Review copy for Front Street Reviews. The author signed the book and also included a matching bookmark.



My review follows:

At the start of the second book in the Daffodils series, Leigh Stratton is living in New Smyrna Beach while recovering from her recent divorce and the sale of the family home. It has been about four months since the action in the previous book The Turtle Mound Murders. Leigh’s been busy settling into a new routine, with a part-time job at the Marine Conservation Center, a couple of new friends including a paint ball playing Klingon and she is learning to enjoy her solitude.

That is until the other two members of the Daffodils - Daffodils stands for Divorced and Finally Free of Deceitful, Insensitive, Licentious Scum - Ruthie and Penny Sue arrive to visit and partake of the festivities of Bike Week. That's Daytona Bike Week where half a million people from around the world get together to celebrate their love of motorcycles, denim, leather and tattoos. "A Daytona Beach tradition dating back to 1937, it started out small with just a handful of bikers racing a three-mile route, half of which was on the beach. Since then, Bike Week festivities have spread out to the surrounding communities and evolved into a ten day festival of bikes, beer and scantily clad babes."

Penny Sue, desperate to impress her new man who just might be her soulmate, has bought out the Harley Davidson store. Clad in the wedding ensemble, bright white riding leathers, perched on a brand new silver Harley Fat Boy she's going to try to land Rich as husband number four. The ladies are really getting into the swing of things, when Rich abruptly dumps Penny Sue. She's distraught, but not entirely convinced that it doesn't have something to do with the mysterious "old friends" on his patio that he refused to introduce. When one of those men turns up dead, and the other turns out to be a well-known criminal, Penny Sue is certain that Rich is in deep trouble. It's time for the Daffodils to ride to the rescue!

Mary Clay has really pulled out all the stops on this one, like its predecessor this book is laugh out loud funny. As silly as the plot line gets it is still within the realm of possibility, which makes it that much more endearing. Who would have thought that the trials and tribulations of three middle-aged divorcees could be so amusing? This reviewer is really looking forward to reading the next book in the series Murder is the Pits and sincerely hopes that the author is busy working on future titles.

Reviewed for Front Street Reviews



The Turtle Mound Murder (A Daffodils Mystery)
By Mary Clay

Becky Leigh Martin is faced with starting over at forty-six. Ever since finding out that the woodworking project her lawyer husband claimed he was working on, actually involved a voluptuous stripper he'd been dating for over a year; she has been fighting with the old boy's network to get her rightful half of their estate. Finally the papers are signed and Becky is looking forward to rebirthing herself as Leigh, because she's tired of being "sweet, cute Becky... blind Becky". Fortunately, Leigh is not without a support system, consisting of two of her sorority sisters, who call themselves the DAFFODILS (Divorced and Finally Free of Deceitful, Insensitive, Licentious Scum). They whisk her away to New Smyrna Beach for a trip down memory lane, New Smyrna Beach being their old college spring break hangout.

They barely arrive before DAFFODIL sister Penny Sue steps into the middle of an altercation between a member of the Turtle Patrol and a turtle-hating civilian. The Turtle Patrol protects the endangered sea turtles that nest on Smyrna Beach. They move nests that are too close to human habitation, and enforce the lights out after dark restriction during breeding season. Neither of the two men seem particularly pleased with Penny Sue's interference, heated words are exchanged, and a pistol is brandished. The police cool the situation down and warn the ladies not to leave town.

Later when Leigh and Ruthie discover white powder in a chest of drawers they assume it is some kind of insecticide left behind by the exterminator, and move it to the hall closet. Everything seems fine until Leigh takes an early morning beach stroll and discovers a body. Hilarity insues as the ladies decide that they are well suited to becoming detectives. With a little help from a psychic, some American Indian purification rituals and a pre-production model TASER they arm themselves to solve the case.

This is the kind of book I'd like to write, funny and heartwarming with characters that engage the reader from page one. Strong female role models who don't fall to pieces at the first sign of trouble, it's the Ya Ya Sisters meet Nancy Drew. Author Mary Clay writes in a fast paced style that is reminiscent of Janet Evanovich. The jokes are witty, and include the type of humor all women can relate to themselves. Also included are popular culture references to Daytona Bike Week, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which are sure to delight the informed reader. This is the first in a series the second two are already available at the bookstore and are sure to be popular beach reads.

Nothing new to report on the crafting or the reading front. I've been sucked into the World of Warcraft online game, and I may never do anything else again.

Today I managed to tear myself away long enough to finish a band on the Little Bands of Silk sampler and watch the movie Dreamcather which was adapted from the Stephen King novel of the same name. I think you really have to have read the book, there's only so much a two hour script can do with an 800 page plus book. Dave hasn't read it, and kept asking me questions not only about what was going on, but also why it was happening. Other than that, not too bad a movie.

I ordered new office furniture which was delivered yesterday. We went to Staples and Office Max and they didn't have anything in the store that I liked. I picked up the furniture catalog from Staples and was idly flipping through when I saw this, and just fell in love. Dave has put together two of the three pieces so far, and I just love how grown up my side of the office looks. It felt really good to be able to buy something I liked without making myself worry if it was the cheapest thing in the store or not.

I'm really bad about that, since my family didn't have much money when I was a kid, I have this tendency to not want to spend any money on myself. I'd like my house to look nice and I don't want to shop for clothes at Walmart anymore so I'm learning.

I've started a new part time job at the Tri-City Animal Shelter and Adoption Center in Cedar Hill. I'll be working M-F for 5 hours a day. It gets me out of the house, makes me feel useful and keeps me in my field (sorta). Unfortunately it's not a no-kill shelter, so I'm trying not to get attached to any of the animals.

I found out today that the dog whose story made me the saddest got a home on Saturday. That made my day. She was an older mixed breed, probably part border collie based on shape and markings. She was found roaming the street by animal control. This dog was clean and well trained, she knew how to sit and stay and shake hands. She was obviously housebroken because she never soiled her run. The sad part is that she was never claimed by her owners. If it was my dog, I'd be frantic. I'd be checking the shelters every day, I'd be driving around my neighborhood calling her name, I'd be putting up posters. I wouldn't be giving up on my dog, or putting her out because she was old.

We went to San Antonio this past weekend for a mini-vacation. Sometimes it's nice to just get out of the house. I took the camera this time, but still suck at actually taking pictures. We went to the zoo (of course), and I did get a few snapshots that came out well enough to post:

This is a black bear mashing an orange flat before devouring it. I wasn't fast enough to catch him with the kiwi, which looked very interesting smashed flat.


Some kind of larger monkey, perhaps a mangabey? I don't remember what the sign said. There was a large family group, and the younger ones were chasing each other around the cage, while the older ones were posing for photos.


This is a Black-footed Cat, one of the world's smallest cat species. This little guy was enjoying the sunlight, and so sleepy he looked like he was going to fall over any second.


Finally we have some storks, I don't remember what kind, and I'm not enough of a bird person to know from looking at the picture.