The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose

July 2, 2012
Set in 1931 Darling, Ala., Albert’s captivating third Darling Dahlias mystery (after 2011’s The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies) finds the ladies of the Darling Dahlias garden club planning a rose planting in honor of Confederate Day. Their determination to defy the grim Depression mood and make the day a success is challenged, however, when one of their number, Verna Tidwell, is accused of stealing from the county treasury. As club president Elizabeth Lacy tries to clear her fellow Dahlia’s name, their resident historian, Bessie Bloodworth, helps garden club member and town librarian Dorothy Rogers unravel the meaning of the strange code stitched into the inside of a pillow passed down in her family and its possible relationship to Confederate history. Charming characters, a fast-paced plot, and a strong sense of history help make this a superior cozy.

August 15, 2012
A third unruffled retro whodunit for the ladies of the Darling Dahlias garden club. Despite their ability to grow some of their food and barter for needed items, life isn't easy for the citizens of Darling, Ala., during the Great Depression. But it's harder for some folks than others. The Dahlias are busy getting ready for the Confederate Day Celebration by preparing to plant a batch of Confederate roses, which are really hibiscus, at the local cemetery when their attention is called to the plight of Verna Tidwell, who's accused of stealing $15,000 from the town coffers. Darling president Liz Lacy, who works for a lawyer, enlists the help of a few close friends to prove Verna's innocence. In the meantime the reticent Miss Rogers, town librarian and Dahlia member, has discovered a mystery of her own. Miss Rogers was left in an orphanage as a young child, her only possession a pillow that belonged to her grandmother, Rose. Now that a pesky tomcat has ripped the knitted cover, Miss Rogers finds that the pillow has been embroidered with a series of unusual symbols. The editor of the local newspaper takes on the task of researching the pillow and comes up with a remarkable discovery. As usual, Albert (The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies, 2011, etc.) plumps up her wisp of a mystery with plenty of charm and period detail.

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September 1, 2012
On a warm Saturday in April, the Darling Dahlias, the garden club in Depression-era Darling, Mississippi, are preparing the Confederate Rose (Hibiscus mutabilis) plants for the upcoming Confederate Day celebrations. With a thunderstorm brewing on the horizon, they wrap up their work for the day, with only Verna, their treasurer, having an inkling of other storms to follow. By Monday, the Dahlias are working separately and together to resolve three mysteries. Why is Verna locked out of her bank job? What is the meaning of the symbols on Miss Rogers' pillow, exposed by the energetic tomcat they were sheltering at her boardinghouse? And why on earth is Angelina Biggs acting so strangely? As in the other entries in this series, the Dahlias use friendship and careful observation to resolve the crises and bring calm back to Darling. Their daily lives are evocatively created by Albert, using her extensive research into the era as well as her sensitive writing. Recipes typical of the place and time, along with a bibliography for the real Confederate Rose, are included.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)