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Summary
Summary
National bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to the small town of Darling, Alabama, in the 1930s--where the Darling Dahlias, the colorful ladies of a garden club, are anything but shrinking violets when it comes to rooting out criminals…
The Texas Star herself--Miss Lily Dare, the "fastest woman in the world"--is bringing her Dare Devils Flying Circus to Darling. Unfortunately, she's also bringing a whole lot of trouble. As the Dahlias prepare for the annual Watermelon Festival--where they will present the famous female aviatrix with her own Texas Star hibiscus--rumors are flying.
Dahlias president Liz Lacy learns from newspaperman Charlie Dickens that Miss Dare has been threatened and her plane sabotaged. Apparently the bold and beautiful barnstormer has made plenty of enemies. And is it possible she may even be involved with the husband of one of Darling's local ladies?
And speaking of wings, the new cook at Myra May's Darling Diner can fry a chicken and whip up a sweet potato meringue pie like nobody's business. But why is she keeping her past such a mystery?
As the Texas Star barnstorms into town, Liz and Verna Tidwell offer to help bring down a saboteur who may be propelled by revenge. Before it's all over, there will be plenty of black eyes and dark secrets revealed…
Includes Southern-Style Depression-Era Recipes!
Author Notes
Susan Wittig Albert was born in Illinois in 1940. In 1985, she changed careers from working as the vice president and an English professor at Texas State University to becoming a full-time writer.
During the mid- to late-1980s, Albert was a ghostwriter for the Nancy Drew mystery series. She wrote the acclaimed "Work of Her Own: How Women Create Success and Fulfillment off the Traditional Career Track" in 1992. Under the pseudonym of Robin Paige, Albert and her husband, Bill Albert, co-authored a twelve-volume mystery series set in late Victorian/Edwardian England.
Albert writes the bestselling China Bayles mystery series, which features as its main character a Texas herbalist who had been a criminal attorney in Houston. Albert also writes the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter historical fantasy series, which is set in England during the early twentieth century.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Aviation provides the theme for Albert's charming fourth Depression-era mystery set in Darling, Ala. (after 2012's The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose). As the members of the Darling Dahlias garden club prepare to host the annual Watermelon Festival, they are excited that they have persuaded barnstormer Lily Dare (aka the Texas Star), who has been compared to Amelia Earhart, to perform with her flying group, the Dare Devils, at the festival. Mildred and Roger Kilgore, Darling's leading citizens, are hosting a black-tie gala, at which the Dahlias plan to present Lily with a Texas Star hibiscus. Alas, as the festival opening day draws near, reports of sabotage to Lily's plane and her possible involvement with a local lady's husband spell trouble for the air show. Lizzy Lacy, the Dahlias' president, soon finds herself and her committee dealing with more than just event planning in this winning cozy. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Even the Great Depression can't keep the Darling Dahlias down for long. In addition to their efforts to beautify the town and plant a large vegetable garden to help feed their less fortunate neighbors in Darling, the members of Alabama's best-loved garden club have developed quite a reputation as sleuths (The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose, 2012, etc.). The star of the 1932 Watermelon Festival, which the Dahlias are running, is famous aviatrix Lily Dare, aka The Texas Star. Before Lily even gets to town, trouble looms. Local newshound Charlie Dickens, an old friend of Miss Dare, tells a few of the Dahlias that her plane has been sabotaged, though she still hopes to arrive in Darling on time. The beautiful Miss Dare has been careless with other ladies' husbands, one of whom may be wealthy Roger Kilgore. Roger's wife, Mildred, a Dahlia member, admits to club president Liz Lacy that she has received unsigned letters accusing Roger of romancing Lily Dare, who'll be staying in her house during the festival. Liz, asked by Charlie to keep an eye on Lily, enlists Dahlia treasurer Verna Tidwell to stay with her in the adjoining room, where they get an earful when Mildred's jealous confrontation with her guest results in a pair of black eyes. In addition to riding herd on this circus, the Dahlias try to ferret out the background of the fabulous new cook who rescued diner owner Myra May Mosswell from disaster when Myra's regular cook left them in the lurch. The ladies have their hands full making the festival a success and keeping their star attraction alive. Another Mystery Lite stuffed with Southern charm and authentic Depression-era recipes.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Veteran series author Albert, known also as half of the Robin Paige writing team, shows her superb research techniques by bringing readers into Depression-era Alabama. The Darling Dahlias garden club is in charge of the Watermelon Festival, including coordinating Lily Dare's stunt flying show. The diner loses a cook and gains the mysterious Raylene, whose secrets provide the biggest shocks in the book. Liz and Verna try to help recurring character Mildred by staying at her house with Lily, who was having an affair with Mildred's husband and may have shaken down the husband for money. There is no murder in this story, but no one will miss it among the fascinating details of life in the Depression and intrigues among both series regulars and visitors to the town. Remedies and recipes of the time add interest as readers will see how people make do with less, Depression-style.--Alessio, Amy Copyright 2010 Booklist
