This southern cozy is a mystery with a twist – there is a supernatural air about it. Jane Thistle, widow, is a new resident of Tullulah, Alabama, and finds the small town a delight from the get-go. Her friendship with Phoebe Twigg seems a bit odd at first, since the two women are so different, but maybe that is why they get along so well. But circumstances seem to thwart their every move – they find a dead body, are nearly caught in an explosion, and are the subject to other threats. The ladies are determined to get to the bottom of things, but if they will succeed before anyone else is hurt remains to be seen. And, speaking of seen, could those “people” that Jane is seeing really be ghosts from a bygone era? An interesting mystery with likable characters, this first novel in the series leaves a bit to be desired as far as character development is concerned, but is it a promising beginning. ( )

There is more to Jane Thistle than meets the eye. Seemingly a little old widow woman who has moved to Tullulah, Alabama, a small town that has been hunting her since she first drove through it years before. She moves into an old haunted house on the edge of a wildlife refuge and quickly becomes good friends with Phoebe Twigg. Jane also manages to befriend the cantankerous Cal Prewitt, her eccentric neighbor and the owner of a piece of untouched wilderness. When Jane and Phoebe find a body on Cal’s land, Cal becomes the chief suspect in the murder. Jane is determined to prove him innocent and so starts the adventures of Thistle and Twigg.
The two heroines are completely opposite in character. With Phoebe what you see is what you get, but Jane has many hidden secrets which the reader becomes privvy to – but has not been revealed to Phoebe yet.

A lot goes on in this not so cozy cozy – there are ghosts, ghost hunters, Native American mythology, bombs, land protection, kidnapping, unlikely friendships and a dog. All the elements I need for a great story. My only complaint is that I didn’t like the way the story kept cutting between the points of view of Jane and Phoebe. Yhat is a tiny niggle in an otherwise great debut series.

As if I didn't have enough projects, I've set myself another. I'm going to read a mystery set in each of the states of the Union, and to make it more interesting, it has to be a book by an author who's new to me.

So, to start with Alabama, I couldn't count the Anne George book I read recently. Fortunately, I had THISTLE AND TWIGG by Mary Saums waiting on
the TBR shelf. The motto for this book, and the series to come, might be "Never underestimate the power of a woman -- especially two women."
The much-traveled Thistle and the small-town, trusting Twigg each have hidden strengths that become apparent as they battle murderers and
despoilers of the environment. There is a supernatural element to the story as well, which is not a problem for me, especially as it is tied
in so well with the local history and love for the land that infuse this book.

I've spent all of 9 weeks in Alabama in my life, in WAC basic training at Fort McLellan near Anniston. Saums' fictional Tullulah is set in
northwest Alabama, but since it and Anniston both lie near National Forests, I had a memory of red clay soil and pine trees that is probably
fairly accurate. Mary Saums filled in the picture with evocative description of the land. It is not surprising that she is also a
published poet. I'll be looking forward to more of Thistle and Twigg.


( )

An enjoyable enough cozy mystery and not at all what I was expecting.

Jane Thistle starts a new life in a small Southern town of Tallulah and meets her new best friend Phoebe Twigg and both are soon embroiled in an overlapping series of mysteries that while not overly original or complicated work well to drive the story along.

The real point of the book, as is the case in most cozy mysteries is more about the characters and the world they inhabit than in the actual mystery itself.

Both main characters are entertaining and fun to get to learn, though Jane Thistle flutters dangerously close to the edge of being a Mary Sue and Phoebe Twigg comes perilously close to being a cartoony stereotype, both characters are saved by how engaging they are and how they click together.

You don't really get much of a feel for the town itself, but the land that Jane moves to takes on a life of it's own and is far more real feeling than any of the people in the book.

I did find the use of Native American history and culture to be a bit forced but I'm willing to see how it plays out in future books before making up my mind fully about it. ( )

Jane Thistle's arrival in small Tullulah, Alabama, is noted by many, as she has quickly purchased the old Hardwick place, haunted by all accounts. Phoebe Twigg welcomes her immediately and a friendship ensues between the women. When the hermit Cal Prewitt makes overtures to his new neighbor about purchasing his land, Jane jumps at the chance. The melding of mystery and magic in Tullulah is wonderful--from the teens who want to "ghostbust" out at the Hardwick land to other unearthly visitors, Jane's introduction to town is an exciting one. ( )