerie of dogs that includes a fat beagle, two part-chows, a hound and five cats. As the grandmother of three lovely children, one of her greatest pleasures these days is visiting with Justin, Christina, and Gaby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
July 9, 2020
Eureka (Trinket) Truevine has returned to her childhood home in Mississippi following a contentious divorce. She deals with aging parents (with home she is living), her four times divorced cousin, Bitty, becoming a member of the Dixie Divas ( a select women's group of twelve), trying to find a job, and, oh yes, what to do about Bitty's ex fourth husband who is inconveniently dead in the hall closet.
This book had me laughing out loud. It is so over the top, full of sweet tea, "bless her hearts", and pure craziness that it is just what I needed during a pandemic.
This book had me laughing out loud. It is so over the top, full of sweet tea, "bless her hearts", and pure craziness that it is just what I needed during a pandemic.
June 24, 2011
Don't expect a normal mystery. This book is really more about the "character" than the mystery.
What I enjoyed:
* The characters were pretty interesting.
* Jackson Lee, I'd say I want him as my attorney if ever needed, but then I'd be selling out my love and respect of John Lloyd Branson.
What could have been better:
* The book was too long and too descriptive. I just don't care that much about what is in a room or what people are wearing. It took me 5 days to read this and that was because there was so much extraneous description to get through.
* The names make me glad I didn't grow up in the South. Trinket, Bitty, etc.
* How can that many people be ok with moving a body?
*
What I enjoyed:
* The characters were pretty interesting.
* Jackson Lee, I'd say I want him as my attorney if ever needed, but then I'd be selling out my love and respect of John Lloyd Branson.
What could have been better:
* The book was too long and too descriptive. I just don't care that much about what is in a room or what people are wearing. It took me 5 days to read this and that was because there was so much extraneous description to get through.
* The names make me glad I didn't grow up in the South. Trinket, Bitty, etc.
* How can that many people be ok with moving a body?
*
April 27, 2011
Reading this book was like traveling a sine wave between 2 and 3 stars. While reading this book, I cycled through a few states:
In the end, I'm not entirely sure what the motive(s) for the crime(s) were. Seriously. You'd think that'd be clear, wouldn't you? However, it's an enjoyable read if you're not looking to think. And you shouldn't, especially if you're looking for "clues" to help you "solve" the mystery.
*minor spoiler*
"Hahaha, this is amusing!"
"Do grown women really act like that?"
"Are you kidding me??"
"What a fun read! I love these characters!"
"Haven't we covered this ground in detail before?"
"What just happened?!?"
In the end, I'm not entirely sure what the motive(s) for the crime(s) were. Seriously. You'd think that'd be clear, wouldn't you? However, it's an enjoyable read if you're not looking to think. And you shouldn't, especially if you're looking for "clues" to help you "solve" the mystery.
*minor spoiler*
November 30, 2013
I got this for free and am so happy I didn't pay even a penny for it. I'd still like my time back. The story is not believable from the start, the characters are not likable, attempts at humor just really aren't funny, the narrator rambles SLOWLY for chapters and chapters on and on and on about nothing interesting (OK, other than her parents; they were cute) in between the handful of mystery related crumb tosses that were just enough to make me suffer through to the end. All that, and then the ending was hardly worth the agony of getting there. The last quarter of the book at least moved faster because the narrator had probably run out of uninteresting things to say. I am just so glad that it is finally over.
March 21, 2015
Well I ended up really enjoying this even though it seemed really, really long and not quite what I would call a cozy mystery. Loved the characters - especially Trinket (such a cute name). The 2 names for the Pug were funny too, I have to say I probably would call the dog Chitlin more than it's real name too. Bitty was hysterical, loved her. This book was mostly about the characters and their relationships and truly a story about Mississippi more than a murder but I enjoyed it anyway. Wish I had a friendship with gals that would help me move a corpse not once but twice with no questions asked lol. Those Dixie Divas are MY kind of gals, plus the buckets of sweet tea would make life all the better. Would love to have Bitty's Mothers Mint Julep recipe though...
