Book Review: Till Dirt Do Us Part by Teresa Trent

Title/Author: Till Dirt Do Us Part by Teresa Trent
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Date of publish: April 2017
Pages: 219

Free on Kindle until May 5

Not everything stays buried. When Betsy, a notorious brown thumb gets roped into a gardening contest sponsored by the Pecan Bayou Gazette, she finds herself digging up more than weeds. She is ridiculed by the garden club ladies, and now her heart breaks for a newly single mom whose world has just collapsed. The Happy Hinter is back so take some time to revisit the cozy little town Pecan Bayou, Texas. Grab a glass of sweet tea before you turn the dirt in the garden and sit a spell with all your favorite characters who dole out heartfelt caring and compassion with a side of humor. Till Dirt Do Us Part includes bonus recipes and helpful hints from Betsy’s column!

When Betsy orders a bed full of dirt to plant her garden the last thing she expected was a DUMP truck bed full. Actually, the last thing she expected was to find a dead body buried in her bed full of dirt. The man’s death seems to be an open and shut suicide, but when is anything ever what it seems to be, right? The suspects are piling up along with Betsy’s day to day challenges.

This book is why I read cozies. It is full of great character driven story. It is not so hung up on the mystery that it forgets to be about the people. Betsy is an everyday mom with everyday problems who just happens to find a dead body in her garden. Okay, she handles it way better than I would have, but then she handles most things better than I would have. I am not sure I could have resisted the urge to bite madam day care, with her unimpeachable witness or nor could I resist doing a happy dance in the face of Miss perfect tomato plants, but those are my flaws and Betsy’s strengths. The way she handles the emerging details of this unfolding mystery with humor and aplomb says a lot about her, and the people she surrounds herself with are a joy to read, even the nasties have something to offer and it wouldn’t be any fun without them. Pecan Bayou is one of those places you enjoy visiting again and again.

The recipes and helpful hints at the end are a delightful addition to the book and I know I won’t be alone at stifling a snicker at finding that mouthwatering breakfast burrito recipe.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Teresa Trent lives in Houston, Texas and is an award-winning mystery writer. She writes the Pecan Bayou Mystery Series, is a regular contributor to the Happy Homicides Anthologies. Teresa is happy to add her Henry Park Mystery Series to her publishing credits with Color Me Dead, the first book in the series. Teresa has also won awards for her work in short stories where she loves to dabble in tales that are closer to the Twilight Zone than small town cozies. When Teresa isn’t writing, she is a full-time caregiver for her son and teaches preschoolers music part-time. Her favorite things include spending time with family and friends, waiting for brownies to come out of the oven, and of course, a good mystery.