Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 1
Doing It at the Dixie Dew is filled with genuine Southern charm without a y'all in sight. Littleboro, North Carolina, abounds with eccentric characters, and author Ruth Moose certainly knows how to pepper her gumbo with them. The memory of Beth's grandmother, Margaret Alice McKenzie, lives on in the house this young woman is turning into a business. Beth has Mama Alice's recipes from her catering business and wants to turn one of the porches into a tea room. She even has the help of Ida Plum Duckett, who once worked alongside Mama Alice and is now Beth's "good right arm." And when you have an old house that needs some tender loving care, you need a handsome jack-of-all-trades like Scott Smith. Trust me, with his carpentry skills, his looks, and his caring personality, he's just the sort of guy to make Beth's heart beat a little faster.
But those are the normal characters. The truly eccentric ones are the woman next-door who's very attached to her large white rabbit named Robert Redford, the town's music teacher and church organist who always wears a hat and gloves, and Crazy Reba who Dumpster dives, lives in a tree, and takes baths whenever someone forgets to lock their doors when they run out to the grocery store. The only character I didn't care for is the town cop, Ossie Delbardo, who's clearly out of his depth with a murder investigation but insists that he knows Beth is the killer. I know this type of policeman exists, but I really don't care to have them populate the books I read.
The two things I most enjoyed about Doing It at the Dixie Dew are how the author created a hometown atmosphere that immediately made me feel welcome and populated it with small town characters that I recognized from my own childhood living in a village. The second enjoyment for me was how she used her characters. Taken at a glance, they may seem superficial, but keep reading. They're not. They have secrets they want to keep, and I think some of these characters are going to wind up shocking many readers just as badly as they shocked Beth McKenzie.
Doing It at the Dixie Dew should appeal to readers of Sarah Graves' Home Repair Is Homicide series as well as Mary Daheim's Bed-and-Breakfast series. Ruth Moose's book won the Malice Domestic Competition for Best First Traditional Mystery, and I can see why. I enjoyed it so much that I'm hoping to see Beth McKenzie and her friends again-- as well as wanting to keep an eye on the progress of transforming the Dixie Dew.
But those are the normal characters. The truly eccentric ones are the woman next-door who's very attached to her large white rabbit named Robert Redford, the town's music teacher and church organist who always wears a hat and gloves, and Crazy Reba who Dumpster dives, lives in a tree, and takes baths whenever someone forgets to lock their doors when they run out to the grocery store. The only character I didn't care for is the town cop, Ossie Delbardo, who's clearly out of his depth with a murder investigation but insists that he knows Beth is the killer. I know this type of policeman exists, but I really don't care to have them populate the books I read.
The two things I most enjoyed about Doing It at the Dixie Dew are how the author created a hometown atmosphere that immediately made me feel welcome and populated it with small town characters that I recognized from my own childhood living in a village. The second enjoyment for me was how she used her characters. Taken at a glance, they may seem superficial, but keep reading. They're not. They have secrets they want to keep, and I think some of these characters are going to wind up shocking many readers just as badly as they shocked Beth McKenzie.
Doing It at the Dixie Dew should appeal to readers of Sarah Graves' Home Repair Is Homicide series as well as Mary Daheim's Bed-and-Breakfast series. Ruth Moose's book won the Malice Domestic Competition for Best First Traditional Mystery, and I can see why. I enjoyed it so much that I'm hoping to see Beth McKenzie and her friends again-- as well as wanting to keep an eye on the progress of transforming the Dixie Dew.
Charity L. (kingsdaughter1611) -
Helpful Score: 1
When I was given the opportunity to review this book, I jumped at the chance. After all, a good mystery combined with a southern town and unique characters is something I always enjoy. This is an author I had not read before but I heard good things about this new book and decided to delve right in:)
The book opens with Lavinia Plum dying in a bed and breakfast. Yep, an eye opener on that one:) The bed and breakfast is run by Beth McKenzie. The mansion originally belonged to her grandmother, Mama Alice and she grew up in it. But now she wants to turn it into a comfortable place for visitors or people passing through Littleboro, North Carolina. Of course, that all depends on if she can keep them alive. Because soon after Lavinia checks in, she checks out for real. As in cashes in her chips and moves on to the great beyond. Then not three days later Father Roderick is strangled in his own chapel. What has the town of Littleboro come to! As Beth unravels the mystery her own life is in danger and she wonders if she will make it through.
