In 1930, Darling, Alabama was a typical small town-- everybody knows your name, and your business. But when a young girl is murdered, suddenly no one knows a thing. In Susan Wittig Albert's new book, THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE CUCUMBER TREE, the ladies of the Darling Dahlias Garden Club set aside their gardening skills while they dig into the mysterious death of a girl from their town. The more they dig, the more secrets they unearth!

The Dahlias are a lively bunch of ladies who keep the gossip fires stirred as they bustle about their days. Lizzie is secretary for a lawyer. Verna works at the courthouse. Ophelia is married to the town mayor. Myra May owns the Darling Diner. Beulah presides over the best hair salon in town. These gals are all dedicated to their gardening club, and are very proud of their new clubhouse and the giant cucumber trees that grace its grounds. They are also dedicated to their friendships and are quick to help one another out when there is trouble. And trouble has come to visit the tiny town of Darling. A convict has escaped from the prison farm outside of town, someone at the local bank has been embezzling money, and there seems to be a ghost haunting the gardens of the Dahlias' new clubhouse. The trouble mangnifies when Bunny Scott, the cosmetics girl at the local drugstore, is found dead after a horrible car crash. When it looks like her boss might be implicated in the death of the young woman, Lizzie Lacy and her friends begin doing a little investigating of their own. And the secrets they find are enough to keep the party- lines sizzling throughout Darling.

Set after the beginning of the Great Depression, THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE CUCUMBER TREE, is an engaging story filled with intrigue, humor and a good dose of small town charm. Albert sets the stage with this introduction to her new series, giving the background and history of the fictitious town of Darling and the ladies who are such an important part of it. With a gentler approach to the usual cozy-type mystery, this book is a perfect choice to sit down and rest a'spell. Future stories of the ladies from Darling are sure to be eagerly anticipated.