This took FOREVER to get from the library-I think everybody in town was on the waiting list. But it was worth the wait. Darling and the Dahlias are always fun to visit. The tone of Red Hot Poker was a little different than previous books. Not so much gardening and character development. Very focused on the main plot and juggling the subplots; it was good but different.
In this one, there is a new chief at the volunteer fire department (they call them the HOT DOGS!) and an arsonist keeping things hot. There are some interesting subplots: the 1935 Hurricane, a lover with a secret, and the Kingfish/Huey P. Long on the way to town all at the same time. Lots to keep up with in the plot and Susan Wittig Albert makes it look easy. I enjoyed this (10th !!!) book in the series…not as much as some of the others but still a good read.
There was so much history thrown in that I had to stop several times and Google–you know I was in reader heaven over that! I love it when an author enjoys their book world so much that real life seamlessly becomes part of the story. That’s the best part about the Darling Dahlias series. You feel like you are really reading about actual people and some things that happen to them instead of flat characters in a book. So, 4 stars from me on this one. Take your own little trip to Darling, Alabama and meet the fine folks. You won’t be disappointed.
