Frankly My Dear, I'm Dead

A Delilah Dickinson Literary Tour Mystery #1

by Livia J. Washburn

No one is surprised when feisty Delilah Dickinson opens her literary travel agency in Atlanta after her divorce. But during her first group's tour of an old plantation modelled after Tara from Gone with the Wind, she finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery when the actor playing Clark Gable playing Rhetr Butler is found dead. Almost immediately, the police have the place under lockdown.Delilah finds herself taking over the investigation when their No 1 suspect is her son-in-law Luke-the not-so-bright husband of her daughter, Melissa. But life starts imitating art when the actors begin taking their roles a little too seriously-believing they actually are Ashley Wilkes, Scarlett O'Hara, and Melanie.With all the drama of Margaret Mitchell's epic story suddenly coming to alarming life, Delilah's only chance to head off a not-so-Civil War is to track down and confront the deranged murderer. But she must move quickly and very quietly - or risk becoming the next victim of a killer who

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Southern, Humor, Books About Books

323 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Under the names Livia J. Washburn and L.J. Washburn, Livia Reasoner has been writing award-winning, critically acclaimed mystery, western, romance, and historical novels for more than thirty years. She began to write in collaboration with her husband, author James Reasoner, and soon branched out into telling her own stories. She received the Private Eye Writers of America award and the American Mystery award for her first mystery, WILD NIGHT, and was nominated for a Spur by the Western Writers of America for a novel she wrote with her husband, James Reasoner. Livia won the Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers for her story “Charlie’s Pie”.

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Real Rating: 2.25* of five

DNF @ 22%

Modestly competent, uninspired; unsalted lo-fat black-eyed peas. (I must be hungrier than usual today, everything I write is about food.)

A snort or two of derision, a mild--nay, an anemic--chuckle, and in a humorous mystery I need more. Maybe it'll tickle your funny bone. It rasped over mine like a rat-tailed file.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Delilah Dickinson has set up a tour agency where people can come and explore the Atlanta of Gone with the Wind. At a recreation of Tara, the actor playing Rhett Butler is killed. Consequently everyone on the tour and all of the other actors are suspects unless Delilah can figure it out.

Why I Read: I really liked the title and I'm still somewhat obsessed with mysteries so I requested it from the library.

My Thoughts: To start with, I did not figure out the murderer although I did figure out that it was a very dumb idea to go and confront that murderer instead of relying on the police who are right there. Everything happens very quickly: the whole story takes place over three days, which was interesting. I've read some mysteries where it takes weeks for everything to come together. I also enjoyed the GWTW tidbits there although the description of the book made me think there would be more.

Overall: 3.5 out of 5. It's not that it wasn't good but it wasn't great and it was not gripping beyond the ordinary call of finding out who the murderer was. I have requested the second book Huckleberry Finished and hope to read that before school ends.

Cover: I do love GWTW but the faces here are really creepy to me. This Delilah is no Vivien Leigh.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a unique idea for a travel agency, literary-themed tours. New tour business owner Delilah was leading her first tour when an actor at the plantation was killed. Everyone at the plantation had to stay put, and it was kind of cool how she and new friend Will were creeping around looking for clues, stumbling on another body...not really part of the travel business, but the police lieutenant in charge did eventually admit that Delilah had some good detective qualities.

I did name the killer early on but was easily swayed throughout the book with the different suspects and red herrings. I liked the setting being Atlanta and Delilah's son-in-law Luke sort of grew on me too. I wasn't sure I'd like the twin nieces who were 16, but they were both so different, it was fun reading their banter. I admired Delilah for not letting anyone discourage her from what she set out to do. I hope that the guy she met shows up in the rest of the books. I think they'd make a good sleuthing team and I intend to continue with the series.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of a series. Delilah has just started her own tour group company. The first tour is to go to the Gone with the Wind Museum. Things have not been going smoothly however, I never expected to have a murder take place during our tour. Lots of side stories as the characters are developing.

[Kellene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast read. Not very deep in any way but I enjoyed it. Will continue with the series and really want to do a Gone With the Wind tour.

[Gale Penton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new series and author for me. I enjoyed the Gone With The Wind theme. Great characters and mystery.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, a quick read,

[Charlee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Delilah Dickinson has started her own business after going through a nasty divorce. A literary travel agency, she books her first tour. The group heads to a plantation that is modeled after Tara from Gone With the Wind. Unfortunately they all get more than they bargained for when the actor who plays Rhett Butler is found dead with a knife in his chest and the #1 suspect is Delilah's son-in-law, Luke.

