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dunnadam's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! It seems to be all women that read cozy mysteries and I don't know why, the men are missing out.
This series stars a feisty 80 year old lady in the American South trying to solve a murder. The story is engaging and laugh out loud funny, my husband several times at night asked me what I was laughing at.
The best part for me though was the imagination of the author. The story was so fleshed out, so many elaborate characters and ideas. I loved the old mother putting gnomes on the front lawn when she was mad at her son. I loved the French exchange student who broke all the appliances. The hillbilly psychic sister. So much! It reminded me of the quote from Designing Women, We don't put our crazy people away like they do in the North. We put them on the front porch to amuse passers-by.
UPDATE: Re-read almost exactly one year later with the new book coming out tomorrow and enjoyed it just as much.
This series stars a feisty 80 year old lady in the American South trying to solve a murder. The story is engaging and laugh out loud funny, my husband several times at night asked me what I was laughing at.
The best part for me though was the imagination of the author. The story was so fleshed out, so many elaborate characters and ideas. I loved the old mother putting gnomes on the front lawn when she was mad at her son. I loved the French exchange student who broke all the appliances. The hillbilly psychic sister. So much! It reminded me of the quote from Designing Women, We don't put our crazy people away like they do in the North. We put them on the front porch to amuse passers-by.
UPDATE: Re-read almost exactly one year later with the new book coming out tomorrow and enjoyed it just as much.
pziemlewicz's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
sandyfleener's review against another edition
4.0
Love Cozy Mysteries
Any time you have a Cozy Mystery with an older person as the main character and gnomes, well how could that go wrong? This was a fast, fun read. I'll be looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Any time you have a Cozy Mystery with an older person as the main character and gnomes, well how could that go wrong? This was a fast, fun read. I'll be looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
nabenn67's review against another edition
2.0
I know this is a really popular series since there are 21 books (as of this review), but I found Myrtle to be annoying. It was a short read, so I may give the 2nd book a chance and see if she grows on me.
kynan's review against another edition
2.0
This book has been declared the first in a series (currently seven books with an eighth waiting in the wings) of murder mysteries starring a southern-American take on [a:Agatha Christie|123715|Agatha Christie|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1321738793p2/123715.jpg]'s Miss Marple character, with Myrtle Clover as the aged but indomitable sleuth. I say "declared" because it would appear that [b:A Dyeing Shame|1202758|A Dyeing Shame (A Myrtle Clover Mystery #2)|Elizabeth Spann Craig|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359044294s/1202758.jpg|1190923] was originally published three years earlier (in 2006) but the author herself provides a chronological order to read the series in (should you so wish) on her website, so you can't argue with that.
Apparently this is a "cozy mystery, a genre I didn't know existed until now but which has retroactively included the Miss Marple canon which I have enjoyed reading in the past. I read this book because I want to read [b:A Body in the Backyard|16235070|A Body in the Backyard (Myrtle Clover Mystery #4)|Elizabeth Spann Craig|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358452151s/16235070.jpg|22236450], the fourth Myrtle Clover book, and it seemed like a good idea to at least start at the beginning to get the genesis story. If I was just reading for the sake of enjoyment, I probably wouldn't continue with the series. It was OK, I didn't actively dislike it and I did enjoy the setting of the story, it was quite interesting to get a glimpse into rural/urban Southern America. The plot was somewhat twisty/turny but felt almost from the beginning like it was just going through the motions of getting from start to end and the villain unmasked at the end was not a surprise. I wasn't really a fan of Ms Clover, although now that I've said that I'm having trouble articulating why. Possibly just because she's not a likable person?
I think the only major issue I had with with the book (I read the Kindle version) was either editing or my inability to read. About three-quarters of the way through the book one of the suspects whilst being quizzed by Ms Myrtle mentions, almost in passing, that. I swear that was the first I'd heard of that, yet Ms Myrtle thought (I assume it was a thought to be attributed to her) "Word travelled fast around here.". I've scanned backwards through the book trying to determine where I missed a chunk somehow and, so far, I've failed to find it. It doesn't really have an impact on the story, it just seemed rather odd.
In conclusion, if you like small-town murder mysteries starring somewhat obnoxious old ladies set in America's south then this might be of interest to you.
