~Pretty is As Pretty Dies by Elizabeth Spann Craig~
Myrtle Clover loves to solve mysteries when her son, the police chief, isn’t getting in her way. The retired schoolteacher, an octogenarian, considers herself to be a clever sleuth, and can’t pass up mysteries even when she’s been warned off. This is the first book in the Myrtle Clover cozy mystery series. In this book, Parke Stockard, a local realtor who is not at all well liked in the community, has suffered a fatal blow at the church altar while tampering with the flowers. I read these cozy mysteries out of order, but it wasn’t difficult to go back and fill in with the ones I missed. The main character is full of spunk and attitude. All the supporting characters are just as enjoyable to read about. These cozies make me chuckle. I get a kick out of Myrtle showing displeasure with her police chief son by putting out garden gnomes. The neighbors can tell how irritated she is with him by how many gnomes decorate the lawn. In fact, it’s quite common for her yard guy to be unable to cut the grass due to a plethora of garden gnomes, so he has to weed eat around them.

If you’re looking for a good cozy, I recommend this series.