Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower

Book Summary

Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower has Fiona Knox who owns the Climbing Rose, a flower shop, working with The Merchant Society of Bellewick to prepare for the Barley McFee’s Coming Home Concert.  This is a big deal for their small Scottish town and their leader, Bernice Brennan wants everything to be perfect.  Barley arrives with his band which has one unhappy back-up fiddler.  Fiona is surprised to learn that Barley went to school with her godfather, Ian MacCallister and her father, Stephen Knox.  Fiona’s parents are arriving any minute from Nashville.  She is hoping to get answers from them regarding her biological father.  Isla, Fiona’s flighty sister, is eager to introduce them to her almost fiancé, Seth.  The concert is success.  The band takes a quick meal break.  When Barley fails to return, Fiona volunteers to round him up from the tour bus.  Unfortunately, Barley has played his fiddle for the final time.  Fiona is worried when she learns that her father, Stephen was one of the last people seen with the victim.  Fiona is quick to delve into the case much to the dismay of her boyfriend, Chief Inspector Neil Craig.  Fiona arrives home and decides to check on her magical garden.  She finds the gate open and the flowers withering.  Someone cut the yellow rose from the menhir which cut the gardens magical link.  Fiona needs to find a way to restore the magic or the garden is gone forever. 

My Thoughts

Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower is the 3^rd A Magic Garden Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone if you have not delved into Flowers and Foul Play or Death and Daisies.  Fiona Knox is the Keeper of a magical garden at Duncreigan in Bellewick, Scotland.  She also recently opened her flower shop, Climbing Rose.  Fiona is a smart, friendly, and caring woman who has embraced her new life in Bellewick.  She enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Chief Inspector Neil Craig when not at her shop or working in her garden. Of course, Fiona’s sister, Isla is still in town.  She is the flighty sort who acts before she thinks.  Isla has fallen in love with Seth MacGregor who has dropped out of medical school and has a gambling problem (every mother’s dream).  I believe he changes jobs more often than his socks. Isla’s talkativeness gets Fiona into more than one jam.  Mums and Mayhem is a delightful book to read.  Great characters, a charming town, and a murder.  Barley McFee, a famous fiddler, is performing his Coming Home Concert.  This is a big event for their small town.  When Barley fails to return from a break, Fiona volunteers to track him down.  She soon regrets it when she finds Barley choked to death in his tour bus.  I am sure that Fiona would have been digging into the mystery anyway, but when her father becomes a suspect, it is a given.  I like that Fiona passes information onto Neil (no holding back).  The whodunit was not a challenge to solve, but I still enjoyed following the investigation.  There were several viable suspects, good clues, and a red herring.  There is good action plus some suspenseful moments. Mums and Mayhem is a busy book.  The concert, the parent’s arriving in town, a murder, and then trouble with Fiona’s magical garden.  Someone breaks into her garden and cuts the yellow rose blooming on the menhir.  This breaks the magical bond and causes the flora to wither and die.  Fiona needs to restore the magic to the garden, or it could be gone forever.  Hopefully, the little blue-eyed fox can help her out. I liked the humor throughout the book.  I laughed out loud on several occasions. The story is well-written, and it has swift pacing.  Mums and Mayhem was over way too quickly.  I am eager for the next A Magic Garden Mystery.  Mums and Mayhem is an enchanting tale with a fine fiddler, elderly enthusiasts, apprehensive parents, a forceful reporter, a friendly fox, a spontaneous sister, and a macabre murder.

Mums and Mayhem is out today and available from Amazon*.  The other novels in A Magic Garden Mystery series are Flowers & Foul Play and Death & Daisies.  You can find other books by Amanda Flower here.  Amanda has Dead-End Detective releasing August 25.  It is  A Piper and Porter Mystery from Hallmark Publishing.  Thank you for joining me today.  I do appreciate it.  My blog is a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Peachy Scream by Anna Gerard tomorrow.  It is the 2nd A Georgia B&B Mystery.  I hope that you have an enchanting day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.

