Southern Pickins

Second up today is another recommendation from my friend Barbara - this time it's Mary Kay Andrew's Savannah Blues.  I'm not ordinary a fan of fluffy chick lit, but this one was worth the time I spent on it for the info on antiques that suffuses its pages.  Mary Kay Andrews is a pseudonym for Kathy Trochek, a noted mystery who's one of my mom's favorites.  I can see why my mom enjoys her work - she writes with a clever, breezy style that's instantly appealing.

Savannah Blues follows Eloise "Weezy" Foley in the aftermath of her divorce from upper-crust Savannahan Talmadge Evans III.  As a result of their breakup, Weezy is exiled from the townhome she loving restored to the carriage house in the backyard while Tal lives it up in the main house with his new fiancee, Caroline Santos.  Needless to say there's ill will between Weezy and Caroline, but Weezy is slowly adapting to single life.  She's immersed herself in her antiques-picking business and she adopts a lovable dog with a delightful habit of piddling on Tal and Caroline's flowers. 

Unfortunately, things go south for Weezy at an important estate sale just outside Savannah.  When she sneaks into the estate the night before for a bathroom break and a "sneak preview" of the goods, she makes a gruesome discovery - Caroline's dead body stuffed in a closet.  Soon Weezy's the prime suspect in her murder, and she enlists the help of her uncle, the closeted ex-Catholic priest/lawyer and her best friend, restauranteur Be-be.  To further complicate things, an old flame is back in town and wants to give it another try with Weezy.

Overall, it's an enjoyable read and perfect for summer - enough tidbits of info to be interested but still appropriate for the beach.  Good light-hearted fun.