September 3, 2019
This was a fun romp through the South for me. Very funny and cleverly written, a perfect book to pick up for some escapism reading and humor. I loved the characters and their mannerisms - the author drew them in such detail for me that I feel as if I can picture them exactly as she described. Trinket and Bitty are priceless. Recommended for fun.
June 22, 2011
Dixie Divas was recommended to me by a friend as a quick, funny read. While it does have its amusing moments, the book didn't really make me laugh out loud. The whodunnit is pretty interesting though - I didn't expect the ending.
October 9, 2019
Super funny and very well written. Will prob read again.
July 2, 2021
New author and series for me. I loved reading a book set in Mississippi
December 14, 2021
I won this book on Early Reviewers and was kind of skeptical about reading this book at first. I usually don't go for this type of book since the main characters are my mother's age and I tend to stick to books with characters more closer to my age (i.e. chick lit books).
I have to say that I was shocked that this book was so well written and amusing. I started this book two days ago and if I didnt have to go to work and other obligations, I would have finished it much sooner. The author's writing style reminds me a lot of Mary Kay Andrews, who is an author that I really enjoy reading. I found this book to be refreshing and that I could really relate to the main characters even though they are much older than I am.
The storyline flowed really well and worked together succesfully. The story focuses on the friendship of Trinket and Bitty, with Trinket being the more cautious and senisble one and Bitty being the more carefree and drama queen of the two. Bitty is accused of her ex-husband's (who is a wily and egotistical senator) murder after his body keeps popping up in the strangest places. With the help of Trinket and the Dixie Divas, Bitty seems to stay calm and keep a cool head even though she is the prime and most logical suspect. With a tendency towards the dramatic and a penchant for saying more than she should, Bitty enlists the help of Trinket and her charming Southern belle manners to figure out just what is going on and how to clear her name of murder.
I noticed of the advance reader's copy that this book is book one of the Dixie Divas Mystery series. I am anxkious for the next book to come out in the series and will be on the look out. If you want an amusing book, one that you will find yourself laughing out loud, and a refreshing read, this is the book for you.
I have to say that I was shocked that this book was so well written and amusing. I started this book two days ago and if I didnt have to go to work and other obligations, I would have finished it much sooner. The author's writing style reminds me a lot of Mary Kay Andrews, who is an author that I really enjoy reading. I found this book to be refreshing and that I could really relate to the main characters even though they are much older than I am.
The storyline flowed really well and worked together succesfully. The story focuses on the friendship of Trinket and Bitty, with Trinket being the more cautious and senisble one and Bitty being the more carefree and drama queen of the two. Bitty is accused of her ex-husband's (who is a wily and egotistical senator) murder after his body keeps popping up in the strangest places. With the help of Trinket and the Dixie Divas, Bitty seems to stay calm and keep a cool head even though she is the prime and most logical suspect. With a tendency towards the dramatic and a penchant for saying more than she should, Bitty enlists the help of Trinket and her charming Southern belle manners to figure out just what is going on and how to clear her name of murder.
I noticed of the advance reader's copy that this book is book one of the Dixie Divas Mystery series. I am anxkious for the next book to come out in the series and will be on the look out. If you want an amusing book, one that you will find yourself laughing out loud, and a refreshing read, this is the book for you.
May 31, 2022
#1 in the Dixie Divas cozy mystery series
I struggled with this book, as evidenced by the fact that it took me almost two weeks to finish it. I'm not sure what the problem was. The characters are fine. Both are middle-aged, settled and active in their small community. Trinket is the strong, dependable type, while Bitty is the flirty, Southern belle. I think it was the Diva group that annoyed me. They have this supposedly exclusive club, but it didn't really exist for any reason except to act over-the-top crazy. And they did--egging each other on, especially when deciding to move Philip's body. Did no one have any sensible objections? And Bitty's insistence on carrying around her new dog all the time...I didn't get that part of the story. Was she always intending to keep it or was there some reasoning that I missed about it? Furthermore, I'll admit that I got a little confused about the mystery from time to time. There were too many Diva members to keep track of, plus being from the North, I didn't remember (or know) a lot of the history of the Civil War that they apparently took for granted. All that being said, the story moved forward fairly quickly, and I enjoyed some of the secondary characters (like Jackson Lee the lawyer and Kit Coltraine the vet) who added some humor. And Trinket's exasperation with her frolicking parents was cute. The audiobook was recommended to me, but I read my Kindle version. Perhaps I'll give the audio version a try next to see if I like it better.
