Bitter Sweets

April 29, 1996
Introduced in Just Desserts, Savannah Reid, a Georgia transplant and former cop in Southern California, is having second thoughts about forming the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency. Her first case is a man looking for his sister, from whom he was separated as a child. Savannah locates Lisa Mallock and her daughter, Christy, and learns they are hiding from Lisa's abusive ex-husband, Earl. Then Lisa and Christy are abducted, and Savannah, certain that her investigation led to the crime, feels responsible. After she finds Lisa's mutilated body in a remote fishing resort, the Moonlight Magnolia Agency, including Savannah's former police partner Dirk, mobilizes to find Christy before she too is harmed. Savannah's visiting Granny Reid is unable to stand idly by and adds her country bromides to the proceedings. Despite the fact that the police are on the verge of arresting her every step of the way, the dessert-loving Savannah and her motley team of investigators manage to save the day and pull off a light, satisfying tale.

May 1, 1996
Brian O'Donnell wants to locate the sister his dad gave up for adoption years ago. Transplanted Southern belle Savannah Reid, unjustly fired from her job with the San Carmelito police, must either find a case for her detective agency or else deny her sweet tooth. She uses her indomitable charm and connections to find Brian's sister, who has been hiding from an abusive husband. Unfortunately, the psychotic stalker follows Savannah to the sister. As in Just Desserts (LJ 4/1/95), Savannah is the main draw here, with her wicked humor, intrusive appetite, and quintessential Southern sensibilities. Fun reading.