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Most people imagine old Southern towns to be quiet and subdued—maybe a little sleepy. That’s where people are supposed to spend long afternoons on porch swings, sipping sweet tea. But in Southern Harm, the second Southern B&B Mystery by author Caroline Fardig, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The story picks up shortly after Savannah B&B manager Quinn Bellandini and her older sister, Delilah, were able to solve a murder at a local restaurant. Unfortunately for Quinn, that’s not the end of the dead bodies in her way. While helping her boyfriend, Tucker, do some landscaping in his aunt’s yard, Quinn discovers yet another body—this one the long-buried remains of a neighbor who was thought to have left town decades earlier. And when Tucker’s aunt is arrested for murder, Quinn and Delilah offer to do some digging to try to clear her name.
As the sisters set out to help Tucker’s eccentric aunt, things just get messier and messier. There’s nothing quiet and laid-back about this case. As soon as the victim is identified, the rumors begin to swirl—and some of them hit closer to home than Quinn would like. And in order to make sense of it all, she and Delilah soon find themselves trekking through Savannah in their downtime—whether they’re taking tea in the posh sitting rooms of the rich and fabulous, buying a drink in a noisy tourist bar, or choking down some chicken in the local greasy spoon. While the constant gossip and the twisting mystery will keep readers on their toes, the variety of settings keeps it all interesting.
The characters, meanwhile, are an entertaining mix of Southern gentility and Southern spunk. While Quinn may attempt to remain prim and proper while offering Southern hospitality (and lots of delicious Southern cooking) to the guests at the family’s bed and breakfast, the rest of her family is somewhat more eccentric and impulsive. Delilah is strong and outspoken, and she takes a lot of hazy advice from the ghost of their dead uncle. Their mother, meanwhile, is a free spirit who’s more interested in drum circles than charity teas. And, together, this diverse family of crime solvers makes for a fun-filled read.
If you prefer cozy mysteries that are a little lighter on the cozy and a little heavier on the quirks, you’ll enjoy this Southern whodunit. And after you finish, you might find yourself seeking out more books by this entertaining author.
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