Petals and Poison
Book Summary
Petals and Poison is the second in a colorful cozy mystery series from Jess Dylan, set in a flower shop with a knack for attracting trouble as well as customers.
Sierra Ravenswood has embraced her role as owner of Flower House floral shop and companion to her former boss's pet, Gus the Corgi. Sierra’s team are enjoying their new jobs too. At least until everyone realizes their lack of experience might be contributing to their lack of customers . . .
Sierra decides they need a change in luck, so she creates a special window display featuring lucky bamboo and auspicious flowers. It seems the new arrangement has worked when the shop is flooded with customers the next day, including a van full of college students on a horticulture club field trip. Unfortunately, Sierra doesn't notice that the students’ distracted professor has gone missing until Gus's urgent barking leads her to the storeroom – and the body of the unfortunate professor.
With folks now referring to Flower House as “Poison House” and suspects galore, Sierra fears her new business is doomed before it has a chance to get off the ground. Determined to reverse course and see justice served, she sets out to solve the crime and change her luck once more.
The Flower House is no place for shrinking violets.
My Thoughts
Sierra
Ravenswood is busy running the Flower House, a floral shop and preparing for
the opening of the new café. The café will
serve food with edible flowers and plants.
Raven is surprised when a van pulls up outside the shop. Professor Lowry and a few of his students
invade the shop for a tour of the orchid greenhouse which had been arranged
with Felix before his departure (and he failed to tell Sierra). The group is quite rowdy and wreaks havoc in
the shop. When things calm down, Sierra
finds Professor Lowry dead in the storeroom.
There is no shortage of suspects including Calvin, Sierra’s employee and
potential romantic partner. With the
police focused on Calvin, Sierra dons her sleuthing cap once again. She works on questioning suspects and digging
up clues. Someone, though, is not happy
with her sleuthing and attempts to stop her.
Can Sierra expose the killer before Calvin gets arrested or she becomes
the next victim?
Petals and Poison by Jess Dylan
is the 2nd A Flower House Mystery.
Petals and Poison can be read as a standalone if you have not indulged
in Death in Bloom. Petals and Poison
contains good writing and developed characters.
Sierra, Denna, Calvin, Granny, Rocky, and Sierra’s parents are some of
the residents in this southern town. I
like Sierra’s upbeat attitude and her plans for the business. Granny is a fun character with her
superstitions and folklore. There are a
couple of quirky characters included which is natural in any small southern
town. I like the setting of Aerieville,
Tennessee. It is the type of town where
you can relax on your front porch with a glass of sweet tea and chat with your
neighbors as they go by. The mystery was
well-plotted with a variety of suspects and good clues. I like that Sierra actively investigated with
help from her friends. I was able to
identify the guilty party early in the story, but I did not know why. I thought the why was unique for a cozy
mystery and it tied in nicely with the theme of the series. The café with edible flowers and plants was a
clever idea. It was interesting learning
more about edible plants. I could have
done with less romance in the book.
Sierra is interested in Calvin, and I thought it took up too much of the
book. Denna and Rocky have a budding
relationship as well. I do not mind some
romance as long as the focus is on the mystery.
Petals and Poison is a lighthearted Southern cozy mystery with edible eats,
a perished professor, sweet tea, cavorting college students, puzzling poppies, and
romantic endeavors.
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