A Body in the Backyard

what's a good garden gnome good for anyway?!?!

Octogenarian, Myrtle Clover fills her yard with her favorite garden gnomes as a sign of her displeasure with her across the street neighbor, Red, who is also her son and their small North Carolina's town police chief. He thinks she should live safely in an assisted living facility, and she thinks she should take advantage of the town gossip and her roll as a newspaper reporter, to help solve problems in her town. Unfortunately, someone has decided that one of her gnomes was a good murder weapon, and there's a dead body in her back yard.

This time, the dead body was a scoundrel, who is a distant cousin of her friend and fellow sleuth, Miles. And Myrtle's busybody neighbor announces that Miles must be the murderer. So, once again Myrtle insinuates herself into Red's murder investigation. She's also helped by Red's wife who has taken up photography as her new hobby.

This fun series never fails to amuse me while providing clues to the murder mystery. Wonder which will last longer, Myrtle--now approaching 90, or this mystery series. I'm rooting for both!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Laugh city!

cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, family-dynamics, humor
Read from May 18, 2014 to September 30, 2016

Crazy fun cozy mystery with truly nutsy characters. Gets you laughing until you can't stop. Great stress buster! The publisher's blurb even gives a hint as to it's comedy.
Kathy Schrecongost gives a decent reading if you have the ability to alter speed to taste.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Nice story, narration could have been much better

Would you try another book from Elizabeth Spann Craig and/or Cathy Schrecongost?

I'd try another book by this author but I'd avoid the narrator.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

This wasn't an edge of your seat kind of mystery. It was more a pleasant diversion, brain candy.

What didn’t you like about Cathy Schrecongost’s performance?

There was very little animation. There were parts of this story that would have been laugh out loud funny with the right inflections in the narration. The performance was slow and deliberate. The reading was very obviously just that, reading. It was slow and methodical, no mispronounced words but no emotion. It was a struggle to finish the book.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably not.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Well, Who Would've Gnome?

My, oh, my! The Myrtle Clover mysteries keep getting better and better . . . getting murdered in Myrtle's yard with a garden gnome? Perfect . . . only in the south can one fully relate to the attraction . . . and unique (don't give a hoot) gaudiness of a yard full of garden gnomes . . . and just where was the murdered Mr. Claybourne headed when someone whacked him in the head with the Viking gnome (sword in hand)? Myrtle knew Charles Claybourne . . . she knew everybody . . . but he'd left town years ago . . . he was probably going next door to his cousin, Miles' house . . . though Miles really didn't claim him as his cousin, although, of course, he was . . . thus begins Myrtle's and Miles' search for the killer . . . digging up the dirt on Charles Claybourne . . . and putting themselves in danger as well . . . all the local townsfolk, Bless their Hearts, make their appearances, Red, Elaine and Jack, Dusty and Puddin, Erma, Crazy Dan and Wanda . . . and all the dirty secrets past and present come out as Myrtle, again, solves the case . . . GREAT LISTEN!

loved the story.

I think the story had a good plot.
it kept you guessing from beginning to end.
I heard another Elizabeth spann Craig story.
a dyeing shame that was also very good.
I'm really starting to enjoy her books. The narration of the story,audible style is also very good. loved this book once again. It was a good story.

Myrtle Is Quite the Gal

I love this series! The narrator for this book almost ruined the story for me. Myrtle is always up to something and just loves to snoop. My kind of gal. I wonder what is going to happen with her and Miles, something good I hope. I hope Red doesn't put Myrtle in "the home"! It isn't for everyone.
The narrator is bad, she reads like the book it is a Dick and Jane story. Maddening really, but the story is worth it!

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Love this series

I have read the first few books back to back. I love Mrytle and her relationship with Elaine and Red. The supporting characters are quirky and funny. The plot is light-hearted with enough suspense to keep the listener interested. I hope the next book is just as good if not better.

Please redo this book production!!!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I like everything about this book series, but I hated this production. While the book is extremely well written and the character of Myrtle Clover is wonderful, the narration makes this production virtually intolerable. The narrator of the previous books in the series was fantastic. The whispery quality of the narrator of this particular book didn't work at all for either the character of Myrtle or the tone of the book. I hope this book can get reproduced with a more appropriate narrator.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

See the review above. The narration ruined this for me.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I think it would make a much better TV series.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Easy mystery

This time the bodies were in Myrtle's backyard. Mostly consists of Myrtle going around talking to everyone trying to figure out who the murderer is and then her explaining how she figured it out at the end. Some interesting small town characters. If you like small town gossip then you will enjoy the Myrtle Clover mysteries.

The narrator seemed to be whispering the whole time.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Did not care for reader. Judy Blue suits the various character voices better and provides a much more enjoyable reading.

Reader was dull in voice compared to wonderful inflection and fiestiness I imagine Myrtle to have and it would have been nice to have more personality infused into the narration for supporting characters. This was hard to listen to ... Very rote narration.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful