National bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert takes readers back in time to small-town Darling, Alabama, in the 1930swhere the Darling Savings and Trust has just closed and the women of the Darling Dahlias garden club are betting their bottom dollar theres going to be trouble
Its the spring of 1933 and times are tough all over. The only businessman not struggling is moonshiner Mickey LeDoux, though he still has to steer clear of federal agents. But banks are closing all over the country, and the small town of Darling is no exception. Folks are suddenly caught short on cash and everyone is in a panic.
Desperate to avoid disaster, several town leadersincluding Alvin Duffy, the banks new vice presidenthatch a plan to print Darling Dollars on newspaperman Charlie Dickens printing press. The funny money can serve as temporary currency so the town can function. But when the first printing of the scrip disappears, the Darling Dahlias set out to discover who made an unauthorized withdrawal.
Meanwhile County Treasurer Verna Tidwell questions whether she can trust Alvin Duffyand the feelings he stirs up inside her. And Liz Lacy learns her longtime beau may be forced into a shotgun wedding. Seems other troubles dont just go away when theres a crisis. Therell be no pennies from heaven, but if anyone can balance things out, folks can bank on the Darling Dahlias
Includes Southern-Style Depression-Era Recipes
Review
Praise for the Darling Dahlias Mysteries:
The prolific Albert excels at the period piece, with a gracious plenitude of Southern color and Depression-era detail, and again offers an uplifting meditation on how friends, neighbors, and strangers combined to help each other during Americas darkest economic days.Richmond Times-Dispatch
This sweet book captures the true tone of a small town.The Times-Picayune
CaptivatingCharming characters, a fast-paced plot, and a strong sense of history help make this a superior cozy.*Publishers Weekly *
Cozy fans will be delightedAnother exceptional series. Booklist (starred review)
Plenty of charm and period detail.*Kirkus Reviews *
The author of the popular China Bayles Mysteries brings a small Southern town to life and vividly captures an era and culturethe Depression, segregation, class differences, the role of women in the Southwith authentic period details. Her book fairly sizzles with the strength of the women of Darling.*Library Journal *
About the Author
Susan Wittig Albert grew up on a farm in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley. A former professor of English and a university administrator and vice president, she is the author of the China Bayles Mysteries, the Darling Dahlias Mysteries, and the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. Some of her recent titles include Widows Tears, Cats Claw,The Darling Dahlias and the Texas Star, and The Tale of Castle Cottage. She and her husband, Bill, coauthor a series of Victorian-Edwardian mysteries under the name Robin Paige, which includes such titles as Death at Glamis Castle and Death at Whitechapel.