In July 2010, I launched a new mystery series, The Darling Dahlias. The series is set in the 1930s, when times are tough, jobs are scarce, and people are worried about what lies ahead.

But the ladies of the fictional town of Darling, Alabama, are determined to keep their spirits up, their families fed, and their town beautiful. They belong to a garden club called "The Dahlias," which (next to Beulah's Beauty Bower, the Darling Diner, and the party line) is the most important of the town's social centers. The Dahlias have a clubhouse, a flag, an overgrown garden, and a weekly column in The Darling Dispatch, written by Miss Elizabeth Lacy. And like many other women of that era, they are experts in gardening, cooking, sewing, saving money, and making do, cheerfully.

The Dahlias are also experts in solving mysteries, which is a very good thing, because their books are chock-a-block full of them. I don't want to spill the beans, but there's enough excitement to keep the Darling Dahlias in full bloom all summer long. And even though there are a few Bad Apples in Darling (wouldn't be a mystery without them, would it?), the harvest all comes right in the end.

The first book is called The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree. It's available in hardcover and ebook format now, and in paperback in July 2011. The second book, The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies, will be available in hardcover/ebook in July 2011. I'm currently working on the 2012 book, The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose.

The Dahlias and I will be inviting you to join in some of the fun of this new series. So stay tuned, and stay in touch.

Happy days!
Susan