I struggled with this book, as evidenced by the fact that it took me almost two weeks to finish it. I'm not sure what the problem was. The characters are fine. Both are middle-aged, settled and active in their small community. Trinket is the strong, dependable type, while Bitty is the flirty, Southern belle. I think it was the Diva group that annoyed me. They have this supposedly exclusive club, but it didn't really exist for any reason except to act over-the-top crazy. And they did--egging each other on, especially when deciding to move Philip's body. Did no one have any sensible objections? And Bitty's insistence on carrying around her new dog all the time...I didn't get that part of the story. Was she always intending to keep it or was there some reasoning that I missed about it? Furthermore, I'll admit that I got a little confused about the mystery from time to time. There were too many Diva members to keep track of, plus being from the North, I didn't remember (or know) a lot of the history of the Civil War that they apparently took for granted. All that being said, the story moved forward fairly quickly, and I enjoyed some of the secondary characters (like Jackson Lee the lawyer and Kit Coltraine the vet) who added some humor. And Trinket's exasperation with her frolicking parents was cute. The audiobook was recommended to me, but I read my Kindle version. Perhaps I'll give the audio version a try next to see if I like it better.
October 29, 2022
I enjoyed the narration of Karen Commins
If you like cozy mysteries with a lot of laughs, this one is for you. Eureka has returned to her childhood home in Mississippi following a contentious divorce, to care for her parents. Her cousin, Bitty, is a fanatic about historical homes, and her pursuit of a home to place on the historical register starts a series of events that will keep you laughing or shaking your head.
If you like cozy mysteries with a lot of laughs, this one is for you. Eureka has returned to her childhood home in Mississippi following a contentious divorce, to care for her parents. Her cousin, Bitty, is a fanatic about historical homes, and her pursuit of a home to place on the historical register starts a series of events that will keep you laughing or shaking your head.
August 23, 2019
I gave this book 3 stars - I liked it.
The book started out a little slow, but picked up the pace as the story unfolded. The plot reminded me of Stephanie Plum in Janet Evanovich's book. Although this book is funny, its not as funny as the Stephsnie Plum books. it's a quick, fun read but not a huge page turner.
The book started out a little slow, but picked up the pace as the story unfolded. The plot reminded me of Stephanie Plum in Janet Evanovich's book. Although this book is funny, its not as funny as the Stephsnie Plum books. it's a quick, fun read but not a huge page turner.
May 14, 2017
This book was entertaining at times and boring at others and I felt like it really never gave a good reason as to why the person that did it did it. I listened to it and I really thought the story teller was over the top
February 23, 2020
I really struggled to get through this one. The story idea was great and had a lot of potential but I felt like it was too drug out and a lot longer than necessary. The narrator did a great job I enjoyed listening to her
October 17, 2024
I heard 1-5 in audio. Wish there were more. Fun, snarky, colorful witty characters, southern humor. I liked this as well as the Blue Suede Memphis series. Would get more of either series if in audio.
May 15, 2017
I was looking for a quick, fun read and this fit just fine. The chapters were a bit too long for easy reading, but the characters were quirky and the ending was not 100% obvious.
October 15, 2018
Laugh out loud funny read. A very sarcastic protagonist who pulls no punches. And one of the best explanation of Southern life and values I have ever read. Heading on to the next one in the series!
February 28, 2018
I kind of wish that I could give it 3 1/2 stars; it was better than not, but it wasn't fabulous. It was pretty standard but enjoyable. Better than I expected.
March 9, 2019
Always funny!!!!
