The Avid Reader: A Flicker of Doubt by Daryl Wood Gerber

A Flicker of Doubt

About a Flicker of Doubt

A Flicker of a Doubt (A Fairy Garden Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – California
Kensington Cozies (March 28, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496741277
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496741271
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B6DBQ5CM

Fairies are trending hard, especially when it comes to fairy garden décor in Walmart and Target and on Amazon. The latest installment in the nationally bestselling Daryl Wood Gerber’s Fairy Garden mysteries is a perfect read for Laura Childs readers and all fans of whimsy and charm.
With a theater foundation tea and an art show planned at Violet Vickers’s estate, Courtney is hired to create charming fairy gardens for the event. It’s not so charming, however, when her best friend Meaghan’s ex-boyfriend turns out to be Violet’s latest artistic protégé. Even worse, not long after Meaghan locks horns with him, his body is found in her yard, bludgeoned with an objet d’murder.
There’s a gallery of suspects, from an unstable former flame to an arts and crafts teacher with a sketchy past. But when the cops focus on Meaghan’s business partner, who’s like a protective older brother to her, and discover he also has a secret financial motive, Courtney decides to draw her own conclusions. Fearing they’re missing the forest for the trees, and with some help from Fiona the sleuthing fairy, she hopes to make them see the light . . .

About Daryl Wood Gerber

Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling Fairy Garden Mysteries, Cookbook Nook Mysteries, and French Bistro Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes the Aspen Adams Novels of Suspense as well as stand-alone suspense. Daryl loves to cook, fairy garden, and read. She has a frisky Goldendoodle who keeps her in line. And she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane and hitch-hike around Ireland alone. You can learn more on her website: httsp://darylwoodgerber.com

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My Thoughts

A Flicker of Doubt by Daryl Wood Gerber is a delightful tale. We return to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California where Courtney Kelly owns Open Your Imagination, a fairy garden and tea shop. Courtney has a charming store where she teaches people to make fairy gardens and sells the supplies. If you are lucky, you might see Fiona, a righteous fairy. Pixie, Courtney’s Ragdoll cat, likes to catnap in the courtyard. This series has an enchanting cast of characters (cast list at the beginning of the book). The characters are realistic and relatable. I like that the fairies have human qualities and personalities (plus a touch of fancifulness). I am enjoying following Fiona’s journey to earn her wings and get back in the fairy queen’s good graces. Courtney comes up with creative fairy gardens. I enjoy reading the descriptions of Courtney’s creations. The mystery was entertaining. There are a number of people who did not like the victim which leads to a long list of suspects including Meghan Brownie’s business partner. Ziggy Foxx, Meghan’s business partner, is arrested for the crime. Courtney and Meghan know Ziggy could not have done the deed. Courtney is curious about the case from the beginning (you can tell she is ready to dig into the case). She asks questions and searches for clues. She gets helpful information from her friends and the fairies. The story builds to an exciting reveal where we get all our questions answered. A fairy portal has appeared in Courtney’s backyard and Fiona is curious about it. We will have to wait for the next A Fairy Garden Mystery to learn what happens next. A Flicker of Doubt is the fourth A Fairy Garden Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but I encourage you to read all the books in this imaginative series. A Flicker of Doubt is a whimsical tale with flitting fairies, a returning performer, party plans, a terminated thespian, an unanticipated portal, a slew of suspects, a playful pup, and a curious Courtney.

Recipe

In the Fairy Garden Mysteries, I always feature a brownie recipe because Courtney’s best friend, Meaghan, has the last name of Brownie, so Meaghan has been making brownies all her life. Many of these brownies are served at the teas Courtney serves at her fairy garden shop on the weekends. However, these delicious beauties are featured at the Hideaway Café, the restaurant owned by Courtney’s boyfriend, Brady. In fact, Brady says they are the most popular dessert on the menu. Meaghan absolutely demanded he share the recipe with her after she tasted them.

Fair warning: because of the nuts, they can be crumbly, but I think one of the most fun things about eating any brownie is snacking on the crumbs left on the plate, don’t you?

Cooking tip: I place the nuts in a plastic bag and use a mallet to crush them, but if you want a finer texture, pulse them in a countertop food processor. Also, you may make these in two different sized pans. For a thicker brownie, choose the smaller pan. I’ve noted the baking times.

Nutty Blond Brownies

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup white chocolate baking chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped and divided

(Yield: 12-24)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease either an 8 x 11 ½-inch pan or a 13 x 9-inch pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add it to the egg mixture and mix well. Mix in the white chocolate baking chips, semisweet chocolate chips, and half of the chopped nuts.

Spoon the mixture into either a greased 8 x 11 ½-inch pan or a 13 x 9-inch pan. Spread evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped nuts.

Bake until the top begins to crack and becomes golden brown, 25–30 minutes for the smaller pan; 22–26 minutes for the larger pan. Cool on a wire rack for at least 20–30 minutes. Cut into squares.

A Flicker of Doubt will be out on Tuesday, March 28. You can order A Flicker of Doubt from Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and Bookshop, You can find the other A Fairy Garden Mysteries here. As part of the tour, the author is hosting a giveaway. You can win a gift card, tote bag, swag, and your pick of one of A Fairy Garden Mysteries (sorry, but US Only). You can click HERE to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below. Leave a comment for an extra entry. Good Luck!! Thank you for joining me today. I will return on Tuesday, March 28 with Ladybug Landing by Mindy Steele. It is the latest book in the Miller Creek Series. I hope that you have an enchanting weekend. Take care and Happy Reading!