The town of Littleboro is quaint and charming though there is evil lurking in the air. Beth is joined by some wonderful and amusing characters including Scott, her handyman who is helping restore the mansion, Reba, who is a bit crazy and often wanders into peoples homes in their absence and takes a bath, Verna, her friend and shocking neighbor, and we can't forget Malinda, her best friend at the drug store. I thoroughly fell in love with them, even though some are a bit strange. The only thing I didn't like was the language. There were several swear words throughout the book. Just a heads up for those who want to know. I am not talking just a few not are they in every chapter but more than I expected. And one scene that is somewhat intimate. Not explicit but still there. Overall an interesting book with an ending I did not quite see coming. I enjoyed visiting the town of Littleboro, North Carolina for a while. Maybe I can return sometime!
I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are 100% mine.
The book opens with Lavinia Plum dying in a bed and breakfast. Yep, an eye opener on that one:) The bed and breakfast is run by Beth McKenzie. The mansion originally belonged to her grandmother, Mama Alice and she grew up in it. But now she wants to turn it into a comfortable place for visitors or people passing through Littleboro, North Carolina. Of course, that all depends on if she can keep them alive. Because soon after Lavinia checks in, she checks out for real. As in cashes in her chips and moves on to the great beyond. Then not three days later Father Roderick is strangled in his own chapel. What has the town of Littleboro come to! As Beth unravels the mystery her own life is in danger and she wonders if she will make it through.
The town of Littleboro is quaint and charming though there is evil lurking in the air. Beth is joined by some wonderful and amusing characters including Scott, her handyman who is helping restore the mansion, Reba, who is a bit crazy and often wanders into peoples homes in their absence and takes a bath, Verna, her friend and shocking neighbor, and we can't forget Malinda, her best friend at the drug store. I thoroughly fell in love with them, even though some are a bit strange. The only thing I didn't like was the language. There were several swear words throughout the book. Just a heads up for those who want to know. I am not talking just a few not are they in every chapter but more than I expected. And one scene that is somewhat intimate. Not explicit but still there. Overall an interesting book with an ending I did not quite see coming. I enjoyed visiting the town of Littleboro, North Carolina for a while. Maybe I can return sometime!
I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are 100% mine.
Carol S. (waucondacarol) reviewed Doing It at the Dixie Dew (Dixie Dew Bed & Breakfast, Bk 1) on + 319 more book reviews
Although the characters are not quite as quirky as Joan Hess's, they are charming. I picked up the book intrigued by the title and really enjoyed it. Almost made me want to buy an old house and open a B&B.
Tim H. (Timbuktu126) reviewed Doing It at the Dixie Dew (Dixie Dew Bed & Breakfast, Bk 1) on + 479 more book reviews
I liked the beginning and the middle of the book and it was a quick read, but the ending was absurd- as if a killer would just sit down and confess to some random townsperson out of the blue. And, unless I missed something, there was at least one thing not explained, which always annoys me.
Deborah T. (nysbikergirl) reviewed Doing It at the Dixie Dew (Dixie Dew Bed & Breakfast, Bk 1) on + 97 more book reviews
A half way decent cozy, but not stellar by any means. Quaint setting, okay main characters, but I am glad I tried it as a library book and did not buy it.
Predictable and somewhat odd at the end.
Predictable and somewhat odd at the end.
Lynn P. (Bama-Booklover) -
Another great start for a new series.....I love my southern settings! Enjoyable characters. I was a bit surprised by the ending finding out how a sweet little ole lady character wasn't as sweet as we thought. Now you figure out which one!
