Pretty is as Pretty Dies

This is the first cozy mystery I've ever read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You just have to love Myrtle Clover -- such a plucky and funny protagonist who is advanced in years but spry in spirit. And the real sense of a quirky Southern small town is a treat, as is the quality of Elizabeth Spann Craig's writing. For a totally fun and lighthearted read, look no further. Spend the day with Myrtle and you'll be glad you did.

This book is great for all ages. It is a mystery with comic relief. I especially enjoy the protagonist, Myrtle Clover. She is clever, funny and an "octogenarian." The book takes place a cozy southern town. I enjoyed it so much that I have passed the novel to my daughter and now she is enjoying this brilliantly written book.

If the photo of the gnomes on the front cover of Pretty is as Pretty Dies hadn't already convinced me that I would enjoy reading this book, the very first sentence would have. I was drawn into the town of Bradley, North Carolina immediately. Myrtle and the other characters seemed so real that I felt like I'd known them my whole life, making their escapades a hoot to follow. This was an entertaining read from beginning to end. I'm looking forward to more Myrtle Clover crime solving adventures.

Elizabeth Spann Craig's brand new cozy mystery series, Pretty Is as Pretty Dies, from Midnight Ink (an imprint of Llewellyn Publications) is a hoot. Octogenarian Myrtle Clover, her son Red (the Chief of Police), and the quirky inhabitants of Bradley, North Carolina, are sure to become some of my favorite literary folks. When beautiful Parke Stockard, a new arrival in town, is found in the sanctuary of the Methodist church with her head bashed, Red not only must investigate but find ways to keep his mother busy so that Myrtle doesn't start nosing around herself. But some of his plans blow up in his face as Myrtle finds ways to ferret out information in ways her son could never do. She infiltrates the local Book Club and enlists the aid (or really the car) of the elderly bachelor who just moved next door and has been warding off a stream of casseroles delivered by all of the mature single women in town. She buttonholes politicians, arm-twists the hot-shot big-city reporter who moved back to town, interrogates the local Methodist Women and Altar Guild, and interviews Crazy Dan, the purveyor of boiled peanuts and hubcabs. Ultimately, Myrtle comes down to the truth of a web of lies and family skeletons. I loved this book. The story is typical of a lot of small towns anywhere in the US, but Elizabeth Spann Craig added a new dimension with Myrtle and her elderly friends. I found the characters funny and endearing, and the plot challenging enough to keep me reading. I can't wait for Myrtle's next adventure.

Police chief of Bradley, NC Red Clover doesn't want his octogenarian mother, Myrtle to get bored and continue to write nasty letters to the Charlotte Observer or interfering in his police work again so he volunteers for the United Methodist Women's Circle and Altar Guild at church. Furious, Myrtle drags out her huge garden gnome collection and displays then in her front yard, something she does to not only let Red, but the whole town as well know that her son has done something to displease her. On her first meeting at the church Myrtle discovers the body of beautiful, but widely disliked, Parke Stockard and this sets in motion her detecting and deducting skills. Without her knowing it, Red and the state police officer send her out on false clues to keep her from interfering with their real work. Oblivious to their devious red herrings, Myrtle manages to rake in a couple of clues from these treks, but she keeps most of her findings to herself. She wants to solve the crime and hand the murderer to Red with every question neatly tied together to show him that she's not a worn out retired English teacher who has to fill her time with bingo, soaps, and church work. This second Myrtle Clover Mystery is filled with chuckles as Myrtle spars with her son, his wife, the French exchange student, and the members of the United Methodist Women, Altar Guild and a book club that she thinks is a waste of time. I highly recommend this fun read.