Apparently this is a "cozy mystery, a genre I didn't know existed until now but which has retroactively included the Miss Marple canon which I have enjoyed reading in the past. I read this book because I want to read [b:A Body in the Backyard|16235070|A Body in the Backyard (Myrtle Clover Mystery #4)|Elizabeth Spann Craig|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358452151s/16235070.jpg|22236450], the fourth Myrtle Clover book, and it seemed like a good idea to at least start at the beginning to get the genesis story. If I was just reading for the sake of enjoyment, I probably wouldn't continue with the series. It was OK, I didn't actively dislike it and I did enjoy the setting of the story, it was quite interesting to get a glimpse into rural/urban Southern America. The plot was somewhat twisty/turny but felt almost from the beginning like it was just going through the motions of getting from start to end and the villain unmasked at the end was not a surprise. I wasn't really a fan of Ms Clover, although now that I've said that I'm having trouble articulating why. Possibly just because she's not a likable person?
I think the only major issue I had with with the book (I read the Kindle version) was either editing or my inability to read. About three-quarters of the way through the book one of the suspects whilst being quizzed by Ms Myrtle mentions, almost in passing, that
Spoiler
there were actually two different uh - attackersIn conclusion, if you like small-town murder mysteries starring somewhat obnoxious old ladies set in America's south then this might be of interest to you.
lakecake's review against another edition
2.0
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
This mystery, first in a series, was really scattered and all over the place. It went into too many people’s perspectives, sometimes a different person in each paragraph which was hard to follow. The mystery was good and engaging but the writing style was not for me.
This mystery, first in a series, was really scattered and all over the place. It went into too many people’s perspectives, sometimes a different person in each paragraph which was hard to follow. The mystery was good and engaging but the writing style was not for me.
mrsb86's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tarana's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this series. Was finally able to get the recently published first book in audiobook, so listened. Narrator seems a bit awkward, but warmed up as time went on.
suerae's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty is as Pretty Dies is the first in the Myrtle Clover Series by ELizbeth Spann Craig in which Mrytle and Miles deside that they are going to solve the murder of Parke Stockard. Parke is found dead at the church altar where she had been donating her money to spruce up the church.
Unfortunely I didn't really enjoy this book...maybe too many characters were introduced right at the beginning. I'm enjoyed the mystery and the gnome villiage that miraculoursly showed up on the lawn of Red and Elaine's was priceless. Never, ever piss on an 80 year-old with gnomes!
Unfortunely I didn't really enjoy this book...maybe too many characters were introduced right at the beginning. I'm enjoyed the mystery and the gnome villiage that miraculoursly showed up on the lawn of Red and Elaine's was priceless. Never, ever piss on an 80 year-old with gnomes!
iphigenie72's review against another edition
4.0
Since I got this book free on Kobo, I wasn't expecting very much; I guess I was surprised and the purpose of giving the first in a series away reached its goal, I will read the next for sure.
Myrtle Clover is an octogenarian whose son his trying to find her things to do, too bad his ideas of appropriate activities are not the same as hers. He has gone and sign her up for a church group and his mother goes to it in protest but finds the body of Parke Stockard by the altar; now she has found what she wants to do... solve this murder! There's lots of potential suspects, Parke was not a likable lady, a transplant from New York she was a realtor trying to develop the little town of Bradley, North Carolina.
It's a very quick read, the characters are engaging. I really like Miss Myrtle, she's no nonsense and her deductions if not always accurate are logical. As cozy mysteries go that one was very satisfying, I did get the right killer for the right reasons, but not too early in the story which is very important.
Myrtle Clover is an octogenarian whose son his trying to find her things to do, too bad his ideas of appropriate activities are not the same as hers. He has gone and sign her up for a church group and his mother goes to it in protest but finds the body of Parke Stockard by the altar; now she has found what she wants to do... solve this murder! There's lots of potential suspects, Parke was not a likable lady, a transplant from New York she was a realtor trying to develop the little town of Bradley, North Carolina.
It's a very quick read, the characters are engaging. I really like Miss Myrtle, she's no nonsense and her deductions if not always accurate are logical. As cozy mysteries go that one was very satisfying, I did get the right killer for the right reasons, but not too early in the story which is very important.