Ruth Moose’s debut cozy mystery, Doing It at the Dixie Dew, will charm fans of the genre despite the absence of recipes, ghosts, or sleuthing cats.
The setting is an old Southern mansion that Beth McKenzie inherited from the grandmother who raised her, and which she is now turning into a bed and breakfast. But “Mama Alice” left Beth with more than the house. Nostalgic memories of her grandmother’s ways, wit, and wisdom are sprinkled through the chapters and provide Beth with comfort and insight as the mystery develops.
The day after Beth opens the B&B, she discovers that one of her guests has “checked out” unnaturally. Lavinia Lovingood, an elderly, well-preserved lady, and the last of one of the town’s founding families, had mysteriously returned after a lifetime in Italy only to die at the Dixie Dew. Beth fears the death will keep new clients away, especially when it is discovered that Lavinia was poisoned.
Rather than investigate the death, Ossie DelGardo, the creepy chump of a police chief, accuses Beth of murder and of stealing the wealthy “old bird’s” jewelry. His suspicions escalate when Beth also discovers the handsome Father Roderick’s body in St Ann’s Chapel, strangled with a silk teddy.
Beth finds solace in Ida Plum, her faithful housekeeper, and in Scott Smith, her capable and very enticing building contractor, both of whom admonish her to “Be careful!” But Beth is more interested in getting the B&B finished than in staying safe. Several threatening notes, a hit on the head, a scary night locked in a mausoleum, plus a terrifying attack by an intruder in her bedroom don’t deter her.
It’s hard to believe she doesn’t report these serious incidents, even though the local police are less than the finest. And besides checking out a few facts and locating the stolen jewelry almost by accident, Beth isn’t the tenacious amateur sleuth we expect. Clues seem to fall in her lap. She doesn’t even initiate the final, and admittedly suspenseful, climatic scene.
Despite these faults, Beth is a likable, albeit distracted, protagonist. Readers will enjoy getting to know the quirky characters in this well-imagined town. Think of Arsenic and Old Lace, or perhaps Alice in Wonderland. It’s easy to see how the colorful characters might inspire or be involved in future mysteries—B&B guests alone offer endless possibilities. And the author had some fun naming characters: rhymes, alliteration, and puns elicit smiles. One even wonders at the author’s name!
