The Turtle Mound Murder
(A Daffodils Mystery)
Mary Clay
Reviewed by Sarra Borne
Becky Leigh Martin is faced with starting over at
forty-six. Ever since finding out that
the woodworking project her lawyer husband claimed he was working on,
in the
garage late at night, actually involved a voluptuous stripper he'd been
dating
for over a year. She has been fighting
with the old boy's network to get her rightful half of their estate. Finally the papers are signed and Becky is
looking forward to rebirthing herself as Leigh, because she's tired of
being
"sweet, cute Becky... blind Becky".
Fortunately, Leigh is not without a support system, consisting
of two of
her sorority sisters, who call themselves the DAFFODILS (Divorced and
Finally
Free of Deceitful, Insensitive, Licentious Scum). They
whisk her away to New Smyrna
Beach
for a trip down memory lane, New
Smyrna Beach
being their old college
spring break hangout.
They barely arrive before DAFFODIL sister Penny Sue steps into
the middle of an altercation between a member of the Turtle Patrol and
a
turtle-hating civilian. The Turtle
Patrol protects the endangered sea turtles that nest on Smyrna
Beach. They
move nests that are too close to human
habitation, and enforce the lights out after dark restriction during
breeding
season. Neither of the two men seem
particularly pleased with Penny Sue's interference, heated words are
exchanged,
and a pistol is brandished. The police
cool the situation down and warn the ladies not to leave town.
Later when Leigh and Ruthie discover white powder in a chest
of drawers they assume it is some kind of insecticide left behind by
the
exterminator, and move it to the hall closet.
Everything seems fine until Leigh takes an early morning beach
stroll
and discovers a body. Hilarity insues as
the ladies decide that they are well suited to becoming detectives. With a little help from a psychic, some
American Indian purification rituals and a pre-production model TASER
they arm
themselves to solve the case.
This is the kind of book I'd like to write, funny and
heartwarming with characters that engage the reader from page one.
Strong
female role models who don't fall to pieces at the first sign of
trouble, it's
the Ya Ya Sisters meet Nancy Drew.
Author Mary Clay writes in a fast paced style that is
reminiscent of
Janet Evanovich. The jokes are witty, and include the type of humor all
women
can relate to themselves. Also included
are popular culture references to Daytona Bike Week, and The Rocky
Horror
Picture Show, which are sure to delight the informed reader. This is the first in a series the second two
are already available at the bookstore and are sure to be popular beach
reads.