I'm not sure what it is about this author, but she creates some of the most unlikable main characters. At least to me. I wish I could say that this book was the exception, but I can't. To sum them up, it was basically the cast of Reba....but without being fun or entertaining. Delilah Dickinson, a fiery redhead, was so over the top southern that it made me cringe and her son-in-law, Luke, is apparently one of the dumbest people to ever live. Oh, and he works for her. So does her daughter Melissa apparently, but quite honestly, I kept forgetting about her.

You can read the rest of my review on my blog at Once Upon A Book

[Judy Iliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books in this series are a fun, fast read. They center around a lady, Delilah, who has started a literary travel agency. She sets up tours to places of Southern writers. This was Washburn's first in the series, and the setting is Atlanta and the plantation that has been remodeled to look like Tara from the movie "Gone With the Wind". The second, "Huckleberry Finished" was to Mark Twain's hometown.

Perhaps these books have more of an appeal for me because I taught American Literature for so long. I do find them interesting, though. The two I've read include lots of background information about the author and/or story that made that person famous.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, easy reading and likeable characters. Good summer reading - would also make a good Sunday night mystery movie. Even though Delilah is described as having red hair, I really picture Delta Burke of Designing Women in this role. Will read the rest of the series because I like the literary travel tours concept, but I don't think I will take the time to read any of the author's other works.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun little read. At first the flip flopping between the tourists, actors and the parts they were playing was a bit muddled but a good story. I really like Delilah, the heroine.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this cozy, I'm not crazy for it, but the Gone With the Wind theme drew me in. I will continue on with the series. This was a very light read and is great for a quick weekend book.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Frankly My Dear, I'm Dead" ticked a lot of boxes for me - the big one being that it is heavily invested in a famous book ('Gone With The Wind - I've never read it, but have seen excerpts from the film), the author (Margaret Mitchell) and the many familiar characters (Rhett Butler, Scarlett O'Hara, Ashley Wilkes, etc.
Delilah Dickinson has a new business in Atlanta which organises group tours of places associated with local authors and their novels.
Her first tour involves an overnight stay at a plantation and mansion similar to 'Tara'.
But, as night falls: - "Rhett Butler - or the fella playing him, anyway - was dead, as dead as the antebellum South that had been recreated here on this plantation."
What follows is an interesting mash up of tourists and actors, both in and out of character.
Delilah needs to find out who the killer is before her business goes down the tubes.
It's nicely done, uses the original material well, and the ending is very apt.
Next stop for me is the second in the series which deals with Mark Twain and 'Huckleberry Finn."
3.5 Stars, upvoted to 4 Stars.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently-divorced Delilah Dickinson is conducting her first literary tour group, visiting sites in and around Atlanta connected to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. Their final stop is an overnight visit to a plantation resembling the screen version of Tara, with local actors portraying the characters from the movie. However, the tour comes to an unpleasant climax when "Rhett Butler" is found stabbed to death in the gardens of the mock-Tara, and it is revealed that several persons among the group might have had reason to wish him dead ...

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge Gone With the Wind fan and was so excited when I found this book. The excitement didn’t last. It fell flat for me. Maybe I’m too much of a GWTW fan to be happy with spoofs of any kind.

I have been to the Margaret Mitchell museum in Atlanta and loved it. To see where she write this incredible novel was breathtaking.

I may give this series another chance when the travel theme comes up in another game of book bingo. There are a total of 4 books in the series.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

This first in a cozy mystery series was enough for me to want to read the second book. It was a quick, enjoyable read on a rainy day. The cast of characters is interestng, but not as likeable as those in Livia Washburn's "Fresh Baked" series. The references to classic novels is an interesting twist.

[Ashley O'Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the beginning and the end, the middle dragged on. Likable characters... but so, SO many Characters. Most of whom had their real name and a Gone with The Wind character name. I was confused who was who most of the time. But story was good and overall happy I read it.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cozy read. It was interesting and entertaining.

[Lauren E. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

GWTW Fun!

This cozy mystery by Lucia J. Washburn offers a great fast read for lovers of Margaret Mitchell's classic 'Gone With The Wind! "

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nieces drove me nuts but it was Great! Read it in 1 day because I couldn't stop it was that good!

[Sharon Falduto]

A tour guide who put together a "Gone with the Wind" tour finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery when one of the actors in the show turns up dead.

