The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover - by Susan Wittig Albert (Hardcover)

Number of Pages: 280
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Sub-Genre: Mystery & Detective
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Persevero Press
Age Range: Adult
Book theme: Women Sleuths
Author: Susan Wittig Albert
Language: English

About the Book

It looks like the music has ended for Darling's favorite barbershop quartet, the Lucky Four Clovers--just days before the Dixie Regional Barbershop Competition. Another unlucky break: a serious foul-up in Darling's telephone system--and not a penny for repairs. And while liquor is legal again, moonshine isn't. Sheriff Buddy Norris needs a little luck when he goes into Briar Swamp to confront Cypress County's most notorious bootlegger. What he finds upends his sense of justice.

Book Synopsis

NYT bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to Depression-era Darling, Alabama . . .

​where the ladies of the Dahlias, the local garden club, are happy to dig a little dirt!

In the seventh book of this popular series, it looks like the music has ended for Darling's favorite barbershop quartet, the Lucky Four Clovers--just days before the Dixie Regional Barbershop Competition. Another unlucky break: a serious foul-up in Darling's telephone system--and not a penny for repairs. And while liquor is legal again, moonshine isn't. Sheriff Buddy Norris needs a little luck when he goes into Briar Swamp to confront Cypress County's most notorious bootlegger. What he finds upends his sense of justice.

Once again, Susan Wittig Albert has told a charming story filled with richly human characters who face the Great Depression with courage and grace. She reminds us that friends offer the best of themselves to each other, community is what holds us together, and luck is what you make it.

Bonus features Liz Lacy's Garden Gate column on "lucky" plants, plus the Dahlias' collection of traditional Southern pie recipes and a dash of cookery history. Reading group questions, more recipes, and Depression-era info @www.DarlingDahlias.com

"Captivating . . . Charming characters, a fast-paced plot, and a strong sense of history help make this a superior cozy." --Publishers Weekly

"The author of the popular China Bayles mysteries brings a small Southern town to life and vividly captures an era and culture--the Depression, segregation, class differences, the role of women in the South--with authentic period details. Her book fairly sizzles with the strength of the women of Darling." --Library Journal Starred Review

Review Quotes

"Albert does a beautiful job of blending a whodunit with a vivid portrait of an idyllic Depression-era Southern town."
--Publishers Weekly

"Cozy fans will be delighted to learn that the prolific Albert--known for her clever puzzles, engaging characters, love of nature, and outstanding historic research--is debuting yet another exceptional series."
--Booklist Starred Review

"Excellent timely regional Depression Era amateur sleuth that brings to life the atmosphere of a period in which people are concerned over the economy that has left no chicken in almost any pot."
--Follow The Clue

"The author of the popular China Bayles mysteries brings a small Southern town to life and vividly captures an era and culture--the Depression, segregation, class differences, the role of women in the South--with authentic period details. Her book fairly sizzles with the strength of the women of Darling."
--Library Journal Starred Review

"This sweet book captures the true tone of a small town."
--Times-Picayune, New Orleans

About the Author

Susan Wittig Albert is the NYT bestselling author of over 100 books. Her work includes four mystery series: China Bayles, the Darling Dahlias, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and the Robin Paige Victorian mysteries. She has published three award-winning historical novels, as well as YA fiction, memoirs, and nonfiction. Susan currently serves as an editor of StoryCircleBookReviews and helps to coordinate SCN's online class program. She and her husband Bill live in the Texas Hill Country, where she writes, gardens, and raises a varying assortment of barnyard creatures.