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Dead Magnolias
Past sins haunted the South....
In the steamy dog days of an Alabama August, P.I. Teresa Worth struggled with her cases. Her kidnapped daughter remained top priority - then came hit-and-run murders, petty thieves and men like Wells Talmadge.
The born-and-bred rebel took his stand in a vice-ridden stronghold of antebellum power, where gambling and illicit love affairs were tolerated. But now, people associated with Well's family were vanishing...or dead.
Caught between blood ties and justice, Wells meant to beat Teresa to the murderer. Instead, she led him toward the dark truths that would tear his world asunder...and toward the moment when she might reclaim her daughter.
Wells had underestimated Teresa, but she had misjudged his powers, too - not of money and prestige, but of caring and seduction.
Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 15, 2026
So...this took me a month to read. I read two other books in the meantime. I'm nothing if not dedicated! I simply found I wasn't all that interested in the characters, the plot and especially not the romance. Yet, I don't think it's deserving of one star.
Teresa Worth is a private detective who is hired by the son of her housekeeper to investigate her death. Then she's hired by rich siblings, Jordan and Tal, to find a young woman who has taken off with a valuable necklace. Then she is hired by Wells Talmadge to find out who is behind the mysterious corporation that wants to buy out his chemical company and using dirty tactics to do so. Teresa is also trying to locate her daughter, Katie, who was kidnapped by her own father. Whew!
One big problem with this book, as with many private detective novels, I've found, is that when all is said and done, it's never entirely clear why these characters are hiring private detectives in the first place when they have all these secrets to hide. This especially extends to Wells Talmadge, the nominal hero and romantic interest of the story, who otherwise would barely be in the story if he weren't hiring Teresa for reasons known only to him. The author can't seem to find logical reasons for Wells or Teresa to even be interacting with each other, so his appearances are based almost entirely on him showing up simply by coincidence! I got no feeling for him as a character whatsoever, other than his propensity to be inexplicably annoyed with Teresa for doing the job HE HIRED HER to do, or grabbing her by the arm. Teresa was better developed, and the author was able to show, not tell us that she was decent at her job.
The author does an admirable job of trying to tie all the various plot strings together, and almost pulls it off. But the death of Teresa's housekeeper could be removed from the book altogether without really affecting anything, even if it nominally ties into what is going on. Like many old school Harlequin Intrigue titles (this came out in 1993), it was nice to get a story that wasn't set in Texas or featuring cowboys or special forces operatives. Nonetheless, it's pretty skippable!
Teresa Worth is a private detective who is hired by the son of her housekeeper to investigate her death. Then she's hired by rich siblings, Jordan and Tal, to find a young woman who has taken off with a valuable necklace. Then she is hired by Wells Talmadge to find out who is behind the mysterious corporation that wants to buy out his chemical company and using dirty tactics to do so. Teresa is also trying to locate her daughter, Katie, who was kidnapped by her own father. Whew!
One big problem with this book, as with many private detective novels, I've found, is that when all is said and done, it's never entirely clear why these characters are hiring private detectives in the first place when they have all these secrets to hide. This especially extends to Wells Talmadge, the nominal hero and romantic interest of the story, who otherwise would barely be in the story if he weren't hiring Teresa for reasons known only to him. The author can't seem to find logical reasons for Wells or Teresa to even be interacting with each other, so his appearances are based almost entirely on him showing up simply by coincidence! I got no feeling for him as a character whatsoever, other than his propensity to be inexplicably annoyed with Teresa for doing the job HE HIRED HER to do, or grabbing her by the arm. Teresa was better developed, and the author was able to show, not tell us that she was decent at her job.
The author does an admirable job of trying to tie all the various plot strings together, and almost pulls it off. But the death of Teresa's housekeeper could be removed from the book altogether without really affecting anything, even if it nominally ties into what is going on. Like many old school Harlequin Intrigue titles (this came out in 1993), it was nice to get a story that wasn't set in Texas or featuring cowboys or special forces operatives. Nonetheless, it's pretty skippable!
September 11, 2015
The story of Wells Talmadge (a long-standing Southern gentleman and business owner) and Teresa Worth (cop turned private investigator) is a lively one with murder, kidnapping and an unexpected romance. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end with a lot of exciting twists and turns that kept me flicking the pages on my Kindle so fast and loud that I woke up my sleeping hubby! Until the end I wondered where the title of the book came from and I do love an intriguing title to a suspenseful story. Altogether, this was a romantic suspense that kept me so glued to the story that I resented daily chores and duties that threatened my reading time. Ms. Gamble certainly knows how to write romantic suspense!
September 29, 2015
Dead Magnolias is a captivating story filled with mystery, murder and danger in a small Southern town where secrets are as smothering as the heat. Teresa Worth was married to Wells Talmadge, a member of the elite in Port Jackson, AL, until they divorced and he kidnapped their daughter. Now Teresa is a private investigator working two cases that involve murder and could possibly lead her to her daughter. The danger is intense, the plot is real and the action arrives like a hurricane and will sweep you along until the end. Great book highly recommend!
April 5, 2018
So much Southern atmosphere, I could smell the magnolias. This one is very special. Definitely 5 Star must read.
June 20, 2016
I really liked this book. It's set in the South, which I love and deals with old Southern families and their loyalties. It was part mystery, part romance, part thriller and I felt like it all worked very well.
November 25, 2015
Enjoyed the mystery and the A-ha moment. Cute enjoyable read!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews