Flavia has competition for my favorite historical cozy. A new books shelf cruising find I enjoyed this one far more than I expected at first. It looked cute, but in reality it was well written, an unusual glance at the time period and setting, full of realistic and authentic characters, and a book about teachers that warmed the cockles of my spinster school marm heart. And you thought I never had anything nice to say about anything, didn't you? Set in rural Georgia on the home front in 1942 it is definitely historical fiction and a mystery, and the mystery, set in war time has an element of the spy story in it. To term it Southern gothic may be a stretch, however there is a Ma and Pa Kettle aspect to the dialect and characters that sets it apart. Charlie, the heroine is a school teacher, and not exactly the detective. Miss Dimple the true spinster school marm and beloved first grade teacher goes missing right before Thanksgiving, so in-between making Pilgrim hats and bidding soldiers farewell the school staff have to figure out where she went.
THe story is interesting because even though Charlie is the main character it jumps around a lot, changing perspective often. In a way Charlie doesn't solve the mystery, its a group effort. Like everything else the town folk all chip in to help save the day. Its very sweet, almost threatening to get saccharin sweet at times, but if you've ever lived in a small town its very true to life. These people really do exist. Interwoven are lots of details regarding the hardships of life, from rationing to sending off beloved soldiers. Charlie faces a conflict between wanting to stay loyal to her GI beau and falling for her best friend's flame. Te love story stays light and helps to relieve some of the tension. Miss Dimple herself shines as the beacon of reason and practicality, in fact her scenes are some of the funniest. I was surprised to see that many reviewers sort of slammed this one (then again they like a lot of books I loathe) most seemed to think that the author pigeon-holed herself, writing a book that appealed to only a very specific audience. I can't really say, I've never read a mystery set in that time and place before. I though it was fresh and very cute. It made me show my dimples.