June 23, 2019
If you like funny mysteries with southern ladies of a certain age, you will probably find this one amusing, if somewhat unbelievable. I liked it well enough to check out the next one. 3.5 stars
July 7, 2021
This was a cute book, I like the story line and character development. Murder in the South - that is a thing now!
September 24, 2021
Tooo many tries at being witty. At the end I didn’t care who the murderer was.
dnf
December 25, 2022I'm not sure how far in I was when the characters started talking about how the KKK was a good idea at first and I immediately bailed. There may have been cursing involved.
April 6, 2015
***I was given an Audible credit for this book. I honestly can't remember if part of the "deal" was an honest review. But here it is anyway.
The basics: This is a perfectly fine book. It had cohesion, an interesting story, and the narrator's voice was perfectly satisfactory.
The characters were well written. They were consistent in their actions and reactions. They weren't 20 somethings with 20 something issues. They were more, umm, mature characters with issues that most people will never have, but hey, most books are like that.
The story line, well, I had basic issues with it. Our protagonist, Trinket Truevine, has just moved back home to a rural Southern town. She is newly divorced and her schedule is wide open. She decides her aging parents need her. Well, she should have checked with them first. They are doing just fine but are happy having her home so she can babysit the critters while they take some trips.
Trinket has a cousin still in their hometown by the name of Bitty. Frankly, when listening to it I was hearing "Biddy," and that would have been a very unfortunate nickname. In fact, the nicknames got to be a bit old and almost burdensome in listening. Too many nicknames, too many background stories.
But I digress.
This is a cozy mystery, which generally requires a body or three and some, well, mystery. That is given in spades in this book. Again, lots of background, lots of history revisited. All of it is perfectly acceptable, but sometimes it was just too much. Too much to keep up with, too much to process, too much to retain.
Generally, there is a lot that goes on in this book that would get people a lot of serious jail time. Now, I might be more sensitive to this since I do work in the legal profession (court reporter). But there were bodies found and then moved. There were bodies found and not reported. There were lies of omission. There was purposeful changes in timelines that would definitely be called obstruction.
Another issue I had trouble with was it seemed as if this book was written long ago and just of updated in this century. The one thing that continually came up (and again, I am not sure why this was mentioned so often) was that Trinket's brothers died in the Vietnam War. Really? Trinket is in her mid 50s. My memory (and I apologize for not writing it down) is that they died in the Tet Offensive. Well, the Tet Offensive was in 1968. Trinket mentions her parents are in their 70s. Well, my uncle was in the Tet Offensive and he is in his 70s. I can't imagine that someone in their 70s has children old enough to be killed in the Tet Offensive. And then Trinket mentions knowing their school friends and interacting with them. Well, Trinket is in her early 50s so I seriously doubt there was much interaction there at all.
Again, because this was an audio "read" for me so I may have missed some key elements.
But this is one issue I had with the book. I kept being totally taken out of the story by things such as "no way would the police let them walk after even XYZ" and "really, she has brothers who died in Vietnam?"
Now, had I not had these issues, I think I would have enjoyed the book more. I think it needed some heavy editing. There was too much detail given. Sometimes there was so much detail given I thought I was being set up for something later in the book where these details would be important, but that never materialized.
There was also a late/lame attempt at a love interest for Trinket. It seemed totally forced and inorganic.
In retrospect, I think a lot of things were laid down as sequel fodder. It made for a clunky story.
I do appreciate the credit and I am sorry it took me a few months to write this review. But I can honestly say I have been cogitating on it for a bit. Enjoy it for what it is. If you can let things like timelines and lying to the authorities and seemingly much older brothers go, you will probably enjoy it.
As far as the narrator, her voice was interesting. It is not a smooth voice. It is hard to describe. The thing I did like, I will admit, is she sounded the age of the characters. It is not a young and perky voice. You could envision a 50-plus heroine with that voice.
The basics: This is a perfectly fine book. It had cohesion, an interesting story, and the narrator's voice was perfectly satisfactory.
