Southern Girl Secret #060: “There are only two reasons someone new comes into your life: They’re either gonna be a blessin’ or a lesson.” WAR AND PEACH, the newest release in the Georgia Peach Mystery series by Susan Furlong, is chock-full of fun tidbits like this at the beginning of each chapter. Each “secret” while cute, also has a ring of truth to it that I so enjoyed! Susan has created a tight-knit Georgia peach farming family for the feisty protagonist, Nola Mae Harper. No matter what troubles they find themselves in, they know they have the full support of each other. In WAR AND PEACH, Nola’s daddy, Raymond, finds himself in the cross-hairs of the vengeful Sheriff Maudy Payne when she suspects him in the murder of his rival, Clem Rogers. Nola Mae has never understood the antagonistic nature between the two men but as she starts digging into the past to clear her daddy’s name, she uncovers secrets that both her parents have tried hard to keep buried. Despite the circumstantial evidence that is found, she has trust that she will find the truth and her daddy will be exonerated.

Susan Furlong also deftly explores the prejudices Southerners and Northerners have for each other… or any “newcomer”. Apropos for the current events going on in our world today and will hopefully make a reader give pause to consider while at the same time being entertained. The story has a strong plot with several subplots intertwined which connect at the shocking reveal…I just didn’t see it coming! With plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing I had a very difficult time pausing to take notes for this review and it was nearly impossible to put down to attend to other commitments.

Nola Mae has also just opened her peach shop, Peachy Keen. I adored the clever and humorous names she created for her gift baskets and I want to order some of them! Thankfully, the author includes a few recipes at the back of the book so some of her treats can be recreated at home. I tried the recipe for Ginny Wiggins’s Perfect Peach Cake. Using a boxed cake mix as the base, a few simple pantry and dairy ingredients are added, resulting in a delicious, beautiful dessert!

War and Peach: A Georgia Peach Mystery
By Susan Furlong
Berkley
February 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

The national election may be over, but race for mayor in Cays Mill, Georgia is just heating up. While peach farmer Clem Rogers has the backing of his fellow farming community, the relative newcomer Bed & Breakfast owner Margie Price represents the business side. Nola Mae Harper finds herself in the middle of the battle, as being the owner of specialty store Peechy Keen her sympathies naturally side with a fellow businesswoman, whose relative newcomer status could bring a new perspective to outmoded practices. Despite frequent disagreements between the men, Nola’s peach farming father staunchly supports Clem and questions her family loyalty. Before a single ballot can be cast though, Clem’s pitchforked body is found in the ashes of his burned-down barn and all evidence indicates that it was no accident.

Although Marcie would logically have the most motives for taking Clem out of the running, an argument Nola’s father had with Clem before his death has the Harper-hating Sheriff Maudy Payne intent on hauling him off to jail. A string of thefts around town should be more than enough to keep the tiny police department busy, and with Sheriff Payne already having made up her mind it’s up to Nola’s to clear her father and discover the real murder. If only she also wasn’t about to be the maid of honor for her best friend Hattie, who was rapidly turning into a bridezilla by being uncharacteristically indecisive and frantic about the entire ceremony.

With every chapter beginning with a “Southern Girl Secret,” this novel perfectly captures the Southern setting and clashes between the old and the new. This third in the series continues to build upon the decision that caused Nola to flee Cays Mill in the first place, and the repercussions are something she continues to dwell upon. That comes into play most prominently in her relationship with former high school flame and current private investigator Dane Hawkins, and Nola’s new boyfriend Cade McKenna. What is most distinctive about this series is how it highlights the interactions of the small southern town, where everyone behaves as though as they are part of one dysfunctional family. Gossip flies, grudges never forgotten, and secrets kept, but in the end the most loyal are always there to support and comfort one another. Distinctly Southern recipes cap off an ultimately startling conclusion, making it an entertaining blend of suspense and uniquely Southern charm..