The characters were flawed but in an intentional way. It made them feel real. It helps that the amateur sleuth knew the community and the victim so well. It made for a well thought out mystery with a few suprising turns. The city of Lafayette was described in such a way that I felt like I was there. Really looking forward to the next book!

i do not enjoy a woman who judges unhoused people and people who have done time but has no issue being a bookie, stealing, throwing trash on the ground, and using phrases like “mental midgets.” the villain felt like a caricature, several obvious things happened, no one learned a lesson. will not be continuing with this series.   

TW// for mention of suicide. The character was actually murdered off page. (not a spoiler)

This was an unexpected delight! A tad lengthy, but Bahni Turpin's narration kept the story engaging.

Glory is such a fun character. A busybody, no nonsense 'auntie,' set in her ways, but still lovable. And Louisiana food, culture, and customs are at the heart of it all.

It's more than a small town, cozy mystery. There were many themes addressed that will be relatable to Black readers: mental health and hoarding going unchecked in our community. "Prayer" being the answer to everything. Black Catholics; struggling with faith in a religion you've been brought up in. Cattiness in "upward mobility" social clubs. Reformation after a prison stint, trying not to get sucked back into an old life. Racism backed by old money. Dog fighting (off page). Gambling, drugs, addiction. The list could go on.

I liked that Delphine's character wasn't a goody-two shoes. She did some things she needed to atone for. And her side romance had a realistic resolution. Hope to revisit them in future books.

Highly recommend.

I love a mystery book set in a small town. Unlike in a big city, communities are very connected, so when a murder happens you can see how it hurts a community of folks versus just the victim's families.

I also love that this book is set in the South, we need more books set in the South please! The South's geography is very diverse, you can go from a city to a small town to having a car chase on dirt roads. Also, everyone felt so familiar to me because they reminded me of my grandparents and people in my community who were born and raised in the South (I'm from Chicago.)

Anyways, while there were a few things that I loved about this book I often felt like I wasn't deep into the mystery. I often felt like we were pulled out of the mystery to deal with Glory's daughter's divorce mess (we didn't need her POV), the feud between Glory and her sister, and then issues between her and members of the church. While, I LOVE drama (I'm petty and messy), it didn't really add to the story. It's not like any of these people ended up on the suspect list. We're weren't always following leads or trying to cross out who could be the killer. It felt a little jumbled. I'm still going to listen/read the next book because I really like Glory! I just hope that the author really keeps up wrapped up in the mystery; we need suspects, clues, high speed chases, mean detectives from the police force trying to keep Glory away from the case.