The characters were well written. They were consistent in their actions and reactions. They weren't 20 somethings with 20 something issues. They were more, umm, mature characters with issues that most people will never have, but hey, most books are like that.
The story line, well, I had basic issues with it. Our protagonist, Trinket Truevine, has just moved back home to a rural Southern town. She is newly divorced and her schedule is wide open. She decides her aging parents need her. Well, she should have checked with them first. They are doing just fine but are happy having her home so she can babysit the critters while they take some trips.
Trinket has a cousin still in their hometown by the name of Bitty. Frankly, when listening to it I was hearing "Biddy," and that would have been a very unfortunate nickname. In fact, the nicknames got to be a bit old and almost burdensome in listening. Too many nicknames, too many background stories.
But I digress.
This is a cozy mystery, which generally requires a body or three and some, well, mystery. That is given in spades in this book. Again, lots of background, lots of history revisited. All of it is perfectly acceptable, but sometimes it was just too much. Too much to keep up with, too much to process, too much to retain.
Generally, there is a lot that goes on in this book that would get people a lot of serious jail time. Now, I might be more sensitive to this since I do work in the legal profession (court reporter). But there were bodies found and then moved. There were bodies found and not reported. There were lies of omission. There was purposeful changes in timelines that would definitely be called obstruction.
Another issue I had trouble with was it seemed as if this book was written long ago and just of updated in this century. The one thing that continually came up (and again, I am not sure why this was mentioned so often) was that Trinket's brothers died in the Vietnam War. Really? Trinket is in her mid 50s. My memory (and I apologize for not writing it down) is that they died in the Tet Offensive. Well, the Tet Offensive was in 1968. Trinket mentions her parents are in their 70s. Well, my uncle was in the Tet Offensive and he is in his 70s. I can't imagine that someone in their 70s has children old enough to be killed in the Tet Offensive. And then Trinket mentions knowing their school friends and interacting with them. Well, Trinket is in her early 50s so I seriously doubt there was much interaction there at all.
Again, because this was an audio "read" for me so I may have missed some key elements.
But this is one issue I had with the book. I kept being totally taken out of the story by things such as "no way would the police let them walk after even XYZ" and "really, she has brothers who died in Vietnam?"
Now, had I not had these issues, I think I would have enjoyed the book more. I think it needed some heavy editing. There was too much detail given. Sometimes there was so much detail given I thought I was being set up for something later in the book where these details would be important, but that never materialized.
There was also a late/lame attempt at a love interest for Trinket. It seemed totally forced and inorganic.
In retrospect, I think a lot of things were laid down as sequel fodder. It made for a clunky story.
I do appreciate the credit and I am sorry it took me a few months to write this review. But I can honestly say I have been cogitating on it for a bit. Enjoy it for what it is. If you can let things like timelines and lying to the authorities and seemingly much older brothers go, you will probably enjoy it.
As far as the narrator, her voice was interesting. It is not a smooth voice. It is hard to describe. The thing I did like, I will admit, is she sounded the age of the characters. It is not a young and perky voice. You could envision a 50-plus heroine with that voice.
December 15, 2019
Southern Belles they are not, they enjoy their wine, and being a little bit on the wild since. Had some good one liners to laugh and enjoy. Mostly girls getting together and finding a dead body here and there.
Given Arc audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
Narration was good
Given Arc audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
Narration was good
October 28, 2017
Horrible
April 16, 2012
Dixie Divas
Virginia Brown
Bell Bridge Books, June 2009
ISBN 9780982175651
Trade Paperback
Murder in Holly Springs, Mississippi? That’s not exactly a frequent event but, being a small town, Holly Springs has no shortage of scandal and whispering. Some might say the victim deserved it but, when Eureka “Trinket” Truevine finds the body, it takes a particular kind of grit to serve sweet tea to the police officers sitting in Bitty Hollandale’s parlor. They’re looking into the disappearance of Bitty’s ex-husband, recently re-elected Senator, and Trinket just found him in the coat closet. One teeny little problem–Bitty saw the body somewhere else so how did he get in her coat closet? She and the ex had a very nasty divorce so, of course, she’ll be #1 on the suspect list.