[Stephanie Flint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quarantine read. It was an ok easy read. No really connection with the characters.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a quick read

[andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new invented here...but characters were fun, humor was good, a quick read, and a satisfying albeit easy to deduce solution. happy to read another in this series.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super fun read and I am looking forward to the rest of the series. What a unique idea for a cozy mystery.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read. A murder mystery cast among the cast of 'Gone With The Wind' at a plantation in Georgia.

A new tour agent, Delilah Dickenson is running literary tours. Her very first venture, since her divorce, is a three day tour of Margaret Mitchell home and life through the use of museums, restaurants, and the great ending, a tour, dinner, and ball at 'Tara,' a cotton plantation that has actual actors reliving life in the famous novel.

Delilah is a Southern woman and is thrilled that she can hire her daughter and son-in-law to help her in this new enterprise. Her twin nieces, sixteen years old and true teenagers are along for the summer. This is Delilah's chance to prove herself as a strong single woman.

The tour begins well. The author's home is fascinating with it's museum. The visit to the Mary Mac's Tea Room, is delicious. In fact only one glitch happens at the theater exhibit, and I'm not going to spoil it for you by disclosing it. There is humor in this book.

The tour gets going again on day two and begins with a tour of 'Tara.' The actors are amazing and everyone is in a wonderful frame of mind, until the scream is heard.."..He's out there." Someone has killed Rhett Butler!

The ensuing investigation and Delilah's admitted nosiness keeps you turning the pages. Especially as the law begins to turn it's eye towards Delilah's own family.

You will chuckle as you join in the hunt for the culprit. This was a gentle and fun read. Enjoy!

[Ceelee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever been on vacation and taken a historic tour only to have it become the tour from Hell? That is what happened to this group of literary tourists on Delilah Dickinson's "Gone With the Wind" literary tour in Livia J Washburn's new series set in Atlanta. I like the idea of a literary tour cozy mystery series and I enjoyed the first in the series. Washburn reminds me a little of Joan Ross of the Maggedy series fame. I liked Delilah and her teenage nieces, son in law and daughter and the cast of characters from the tour, both tourists and actors. I didn't like it better than the series set in Weatherford Texas which is very close to here so i share some identity with the characters and setting. I liked it but didn't love it. I will have to read a couple more in the series before I can make up my mind about it. I am not a huge fan of series novels unless I click with it in the early stages like Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Hopefully Washburn's new series will grab me in the same way but right now it is only an average series for me.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book because of all the Gone with the Wind trivia. Delilah decides to start her own literary tour agency in Atlanta, GA. The first tour is the Gone with the Wind tour. Everything is going great until they visit the old plantation modeled after Tara. During the evening event the guy playing Rhett is found dead out in the garden and no clue as to who killed him. Also, everyone's cell phones are stolen along with other personal items. When Delilah, her son in law and her nieces are all considered suspects, Delilah decides this is not good for business so sets out the solve the murder and the thefts. With help from a visiting professional and her son-in-law she starts looking for clues.
This is a nice book and has some great characters but it didn't crab me like a lot of cozies but it wasn't a bad book. May try reading the second book in the series to see if the story continues to grow.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Newly divorced Delilah, a red-head with spunk and a temper, has opened a southern literary themed travel agency in Atlanta, and she's taking out her very first tour: Gone with the Wind, of course. The tour includes touring the Margaret Mitchell House and the movie Museum one day, and a tour the next day of nearby 'Tara' plantation where a Gone with the Wind enactment by actors will occur, including a ball that evening. All goes well until Rhett Butler turns up dead in the garden during the ball. This is a cozy murder mystery after all.

I found this very enjoyable, the scene well set, the characters fun, the setting just great, and the murder mystery complex enough that I didn't solve it before the very end. Best of all, the crimes are solved basically in a 24 hour period. And yes, I deliberately said 'crimes'.

Will definitely read the next in the series -- all titles thus mysteries linked to some fiction set in the south.

[Erin L · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are things that should just never be said in a mystery novel. "I knew I should go tell the lieutenant, but I didn't." Wait. You know better and yet you still ran into the house with the manic killer wearing a hockey mask while wearing nothing but your really thin nightgown. No. That doesn't happen in this book, but really, a lot of Jason's victims in Friday the Thirteenth are just that stupid.

Sometimes? So is Delilah. But, as she'll tell you repeatedly, she is stubborn.

Another book I wanted to like (fantastic premise), but just couldn't enjoy because the entire story wouldn't happen if the main character wasn't too stupid to live. And some of her arguments with the police lieutenant were pretty ridiculous.