Customer Reviews

Pretty is as Pretty Dies (A Myrtle Clover Mystery)

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Not only does Elizabeth Spann Craig have one of the most amusing covers of the year for her cozy mystery, but she also has one of the funniest stories and characters. It's going to be hard for anyone to beat Myrtle Clover in Pretty is as Pretty Dies.

Talk about feisty! Nothing is going to slow down Myrtle. Her son, Red, might be the Police Chief of Bradley, North Carolina, but Myrtle isn't going to allow him to put her out to pasture at the age of eighty-five. There are laugh aloud scenes as the two of them spar. And, it only takes the murder of the most disliked woman in town to set Myrtle and Red at each other.

Myrtle was already mad at Red for signing her up for the United Methodist Women's group since he thought she was bored. She took her anger out by placing giant gnomes all over her yard, where her son could see them out the window of his house. Then, she stomped down the street to the Methodist church. Once Myrtle found the body of Parke Stockard at the church altar, she had a new purpose in life. Myrtle was determined to find the killer in the small town of 1,500, before her son and the state police. Now, she just needed a sidekick as all those other detectives had.

It seems as if everyone in Bradley had a reason to hate the realtor/developer, including Myrtle. She lost some of her valuable newspaper column space to the "wicked" newcomer. And, despite Red's best intentions to send Myrtle on wild goose chases, Myrtle needed to prove to her son that she was still sharp, and get back at him for his high-handed treatment.

It's easy to guess the killer in Pretty is as Pretty Dies, but who really cares? Myrtle Clover is a hoot. She's a special character, and it's fun to read about her war with her son. I haven't even touched on her daughter-in-law, and the French foreign exchange student. But, I hope Myrtle and her family will be back in future mysteries. She's a gem, a terrific addition to the cozy mystery field. If you're looking for an amusing treat, pick up Pretty is as Pretty Dies.

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.

Myrtle Clover is a crusty octogenarian with plenty of curiosity and spunk. When widely hated Parke Stockard ends up "popped-over-the-head dead" in tiny Bradley, North Carolina, old Myrtle can't resist snooping around for clues. She's a funny character who can drive her poor policeman son to distraction; she knows when to act like a dotty old lady, but she is sharp.

Pretty Is As Pretty Dies is a witty, well-constructed cozy mystery that will keep readers smiling.

A mystery that holds your attention to the very last sentence. Recommended for all mystery lovers. Elizabeth Spann Craig has written an unforgettable book here. Highly recommended to all readers.

I purchased this book based on the other reviews...unfortunately. I don't agree with this being a really good read. I found numerous inconsistencies, a weak plot, and too many weak characterizations. I had to make myself read through to the end. I also thought it was rather expensive for a meager 200 page new series book. Maybe the next in the series will be better....let's hope.

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.

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.

When reviewers call something "Laugh out loud funny!" I almost never agree - usually only a smile or two, a chuckle at most. This one, though, got me a couple times with completely unexpected events. As a live comedian, this book would be somebody who makes his living by clever throw-away lines - at no time do you get that held-by-the-throat, "See? I'm FUNNY!!!" feeling that we loathe.

If what you enjoy in a mystery is a complex page-turner of a plot, this won't be in your top ten. The whodunnit aspect is really secondary to the delightful writing and characters; the culprit is eventually unveiled, of course, but it's the wily Myrtle, our octogenarian protagonist, who drives the book and holds our attention. The French foreign exchange student, the compulsively chatty neighbor, Bambi the guard dog, the trophy-obsessed newspaper editor and the rest of the cast all contribute to the fun.

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.