Enter the Dixie Divas, a group of women “over thirty and under a hundred” whose raison d’etre is a love of chocolate and wine. Membership is by invitation only and, since Trinket recently moved back to town after years away and membership is limited to an even dozen, she has to wait her turn and, meanwhile, attend meetings as Bitty’s guest. Men are allowed only if they’re delivering something or are the entertainment and everyone is sworn to secrecy about what goes on at these meetings.
Bitty calls in the Divas and they promptly start by stuffing Philip into Leaf and Garden bags and then haul him to an open vault at the cemetery for temporary storage, somewhat hampered by the need to get the job done before 5:00 when everybody gets off work and someone will be sure to notice a bunch of women carting around a rolled-up carpet. Being ladies, though, they do remember to bring along a tasteful arrangement of dried flowers. When they go back to the cemetery that night, they’re confronted with one more teeny little problem.
Virginia Brown is an award-winning author of many romance novels and her writing experience and talent is evident in this tale of Southern comedy and mayhem. There’s something about Southern fiction that sets it apart (disclaimer: this reviewer is Southern and, therefore, probably somewhat biased) and Brown does it oh-so-well.
Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, November 2009.
Virginia Brown
Bell Bridge Books, June 2009
ISBN 9780982175651
Trade Paperback
Murder in Holly Springs, Mississippi? That’s not exactly a frequent event but, being a small town, Holly Springs has no shortage of scandal and whispering. Some might say the victim deserved it but, when Eureka “Trinket” Truevine finds the body, it takes a particular kind of grit to serve sweet tea to the police officers sitting in Bitty Hollandale’s parlor. They’re looking into the disappearance of Bitty’s ex-husband, recently re-elected Senator, and Trinket just found him in the coat closet. One teeny little problem–Bitty saw the body somewhere else so how did he get in her coat closet? She and the ex had a very nasty divorce so, of course, she’ll be #1 on the suspect list.
Enter the Dixie Divas, a group of women “over thirty and under a hundred” whose raison d’etre is a love of chocolate and wine. Membership is by invitation only and, since Trinket recently moved back to town after years away and membership is limited to an even dozen, she has to wait her turn and, meanwhile, attend meetings as Bitty’s guest. Men are allowed only if they’re delivering something or are the entertainment and everyone is sworn to secrecy about what goes on at these meetings.
Bitty calls in the Divas and they promptly start by stuffing Philip into Leaf and Garden bags and then haul him to an open vault at the cemetery for temporary storage, somewhat hampered by the need to get the job done before 5:00 when everybody gets off work and someone will be sure to notice a bunch of women carting around a rolled-up carpet. Being ladies, though, they do remember to bring along a tasteful arrangement of dried flowers. When they go back to the cemetery that night, they’re confronted with one more teeny little problem.
Virginia Brown is an award-winning author of many romance novels and her writing experience and talent is evident in this tale of Southern comedy and mayhem. There’s something about Southern fiction that sets it apart (disclaimer: this reviewer is Southern and, therefore, probably somewhat biased) and Brown does it oh-so-well.
Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, November 2009.
October 4, 2009
"You found my philandering ex-husband?" Bitty asked. "Where? Mexico? Paris? In Tupelo with a cocktail waitress?" "In your closet," I answered. "Dead." Break out the hoop skirts and the zinfandel. The Divas are on the case. Wine. Chocolate. Transvestite strippers. Just another good-time get-together for the Dixie Divas of historic Holly Springs, Mississippi, where moonlight and magnolias mingle with delicious smalltown scandal. But Eureka "Trinket" Truevine, the newest Diva, gets more than she bargained for when she finds her best Diva girlfriend Bitty Hollandale's ex-husband in Bitty's hall closet. He's dead. Very dead. Now Trinket and the Divas have to help Bitty finger the murderer and clear her name. Virginia Brown is the nationally acclaimed, award-winning author of fifty novels.
