Another delightful Miss Dimple mystery. A stranger comes to town, who seems frightened and then disappears. Then she's discovered murdered. Who killed the stranger and why? Miss Dimple and her crew are determined to find out who this woman was and why she was killed in their town of Elderberry. Who could have done such a thing? Another stranger comes to town, this one seemingly out of nowhere but she is a wonderful cook and helps Miss Dimple come to terms with a tragedy from her past as well as helps her and her friends to solve the mystery. ( )

The Miss Dimple series features an elderly teacher in a small southern town who lives in a small boarding house. This episode seems to be a crossover with the Augusta Goodnight series, which features a character who is an angel in disguise. A stranger appears in Elderberry, seemingly in distress. She flees the suggestion that she stay with a police officer's family and the next day her body is found in the local church bell tower. Miss Dimple and her friends investigate as break-ins and attacks infect the previously quiet town. Miss Dimple has a secret sorrow she is forced to confront, aided by Augusta Goodnight. Nice on atmosphere of small towns combined with the tensions and privations of a US in midst of WW II. ( )

I am a lover of anything World War II related, fiction or nonfiction. Miss Dimple's book fit the bill. With the clips of wartime struggles, mystery and a guardian angel that was slightly confused, I found myself swiping quickly to read the next page. I loved Miss Dimple, she would be my fictional friend I'm sure if we were characters together in a book. I fell for Augusta Goodnight, an angel that shows up a bit confused and takes all the hearts in the room and helps them grow. I personally haven't read others in the series but will be adding them soon! I will continue the journey with Miss Dimple and Augusta.

**Disclaimer: I was provided an advanced copy for a fair and honest review. ( )

Miss Dimple and the Slightly Bewildered Angel by Mignon F. Ballard is a Miss Dimple Mystery. It is October 1944 in Elderberry, Georgia. Miss Dimple Kilpatrick and her fellow teachers live at the rooming house owned by Phoebe Chadwick. Their cook, Odessa Kirby, has to take some time off to help her aunt and the girls are having to fend for themselves (and not doing a good job). Phoebe puts up a notice and the response is Augusta Goodnight. She shows up on their doorstep in a cape of deep emerald and quickly integrates into their lives. The food improves at once much to the relief of the residents of the rooming house. Dimple heads over the library one day to visit her friend, Virginia Balliew, the librarian, and she notices a woman sitting out front. She offers to help her, but the lady refuses. According to Virginia, the woman has been sitting out front all afternoon. They get her to come inside and then take her to the boarding house to assist her. Her name is Dora and she is jittery/afraid. They get Dora a place to stay for the night, but then she disappears. She is found dead in the steeple of the church by the bell ringer. Who would want to kill her and why? They believed that Dora was a stranger to this town. Dimple and the gang want to find out what happened to Dora and set out to investigate. Then other incidents start happening. Someone breaks into the library and tosses the books everywhere. Someone was definitely looking for something. Then the rooming house is broken into. Does this have anything to do with Dora? She was in both places. Dimple and her friends are determined to get answers and clear up this mystery. Join them on the investigation in Miss Dimple and the Slightly Bewildered Angel.

Miss Dimple and the Slightly Bewildered Angel was okay, but not great. The book is lacking something (some oomph, pizzazz). Some books have that special quality (the writing) that grabs you and some do not. The book also needs a little faster pace. The pace is too slow to be enjoyable. I liked the basic idea and characters, but I found the writing lacking. I appreciated the setting of a small town during World War II along with the women still at home. Rationing, victory gardens, saving grease for the butcher, and other war time functions were mentioned that added to the character of the book. I give Miss Dimple and the Slightly Bewildered Angel 3 out of 5 stars (it was okay). Augusta is the angel in the book, but no one comes right out and says anything (it is alluded to). They observe things that they explain away (like how fast things get done by Augusta, the wonderful meals she can cook with so few ingredients, how she showed up just when they needed her). I very much liked the idea and with a little magical writing, this could be a delightful novel (and series). There was a reference in the novel to one of my favorite books (an oldie but a goodie) Mama’s Bank Account.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. The comments and opinions expressed are my own. ( )