before writing this review because they lived through the Great Depression. They got a big kick out of reading about the prices back then. My Aunt remembers loafs of bread for 5 cents, penny candy (it really was just a penny), penny postcards, and 3 cent stamps. My Mom used to tell me about buying a pound of broken waffle cones for 5 cents back then when she was little (they would have those instead of cookies). They, and my Mom, grew up in Milwaukee, WI. From all that they’ve told me, the people in this story weren’t too bad off yet.The book is set in 1930, in the fictitious town of Darling, Alabama. The Darling Dahlias is a gardening club which 12 members. The first 2 chapters are a little slow because of the character and setting set-up, but the book does start to get exciting in the third chapter. And the excitement continues to the end of the book. There’s a prison break, a murder, a ”ghost”, mysterious digging during the night, and trouble at the bank.
The characters are richly diverse and fascinating. The historical setting is very interesting, especially compared to today and our current economic situation. The author/characters have included tips on how to survive with less money. My parents and Aunts have told me many stories of the things that they and their parents did to make things last longer and go farther during the Great Depression, and the tips in the books fit right in.
We all really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series (as well as the next China Bayles Mystery).
