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Summary
Summary
Bingo, bridge-and a dead body
in the church sanctuary?
No one in Bradley, North Carolina, is exactly crying into their sweet tea over the murder of Parke Stockard. Certainly not retired schoolteacher Myrtle Clover. Upon discovering the corpse, Myrtle is struck-not with grief, but a brilliant idea! Solving the crime would prove to everyone (especially her son Red, the police chief) that this eighty-something-year-old is not ready to be put out to pasture just yet.
The victim, a pretty but pushy town developer, had deep pockets and few friends. Myrtle can't throw one of her gaudy garden gnomes without hitting a potential suspect. Even when another murder takes place, proud Myrtle forges on, armed only with a heavy cane, a venomous tongue, and a widower sidekick.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
The amusing first in a new cozy series from Craig (A Dyeing Shame) introduces Myrtle Clover, a sturdy octogenarian who writes a column for the Bradley, N.C., newspaper, the Bradley Bugle. When developer and realtor Parke Stockard, an unpopular busybody, dies from blunt force trauma while messing with church altar flowers, Myrtle helps her police chief son, Red, investigate. Could the killer be rival Bugle columnist Josh Tucker; Parke's drugged-out son, Cecil; or a gossipy book clubber like Kitty Kirk? When Kitty's killed by another blunt force trauma, the plot thickens, and with Bradley's population only 1,500, chances are Myrtle knows the criminal. Myrtle's wacky personality is a delight (she collects garden gnomes that she trots out to her yard whenever she's displeased with Red), but hopefully Craig will add more depth to the snooping in the sequel. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
An octogenarian solves a murder to prove a point. Bradley, N.C., is home to retired schoolteacher Myrtle Clover, who lives across the street from her son Red, the police chiefand to two former New York Times writers, Parke Stockard and Josh Tucker. Josh has returned home to be closer to his parents, Parke to make a bundle as a real-estate developer. Despite her many contributions to town affairs, Parke may be the most disliked woman in Bradley. Even Myrtle is annoyed at her because her newspaper column has been cut in order to give Parke more space. Parke's pushy business methods bring her no friends, and her interference in church and town politics have made her even more enemies. So it's only the venue that's a surprise when Myrtle discovers Parke's body on the church altar. Tired of being treated like a child by Red, Myrtle is eager to try her hand at sleuthing. When she's shoved into a pond, she's merely encouraged to believe that her detective work is annoying someone besides her son, who's furiously trying to find something to distract her. Myrtle may be old, but she's not stupid. A combination of luck and talent leads her to the mystery's solution after the obligatory brush with death. Craig's debut is a mildly amusing sample of small-town Southern hospitality, awash with sweet tea and fried food. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.