Well, I finally succumbed and bought the gardening trilogy: Blue Dahlia, Black Rose and Red Lily. I've read the first two, started the third. I have to say, these are women I would like to know. First of all, I'm a garden writer so the fact that a lot of the action takes places either in the garden center owned by one of the heroines or at the site of landscaping jobs is one big point that draws my interest. Second, a sub-plot focuses on genealogy -- the history of one of the families involved. Since I am a genealogy buff, point two in favor of this series. And even though I'm not a southerner (does it count that I was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, even though I never lived there?) and I live north of the Mason-Dixon line (about 8 miles from it, in fact), the characters of these women just ring true.
Even though the story line involves a ghost (and quite a ghost, no wisp of mist here) and I thought that might bug me, in fact, the ghost story line is fascinating and any mother will relate (probably most non-moms, too).
I don't know if I'd say this is my favorite series -- I'd still go for the Donovans or Three Sisters Island -- but if the characters in these books were real people, the three women in this series are the ones I would want to hang out with.
