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Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause by Mignon F. Ballard
3★'s
From the Book:
life in small-town America during World War II springs vividly to life as schoolteacher Miss Dimple and her fellow townspeople battle valiantly against worry, rationing, and crime at home as well as abroad.
It's September 1943, and the town of Elderberry, Georgia, including their beloved first-grade teacher, Miss Dimple Kilpatrick, has exciting plans for the Bond Rally to support the troops fighting the war abroad. Miss Dimple's friend, Virginia Balliew, has agreed to chair the big event, with the help of Buddy Oglesby. But when children discover a skeleton at the edge of a field, and Buddy disappears along with the war bond money, it's clear that something is amiss in the little town; and Miss Dimple, along with her fellow teachers, is soon on the case.
My Thoughts:
First I need to say that "Cozy" Mysteries are NOT my cuppa tea...at all. I read this one for two reasons...my mother loves "Miss Dimple" and it was for a sub-genre challenge on another group.
I guess I just don't get how these non-professionals without any training that would even classify them as private investigators, can insert themselves into crime solving situations...and manage to not only catch the bad-guy but live to tell the story. Not just once, mind you, but through 20 or more books.
It does have some historical value however. A small Georgia town during WWII is the setting and Miss Dimple, the heroine is a teacher. Soon she is joined by some fellow teachers and several locals. She's not very grateful for the extra help as she considers them to be in the way. I wondered how the local police viewed her. Even though I will never go out of my way to read this genre I do have to say that Mignon Ballard has managed to produce a pretty good period piece and will appeal to those that 1. love this slant on history and 2. don't care for lots of blood, guts and violence in their reading.
