Southern Lit., Pick of the Week: Gone With A Handsomer Man by Micheal Lee West

Mail time is sometimes an extra happy time around here, especially when I receive a package containing a new book to be read! Fortunately, for me, this particular package contained the book, Gone With A Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West. I had been anxious to read this one because I enjoyed the author’s previous work (Mermaids in the Basement)! Of course, knowing it was set in Charleston didn’t hurt either!

I was completely drawn in by page 3 when the heroine, Tenny Templeton, arrives home to discover her fiancé, Bing, playing naked badminton in the back yard with not 1, but 2 other women! Teeny stands stunned and out of sight, until one of the Trollopes kicks her dog, and then we start seeing the feisty side of our heroine. She springs into action, climbing a nearby peach tree and beginning an all out assault on the 3 badminton players with, yes…peaches! Unfortunately, for Teeny, this doesn’t end well and she finds herself on the receiving end of police charges and a conviction for assault. This peach throwing incident leads to more than a broken engagement and probation, as just a few days later Teeny discovers her ex-fiancé murdered and she is the prime suspect. The story has a variety of unforgettable characters and is sprinkled with some wonderful Southern foods and recipes. Teeny has a cookbook full of family recipes to which her Mother and Aunt added their own made-up funny and deadly recipes. These women coped by making up recipes to “fix” what or whoever ails you, the way some women use retail therapy! Some of the real (and safe) recipes are included in the back of the book as an extra bonus.

I enjoyed every twist and turn, as the mystery of who killed Bing and who will be next, unfolded. The descriptions of the South Carolina Low Country had me hankering to jump in the car for a road trip and even the descriptions of the interiors were wonderful. Throughout this book I found myself laughing at the good guys and the bad! This is a great book, which keeps its greatest surprise for the very end. Gone With A Handsomer Man is the 1st of series by West and I will be waiting, with great anticipation, for the 2nd installment because I have fallen head over heels in love with Teeny Templeton and her life.

Check out Teeny Templeton's Kitchen Diary:  Click here to download!

Gone With A Handsomer Man will be released on April 12, 2011.

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