I'm always happy to find a book that includes humor no matter what genre it may be. That's what attracted me to this one. It did get off to a bit of a slow start for me and I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps I was just anxious to get into the story. Once I met more of the characters the pace picked up.
Trinket has come home after a recent divorce and anticipates a quiet life helping her parents in their family home. But when her friend Bitty is accused of murder, plans change. A group of Bitty's friends who call themselves the Dixie Divas take Trinket into their circle and make it their mission to help find the real killer. Fortunately for me, this isn't an easy task but it is funny. The ladies know how to mix southern charm with kick-butt attitude and of course it leads to trouble. I enjoyed them more than the actual murder mystery.
This was a light read and nice stress reliever during a hectic week. I look forward to the next book in the Dixie Divas Mystery Series.
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers for a review copy of this book.
I'm always happy to find a book that includes humor no matter what genre it may be. That's what attracted me to this one. It did get off to a bit of a slow start for me and I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps I was just anxious to get into the story. Once I met more of the characters the pace picked up.
Trinket has come home after a recent divorce and anticipates a quiet life helping her parents in their family home. But when her friend Bitty is accused of murder, plans change. A group of Bitty's friends who call themselves the Dixie Divas take Trinket into their circle and make it their mission to help find the real killer. Fortunately for me, this isn't an easy task but it is funny. The ladies know how to mix southern charm with kick-butt attitude and of course it leads to trouble. I enjoyed them more than the actual murder mystery.
This was a light read and nice stress reliever during a hectic week. I look forward to the next book in the Dixie Divas Mystery Series.
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers for a review copy of this book.
January 29, 2015
If I live to be a thousand, I don't think I'll ever understand the Southern Belle.* Fortunately, that isn't necessary to enjoy this fast-moving and slightly absurd story. Trinket is an engaging narrator, just enough of an outsider after 25 years away from Holly Springs to allow her to comment on local customs. She is also not, as she wryly notes, a belle, possibly because she has too much common sense, though that deserts her at just about every crucial moment in the book.
The writing is sharp, but I did have some issues with the story, which required just a little too much suspension of disbelief, not to mention annoyance at foolish if not downright stupid behavior (which of course isn't necessarily unrealistic). I nearly quit reading (listening) when the Divas started moving the corpse around, but was glad I stuck it out, as this violation of the law (if not of decency--I don't think the dead guy deserved any better) was dealt with at least somewhat realistically, and the mystery was resolved in an interesting and reasonably convincing way. The denouement wrapped things up well, without leaving any bad feelings.
This wasn't the best mystery I read this year by a long shot, but the story was engaging and was well-read by Ms. Commins, who managed a wider range of southern accents than this northwesterner knew existed and did a good job of keeping the characters distinct and consistent, though the secondary Divas blended together a bit, which didn't really matter.
Recommendation:
For die-hard fans of the southern belle mystery, and are willing to deal with a bit of unreasonable behavior. There is a decent sense of place and history, which I found appealing.
*I in fact don't really understand most females, which can be a bit awkward at times, as I am one.
The writing is sharp, but I did have some issues with the story, which required just a little too much suspension of disbelief, not to mention annoyance at foolish if not downright stupid behavior (which of course isn't necessarily unrealistic). I nearly quit reading (listening) when the Divas started moving the corpse around, but was glad I stuck it out, as this violation of the law (if not of decency--I don't think the dead guy deserved any better) was dealt with at least somewhat realistically, and the mystery was resolved in an interesting and reasonably convincing way. The denouement wrapped things up well, without leaving any bad feelings.
This wasn't the best mystery I read this year by a long shot, but the story was engaging and was well-read by Ms. Commins, who managed a wider range of southern accents than this northwesterner knew existed and did a good job of keeping the characters distinct and consistent, though the secondary Divas blended together a bit, which didn't really matter.
Recommendation:
For die-hard fans of the southern belle mystery, and are willing to deal with a bit of unreasonable behavior. There is a decent sense of place and history, which I found appealing.
*I in fact don't really understand most females, which can be a bit awkward at times, as I am one.
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