Thistle and Twigg

Jane Thistle and Phoebe Twigg seem like unlikely friends, but these two feisty widows sure love a good mystery and form a close relationship while trying to solve a murder and avoid the criminal who seems intent on harming them next. Jane is originally from England, the widow of a former colonel in the military, and possesses an array of unusual but extremely useful skills, including some paranormal talents. Phoebe has lived in Tullulah, Alabama all of her life and brings to the partnership a lifetime of connections, a blend of frankness and practicality, and southern charm. The bad guys are about to learn to never underestimate a woman because she seems gentle or has grey hair, especially not this lively and unique pair. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this new cozy mystery series. I loved the personalities of Jane and Phoebe and was delighted at the contrast between the two ladies that didn't pull them apart but rather complemented each other to make them a fun and charming duo. Ms. Saums descriptions of the area in North Alabama in which she placed the town of Tullulah were so vivid I want to go see if I can find them! I am familiar with that part of Alabama and it is truly a beautiful area, and I know that some of the natural areas she describes truly exist just maybe not quite where she placed them. I also loved the plot, the mystery with the paranormal twists that Jane and Phoebe encounter while trying to figure out what is going on. The fact that these main characters are not of my generation did nothing to distract from the marvelous story. I commend Ms. Saums for having strong women characters in their sixties that are not forgetful, airheaded, or silly but rather intelligent with many useful skills and abilities. I can't wait for the next one in this Thistle and Twigg series! Armchair Interviews says: Thistle & Twigg has been nominated for the 2008 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Book Award for Fiction.

Being a native Southerner and a fan of cozy mysteries I am naturally always looking for a cozy series set in the South. I have yet to find such a series that I didn't like but obviously some of my finds are better than others. One of my favorites was the "Southern Sisters" mysteries by Anne George but that series came to an end with the passing of the author and I still find myself mourning that loss. With this series however I may have finally found something just as good. This book revolves around two older ladies who happen to both be widows. Jane Thistle is the widow of a career military man and spent most of her life moving from base to base. On one of her moves she happened through tiny Tallulah Alabama and she fell in love with the place. After her husband's death she resolved to move to Tallulah because of the town's beauty and also because of a strange spiritual draw that she felt for the place. One of her first acquaintances there is Phoebe Twigg who is a native of the town and knows or is related to everybody there. They become fast friends and naturally it isn't long until the stumble on a dead body and from there the two amateur sleuths go to work. There are several things that make this book stand out and at the top of the list is the dialogue between the characters. This author has the gift of being able to make a conversation come to life and I could clearly picture these two ladies bantering to and fro and occasionally halting their conversation so that they could laugh themselves silly. Phoebe is especially outspoken and her conversations with the other citizens of the town are often quite hysterical. Often completely in the dark as to what is going on Phoebe nevertheless speaks her mind and does so without hesitation and she isn't at all above a good kick if someone really upsets her. As can be deduced from the cover there are also ghosts in this book and they are a playful lot who add a lot to the story. I was just so impressed with the characters and the setting that I find it hard to put into words. After all, where else but in the South could one of the characters attend a gun and crafts show and who else but a very talented author would think to include such an event in a book? Despite the obvious distractions however this book keeps a pretty tight hold on the plot and the reader is led through a web of deceit, murder, greed and extortion. There is danger at every turn and it often comes from some very unexpected sources. There was actually quite a bit that I didn't see coming but I loved every minute of the journey and can't wait to read the second installment of this series. It has been quite a while since a cozy has captured my heart like this one has.

If you are looking for something original and a little different in a cozy this book is for you. It's yet another female "odd couple", but the author makes it seem natural (and if you read a lot of mysteries, you may be pleased to note that there is no resorting to that tired plot device of a male authority/romantic figure warning about "meddling"). It also has a playful touch of the supernatural, which does not seem at all out of place. Throughly recommended for an entertaining weekend's reading with the cat on your bed.

Being a lover of british mysteries, I was not sure how I would appreciate this book. To my delight, it is refreshingly well-written. I encourage anyone who is reading this to give the book a try. You will not regret it. I didn't.

Jane Thistle is able to fullfill the fantasy that many widowed women share. No longer having to consider her late husband's wishes, she can settle permanently in a small Alabama town she'd been attracted to years before when she'd passed through it enroute to her husband's military post assignments. She buys an old house and meets Phoebe Twigg, a local widow. They become friends, easily overcoming many character differences. Jane has a reclusive, cantankerous neighbor, Cal, that she grows fond of when he permits her to walk on his beautiful 100 acre property. She and Phoebe go there so she can teach Phoebe to shoot a pistol. Jane is the possessor of an arsenal collected by her husband. They find a body and the msytery begins. Cal is a suspect in the death. Jane and Phoebe want to clear him. It's well plotted and I had to read to the end to learn the identity of the killer. There is so much to this book that makes it hard to describe. Some of the things I loved about it are, the friendship of the two women, their competence (no hand-wringing old ladies, these), the glimpses of natural beauty seen through Jane's eyes and the Southern small town life seen through Phoebe's eyes. There's a touch of the paranormal as Jane's old house is haunted by friendly ghosts. There's even a loveable dog if you're a pet person. (I am). I hope this book is the start of a series because I want to spend more time with these gals.