Dixie Divas

Dixie Divas Mysteries, Book 1

By: Virginia Brown

Narrated by: Karen Commins

Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

"You found my philandering ex-husband?" Bitty asked. "Where? Mexico? Paris? In Tupelo with a cocktail waitress?"

"In your closet," I answered. "Dead."

Break out the hoop skirts and the zinfandel. The Divas are on the case.

Wine. Chocolate. Transvestite strippers. Just another good-time get-together for the Dixie Divas of historic Holly Springs, Mississippi, where moonlight and magnolias mingle with delicious small-town scandal. But Eureka "Trinket" Truevine, the newest Diva, gets more than she bargained for when she finds her best Diva girlfriend Bitty Hollandale's ex-husband in Bitty's hall closet. He's dead. Very dead. Now Trinket and the Divas have to help Bitty finger the murderer and clear her name.

Virginia Brown is the nationally acclaimed, award-winning author of 50 novels.

©2009 Virginia Brown (P)2012 BelleBooks, Inc.

Getting past dreadful "southern" accent a challeng

What did you like best about Dixie Divas? What did you like least?

the story was pretty good once I stopped grating my teeth on that fake southern accent of the narrator. the characters were interesting, as well.

Would you be willing to try another one of Karen Commins’s performances?

I'd be reluctant!

Any additional comments?

This was a "light" listen, and worth the sale price, but certainly not worth a whole credit!

Perfect Funny Cozy Mystery

I have been searching for weeks for a funny cozy and I have finally found it! And, not only that, luckily, it is a series. It has all the right ingredients- lovable characters, small town feel, charm & wit, interesting plot. I am a new fan of Virginia Brown.

Good light Book

Who was your favorite character and why?

bitty and chien ling. I just got a kick how she fell in love with her.

Any additional comments?

I purchased the book and then read a few negative reviews. I figured this might not be one I liked. Happy to say I did enjoy the book. The characters were funny and likable. the narrator did a fine job. Her accent was not hard to listen to. It was a typical "cozy mystery" a little light on the plot and heavier on the characters.

Easy Read- Good Plot

I liked the story, I am glad I kept listening, but I had a really hard time with the narration... not a huge fan of this woman's voice. That was the only drawback, but when you are LISTENING to a story, it is a huge part!! So if you can get past the narration, the plot is good

Crazy and Funny

Enjoyed listening to women solving a problem with some of the most outlandish method. Funny.

Mrs. Brown: A Good Story Teller, Needs Research

What did you love best about Dixie Divas?

The humor was delightful, and the some of the characters are a hoot, and realistic to boot. I know people just like them, and I have lived in Mississippi all of my 59 years.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bitty. She is so funny, and so self-centered. Yet you can't help being amused by her.

How could the performance have been better?

Drop the fake southern accent, and just read the book. The reader does not have a clue how to do a southern accent. Hers is pathetic. If she would just read, she would do fine. The parts she just read were not bad, but that accent was like fingers scrapping a chalk blackboard to this southern boy.

If you could take any character from Dixie Divas out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Trinket. She is interesting.

Any additional comments?

Mrs. Brown is a good story teller, but doesn't know much about the deep south. I note she was an army brat who lived all over. That is great, but a little more research would have helped. First, cherry trees are not common in the deep south. Second, how can you write about Holly Springs and ignore Rust College? Do a little research, Mrs. Brown. It is obvious that you know the southern characters well from living in Memphis. But you do more than just get a map of Mississippi before you start writing.

Still, I enjoyed it, and recommend it.

This had my wife and me laughing.

I received this free review copy in exchange for an honest review. My wife and I listened to it together over the course of a few weeks. (When we could find the time.) It was a fun family listen. Got to where we looked forward to an hour or two where we could sit down and enjoy. Karen did a super job narrating the book, and her characters were lively and delightful. Highly recommend.

Somewhat entertaining

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator's voice annoyed me when she was reading as Trinket but not as much when she played Bitty. Perhaps a different narrator? Also, there was way, way, WAY too much filler about southerners and town history that was not relevant to the story and felt like padding to me.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I liked the relationship between Trinket and Bitty the most. They're not quite "Mouse and Sister" but entertaining.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Karen Commins?

Well, if she does the other Dixie Divas books, I might but I wouldn't likely choose one just based on her narration alone.

Any additional comments?

Overall, I mostly enjoyed listening to this book and liked some of the snarky humor ("Chitling") but felt the writing could have been tighter. It meandered around a lot and I could tell where the editors might have told the writer to pad it out some. There were times I wished I could have said "get to the point, already" but in general, it was an entertaining(ish) listen.

Nice and Fun Murder Mystery

I really enjoyed this sassy little murder mystery filled with divas, pets, family and friends and maybe even a teensy bit of history. Cute, catty and crazy scenarios make for a well written and well narrated story. I recommend this to any who need a lighthearted murder mystery to fill their time.
I received this book as a free gift from the narrator and Audible. Thank you for a pleasant weekend.

Fun and Fluffy

Would you try another book from Virginia Brown and/or Karen Commins?

I would definitely listen to more book narrated by Karen Commins. I thought Dixie Divas was enjoyable, but not necessarily something to which I would return, as the setting didn't grab me and there were some issues with the story that bothered me--particularly the way the characters play fast and loose with the police investigation.

If you’ve listened to books by Virginia Brown before, how does this one compare?

This was my first.

Do you think Dixie Divas needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It was clearly meant as part of a series, and there is room for more. But I probably won't be reading them as it just wasn't quite my thing.

Any additional comments?

I really do not understand Southern women!