Mighty Old Bones: Thistle and Twigg series

by: Mary Saums

Published by: St. Martin's Minotaur

Reviewed by Stephanie Boyd

The unlikely duo of Jane Thistle and Phoebe Twigg are at it again in the small Alabama town of Tullulah, trying to solve a mystery and stop someone from harming the nature reserve that is Jane’s land. After a thunderstorm that knocks down a huge tree on Jane’s land, the pair discover a skeleton that is a mystery in itself. The bones don’t appear to be Indian but their age makes any other hypothesis unlikely.

But that isn’t the only mystery, and as Jane and an archeology friend are exploring the site, other strange things are happening that defy rational explanations even for the ever-rational Phoebe. Jane is determined to protect the site and her land from unscrupulous archeology thieves by keeping the find a secret as much as possible, and Phoebe is just as determined to help Jane especially if she gets to use her guns and hone her new shooting skills!

I love the unlikely pairing of a very proper British woman who has traveled the world and developed some unusual skills with an energetic Southern belle born and raised in Tullulah, Alabama. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that these two are not bumbling or silly older ladies but have active lives and lively imaginations–and with them as examples I am looking forward to my sixties! Jane and Phoebe single mindedly seek solutions to their problems without looking for someone else to do it for them. Of course this also puts them up to their necks in trouble, and since criminals don’t take a couple of little old ladies seriously, they also walk straight into danger.

In this second book of the Thistle and Twigg series, the mysterious ghostly and paranormal incidences are increasing–ut Phoebe absolutely refuses to acknowledge anything unusual is happening. Jane however, has opened her mind and senses, and her perceptions are growing, adding a stronger paranormal twist to the series–and I love it.

This series will please any lovers of cozy mysteries and paranormal fans will enjoy it too.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommend you start with the first book, Thistle & Twigg.

Author’s Web site: http://www.MarySaums.com