I don't know if it's really fair to call The Persian Pickle Club a mystery book. There is a mystery in it, but the real story is about love and friendship. I thought that the characterization of the people in this close-knit Kansas farming community was wonderful. The Persian Pickle Club is like a lot of other stories that center around the friendship bonds among women (I sure thought a lot about Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe), and I'm not even sure that the twist surrounding the mystery is even particularly unique. But for me the story was just a nice Dust Bowl era Americana tale, and I enjoyed reading it.