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Summary: A short review
Review: After reading this book i have a few things to say. This is a classic mystery incorporating all the things that one considers vital to a mystery. IE death, betrayal, friendship, sex, and sadness. The author formed characters well and knew exactly how to trap readers into not wanting to put down their book. I was impressed by the way the perfect southern town was described, from the tiniest detail like a plant to the largest like neighboring towns and cities. I would certainly reccomend this book to people around me, i think many age groups and many types of people can and should read it. I am only 15 years old and yet i enjoyed this book greatly and even found ways to relate to the people in the book, it felt like i was looking at a different world through their eyes. I hope there is a sequel.
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Summary: Three Dirty Women is a Great Read!
Review: An excellent mystery. The development of the many characters in this book is its strongest point. I found myself not only interested in who the villian was, but also in the personal trials of various characters. Exploring racial biases in the South and domestic violence are difficult subjects to tackle, but the author handled them well without undue melodrama.
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Summary: entertaining regional mystery
Review: As a pre-wedding present to his fiancee, Dennis McFaile hired Three Dirty Women to landscape his future bride's yard. However, while working in the dirt, the three women, Amilou Whittier, Korene McFaile, and Janey Bascom uncover the corpse of a man in the midst of the garden. The deceased turns out to be Amilou's spouse Greg who supposedly ran off with a younger woman last month. Janey's husband J.J. heads the official investigation. His first reaction is that Amilou might have killed her husband in a fit of rage. He has not ruled out that Greg's last known lover might have killed him in a fit of homocidal anger. Amilou's partners wonder if Susannah, the mother of the future bride killed Greg her former lover in a fit of anger. As two dirty women try to prove the innocence of the remaining dirty woman, they learn how difficult that can be especially when the person they want to rescue refuses to cooperate. THREE DIRTY WOMEN AND THE GARDEN OF DEATH is an entertaining regional mystery that will thrill sub-genre fans. The story line is fun as the audience observes the aftermath of the womanizing Greg on much of the townsfolk who simply detested the deceased. The three women are intriguing charcaters, but at times trip over each other and clog the plot. The secondary cast adds a southern small town feel and insight into Greg's trifling with too many hearts. Julie Wray Herman writes a warm mystery that will provide much enjoyment to readers.
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Summary: Clever and fun!
Review: Digging in your flower garden may never be quite the same for you if you read Ms. Herman's THREE DIRTY WOMEN. At least that's how it worked for me once I got into chapter one. In fact, after I got settled into my armchair, I never did quite get out until I'd finished the last page. The book was just that compelling. Thing is, the characters feel like people you know, and the plot twists keep you going. You'll be sure you know who the killer is -- and then you won't. Then you'll imagine that you've figured it out once again, but . . . you won't have. Maybe that's the fun of a really good mystery, and Ms. Herman delivers on all accounts. I just hope she doesn't spend so much time in her own garden that a sequel to this terrific book has to wait. We need more -- in spades!
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Summary: A Differing Opinion
Review: I love mysteries and since June 1989 (the month I seriously started keeping track)I have read over 700 of them. I wanted to like this book, it had a great title and the promise of three lovable middle-aged Nancy Drews solving a nice cozy mystery and giving gardening tips. However, the reality was completely disappointing. First, who exactly was husband Greg? We never get to know why women, married and single, fall all over themselves trying to hang onto him. The author should have painted a personality for him before bumping him off. Instead we are left to wonder why all this passion for someone who the reader never had information about. Secondly, it would be really hard to cut someone's throat and private parts and move the body without getting blood on the crime scene and yet the reader is supposed to swallow this scenario. Also, there is too much dialogue versus description and I had to keep going back to follow her transitions from one scene to another. I thought the book was a mess and, even after careful reading, I am unsure of Greg's relationship with one of the characters. If you are still reading this, try the late Anne George and her "Sister" series. Her books are delightful!
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Summary: Landscaped to death
Review: The Three Dirty Women of the title are three friends, Amilou, Korine, and Janie, who have a professional landscaping company. They are hired to re-landscape Susannah Graham's yard in honor of the coming nuptials of Susannah's daughter and the nephew of one of the dirty women. While digging in an azalea bed, the body of Amilou's philandering almost ex-husband is found. Who planted him there? Janie's husband, J.J. is the police chief of Pine Grove, and, of course, he investigates, and uncovers the murderer, but not before a second body is discovered. This is a remarkable first novel. The beginning is a bit rough, as is to be expected with a first novel, but Julie Wray Herman finds her stride well before the middle of the book. The characters are endearing. The small town ambience is obvious in that everyone is either related to, or went to school with, or is friendly with, everyone else, whether directly part of the story or not.
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Summary: Mystery Writing 101
Review: The writing does not live up to the clever premise or even the cute title of this cozy mystery. Characterization is shallow or over-the-top, the setting is not well sketched, and the story moves around with too many two-named characters, and not enough fluidity between scenes. By the time I reached the end of the book, I didn't care who had committed the murder. I was just thrilled to finally be finished with it. I was hoping for an exploration of the strengths and wonders of middle-aged friendship, with dashes of gardening lore thrown into a setting that was being steadily beautified. Something more like Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles series.
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Summary: A Differing Opinion
Review: Three Dirty Women was the name of a professional landscaping company operated by Amilou, Korine, and Janey. As the story opened I found the three beautifying the yard of hateful Susannah Graham when Amilou uncovered the body of her estranged husband, Greg, buried in the flower bed! The Chief of Police, J.J., happened to be Janey's husband. He was called immediately. Amilou was the number one suspect since she was the wife. She had motive and opportunity. However, Greg had never been a faithful husband. Seemed almost all females in town had been intimate with Greg. And all of them had motive and opportunity as well! ***** The author started page one off with a blast! Abra-cadabra! Instant mystery, instant fun! The story kept me perplexed. It had several suspects and I simply could not figure out who did the deed! Excellent who-dunnit mystery that will keep you guessing! *****
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Summary: A Wonderful Debut
Review: Three very diverse women own and operate a gardening service. When they dig up the body of one of their ex-husbands all the carefully preserved secrets of their circle of friends are forced out in the open. This book is an excellent look at what happens when someone close to you is accused of murder. The plot is intricate, the characters real, and the writing seamless. Buy this book today. And if I were you, I'd get the hardback. It is a debut novel, with a limited print run and a beautiful cover--I predict collector's item.
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Summary: More than a romp through the daisies
Review: Three woman ban together to form a landscaping company. Little did they know when they first started out that it would lead them to murder, betrayal, mayhem, adultery, burglary and a list of assorted other sins. The characters were slow to develop in this first book of the series. I am not saying that as a negative, just a statement of fact. In actuality it helped keep the players in this complex story easier to follow. The list of characters at the front of the book was also very helpful. There are alot of people involved in this story, both past and present, which would be too much for many to handle. However, Ms. Herman handles the task with a clarity that keeps the book flowing nicely. She has woven a complex tale with just the right number of red herrings and plot twists to keep the reader thoroughly entranced. Besides a good read it is a story about partnership, honesty and forgiveness that is not always expected in this genre. I will be the first to admit that I picked this book up and bought it for the title alone. I felt that anyone who could come up with a title that engaging would have to be entertaining. I was right but not for the reasons I had anticipated. This is not a light romp through the daisies. It is a thought-provoking challenge to friendship, truth and loyalty. This is a wonderful first novel by a talented new author. I can't wait for the next one. I'll be buying that one for the content, not just the title.
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