The Darling Dahlias and the Voodoo Lily

By: Susan Wittig Albert

Narrated by: Peggity Price

Spring, 1935 finds the little Alabama town of Darling excited about their new local radio station, WDAR. But there are problems brewing at the newspaper, where a trio of new hires causes headaches for Editor Charlie Dickens. That’s not the worst of it, though, as the Dahlias discover when the newest resident at Bessie Bloodworth’s Magnolia Manor is found dead. She had overindulged in a large and very rich chocolate cake - but was something else baked into that cake? If so, one of the Dahlias is likely to find herself at the top of Sheriff Buddy Norris’ suspect list. That would give Darling something to gossip about!

And there’s plenty more to keep the tongues wagging. Will the ladies at the new bakery ever learn to bake bread? What’s happening in Liz Lacy’s love life? Will her new book be a success? And can Voodoo Lil’s special brand of magic keep Violet Sims from taking Cupcake off to Hollywood to become a Shirley Temple lookalike? But amid all these mysteries, one thing’s for certain: The Darling Dahlias just keep growing.

©2020 Susan Wittig Albert (P)2021 Dreamscape Media, LLC

The Storytelling is Enjoyable

A friend recommended me this series to me. I have really enjoyed listening to each book. I like the way Liz's character develops in this book. The story combined the human experience with empathy and humor. I like listening to people's lives in the 1930s. my mother was born in 1929, and had a limited view of what was happening in the nation during that time. these books help me understand something of the life my parents grew up in and the heritage that I inherited. for that, I'm extremely grateful to this writer.

So good!

I have waited soooo long for the next Dahlias, now I can't wait for the next one! It was so good to catch up with all the folks, and I want to find out what Lizzie will do next!

Enchanting!

Every book in this series gets better than the one before. The insight into tough times and the spirited way women dealt with them is an inspiration for us today. The folk wisdom reminds us that there is always something more to learn, and technology is only part of the universe - maybe less important than human nature and nature itself

great read!! don't miss this book. wonderful story

loved this book. I plan to read all the books in this series. I have one of the characters last name of Bloodworth and will pass on to family.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Darling Dahlias!!!!

Pigging Price does an excellent narration. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Voo Doo lily

Can’t say enough good things about this series!!! Always so engaging and each character is just so different snd interesting. I feel like a citizen of Darling surrounded by friends when I read this. I’m always looking forward to the next book in the series. Narrator does an excellent job with all the different voices and brings each one alive for me.

Disappointment in Darling

I have been listening to the Darling Dahlias series since the first book appeared on Audible. I love cozy mysteries, and I have always enjoyed how the women of the Darling Dahlias garden club and the citizens of Darling (for the most part) pull together and take care of their own. In this case, though, it just doesn't feel like there's much flesh on the bones of this story, and that's the source of my Disappointment in Darling.

The Dahlias have a Voodoo Lily plant blooming in the garden at their clubhouse, but it and the party to let everyone see it is hardly given any part to the story. And given that she is a new character, Lil, the conjure queen out in the swamp, is pretty much a one-dimensional character. With her introduction, though, the reader is to accept and understand that people from Darling have always made regular trips out to see Big Lil Boudreaux, the other Voodoo Lily, to share their problems (or their perceived problems). I'm certain when an author has written eight previous books about the same characters, it can be a challenge to create fresh stories to tell. The creation of Big Lil, though, felt contrived. In the previous books, there was no mention of anyone hanging out in the swamp with the exception of the moonshiners!

And speaking of moonshiners, let's talk about the revenuer, Chester P. Kinnard. Peggity Price has been a wonderful narrator for this series, with the exception of Chester P. Kinnard's name. When Mr. Kinnard first appeared in the stories, Ms. Price pronounced his last name "kuh-NARD." Several books back, all of a sudden, Ms. Price pronounced his name "KIN-erd." In Voodoo Lily, pronunciation of the gentleman's name has changed yet again; he is now "KY-nerd." It grated every time I heard it. After narrating eight previous books, Ms. Price of all people should know how to pronounce Mr. Kinnard's name! And Audible, doesn't your production studio have a person who is in charge of continuity? Continuity is important within a single book, but it is just as important, if not more so, in a book series. In the absence of a script supervisor, the director should know a series well enough to know what and has come before.

Overall, I don't feel this is the best story in the series. There was some resolution to a few story lines created in earlier books, but whether they are satisfying resolutions is certainly up to the listener.

Disenchanted with this edition

I was looking forward to this installment of the Darling Dahlias. My first disappointment came immediately when Albert felt the need to retell the background of the each cast member. I find this insulting. If you are a fan of a series you know what is going on, if you like a story and want to know the history you go back and purchase the series in order. After that, I didn't really care. The plot was a rehash of the past and a tiny step forward to the future. This is my last purchase of this series. Peggity Price is outstanding, probably why I finished the book and did not return it.