Tag: Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Death and Daisies by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Death and Daisies by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Fiona’s been in Scotland only for a couple months. It really should not have been enough time for her to have a nemesis already. But Reverend MacCullen has made his dislike clear since day one. And if he was difficult early on, he’s become almost hateful now. He has had a grudge against the MacCallister family for ages, although Fiona has no idea why. She knows he thinks the rumored magic of the Duncreigan garden is evil. He wouldn’t even allow Fiona to attend services at the church he pastors! He blocked her at the door in front of half the congregation. When the Reverend is found dead, of course Fiona is a murder suspect once again.

The Reverend was a hard man to like, so there are other suspects, too. And Fiona is determined to find them before her new business is ruined by the whispers about her and the Reverend’s murder.

Review

This was a solid cozy mystery with a few paranormal elements (magical garden, mysterious visions, reincarnation). It was nice to spend time again with Fiona and the people of Aberdeenshire. Fiona’s sister, Isla, added a nice dimension to the story – a companion for Fiona and a means to round out the mystery with some more character details. The romantic side plot for Fiona continues to slowly develop.

The mystery was good. After book one I figured it was just a matter of time until the Reverend was murdered. He was a hateful person when it came to Fiona, although his attitude was explained to a degree in this book. The suspects were good -and dangerous. Fiona really had her hands full with this case.

The side stories focused on Isla more than the garden this time around, although there was one big reveal in the book regarding Fiona’s inheritance. The epilogue sets up book three to deal with that plot point.

This was a solid mystery, and fans of book one should not miss this one. I am finding, though, that I am not clicking with the characters in this series as much as I have with Flower’s Amish Candyshop series, for example. While this was good, I’m not sure I will definitely pick up book three, although the reveal in this book could drive me to the third just to see what happens.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Fiona Knox arrives in Scotland in somewhat of a haze. She lost her flower business in Nashville. Her fiancé left her for their cake decorator. And her beloved godfather died and left her his family cottage and grounds.

One of her favorite parts of her godfather’s land was his garden. But when Fiona arrives at the cottage, the garden has died. The groundskeeper says everything died when Fiona’s godfather died. But now that Fiona has arrived, the garden would revive. Fiona has already noticed the ivy on the walls greening up. It’s like magic. But no magic can help the dead man she finds.

The handsome police officer who shows up to look into the death finds Fiona’s arrival at the same time as the death suspicious. And when the death is ruled a murder, Fiona and the groundskeeper, Hamish, are at the top of his suspect list. But plenty of other folks had a reason to hate the man and want him out of the way. Maybe Fiona can puzzle it out as she gets to know the people in her new town and keep herself and Hamish out of jail.

Review

The first book in the Magic Garden mystery series is a treat! I have enjoyed the author’s Amish Candy Shop mysteries and the Magical Bookshop series. This is a great addition to her cozy mystery collection (she has other series besides these three)!

I enjoyed the unusual setting for this mystery. And the town near Fiona’s new cottage has a lovely, eclectic group of residents. Well, most of them are lovely. The magical elements of the garden are a fun twist on the classic cozy formula. There are still some things to be discovered in future books (like a punchy reveal right at the end of this one), which I am looking forward to reading.

There’s a solid mystery with plenty of plausible suspects. I’m curious to see what becomes of some of the disagreeable people in the book who happened to be innocent – this time.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Bailey King puts her life as a chocolatier in New York aside to travel to Harvest, Ohio. Bailey’s Amish grandfather is sick. Even though she is up for a huge promotion at work, family comes first.

When she gets to Ohio, Bailey discovers that a developer, Tyson Colton, is trying to buy out her grandparents’ candy shop, Swissmen Sweets. After an argument with Bailey’s grandfather, Colton is found dead in the kitchen of Swissmen Sweets. As her grandfather’s health makes him too weak to be a viable suspect, Bailey becomes the sheriff’s top choice.

In order to stay out of jail, protect her family, and get back to New York to save her job, Bailey’s going to have to figure out who really killed Tyson Colton. There’s no shortage of suspects, from the other Amish store owners Colton tried to buy out to his own son. Bailey has her work cut out for her!

Review

I loved this! It was a great cozy with interesting characters and some fun humor. Great all the way around.

The Amish pieces were a nice contrast to Bailey’s usual world in New York as well as the world of most readers. There was a great balance with Bailey as she understood the community because of her family, but at the same time she was outside it. I think Bailey’s struggle with issues of faith when faced with the faith of her grandparents and the Amish community could be a fascinating aspect of future books.

I really enjoyed the mystery. In general, I find mysteries stressful when the protagonist is the main suspect. But I liked the other pieces of this – the characters, the setting, the candy, the potential romance – so much that it balanced the tension well.

My only complaint is that I have a couple questions I don’t feel were answered in the solution to the mystery. I’ve gone back and re-read sections to be sure I didn’t just skim too quickly over something, but I still didn’t find complete satisfaction with the solution on the murder. Maybe this is because I read an unedited review copy. Perhaps this last 5% of the solution will be resolved when I read this in a final copy – which I will. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Bailey and her family and friends. I already have book two, Lethal Licorice, in my shopping cart to pre-order before its February 2018 debut.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for providing an electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review. I honestly adored this book!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½