Death and Daisies by Amanda Flower: A Magic Garden Mystery

Happy Book Release Day!  A Seat by the Hearth by Amy Clipston, Death and Daisies by Amanda Flower, and Murder at Harbor Village by G.P. Gardner are a couple of the new books out today.

Death and Daisies by Amanda Flowers returns us to Bellewick, Scotland.  Fiona Knox has been busy getting her new flower shop, Climbing Rose Flower Shop ready to open with the aid of her sister, Isla.  Isla showed up at the beginning of the summer after she graduated from college and has yet to return home.  She has been acting cagey recently and spending a great deal of time texting.  The day before the grand opening, Minister Quaid MacCullen stops in and once again expresses his dislike for Fiona.  He recently barred Fiona from attending church by blocking the door and stating he did not want her corrupting the villagers (what a charmer).  That night a terrible storm hits the area and thankfully blows back out to sea by morning.  Fiona’s shop opening is a success until Kipling, the villages volunteer police chief, stumbles in crying murder and then promptly faints.  Kipling stumbled upon the reverend’s body on the beach.  Chief Inspector Neil Craig rushes away to secure the scene and a curious Fiona is not far behind him.  It is well known in the village that MacCullen disliked Fiona which puts her at the top of the suspect list.  Fiona has just started to set down roots and has no intention of letting her new life go to seed.  The only way to stop the speculation is to sniff out the killer with a little help from the magical garden at Duncreigan.

While Death and Daisies is the second book in A Magic Garden Mystery series, it can be read alone.  Everything a reader needs to know is included in this tale.  I thought the book was well-written with steady pacing throughout.  Amanda Flower has an engaging, conversational writing style that drew me into the story and it kept my attention until the very last page.  I like the characters and they are nicely developed.  We are still getting to know Fiona (it is only the second book), and she learns some new information about herself in Death and Daisies.  Hamish is such a sweetie and we learned something new about him that makes him even more endearing.  I am not a fan of Fiona’s sister, Isla.  I am hoping we will see her mature and become less self-centered.  The village sounds quaint with friendly residents except for the minister.  The murder of Reverend Quaid MacCullen is expected since he is such a nasty character.  There are several suspects, misdirection and good clues.  I wish the mystery had been more of a challenge.  However, I still enjoyed reading this beguiling narrative (I knew who now I wanted to know why).  I especially enjoy the addition of the magic from the garden, the stone and the fox.  It enhances the overall story as well as the mystery.  I like that new details are revealed in each book.  Carver Finley, a historian, has taken an interest in the garden, and I believe he will be a formidable foe for Fiona.  Death and Daisies is an enchanting cozy mystery with a charming village, friendly characters, a hint of romance, adorable little critters, magical assistance, and a murder mystery.  I am giving Death and Daisies 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).

Flowers and Foul Play is the first book in A Magic Garden Mystery series and the e-book version is currently $1.99 on Amazon (subject to change without notice & always check price before purchasing).  I hope you have found a new book to read.  Tomorrow I am reviewing Purls and Poison by Anne Canadeo as part of the Great Escapes Tour.  May you have a charming day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Flowers and Foul Play: A Magic Garden Mystery

Welcome!  A Deadly Brew by Lynn Cahoon comes out on September 4.  It is the latest A Tourist Trap Mystery.  Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay releases on September 11 and Silver Anniversary Murder by Lucy Stone comes out on September 25.

Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower is the first installment in A Magic Garden Mystery series.  Fiona Knox is having a rough time.  Her fiancé has left her for their cake decorator, her flower shop has folded up after a discount floral chain opened nearby, and her godfather has passed away.  When Fiona receives the call from Alastair Croft, her godfather’s solicitor, that she has inherited Duncreigan, she hops on the next flight to Scotland.  Duncreigan is the ancestral home of the MacCallister clan and Ian MacCallister was the last of his line.  Fiona is happy to see Hamish MacGregor, the caretaker, upon her arrival and he takes her to see Ian’s pride and joy—the walled garden.  Unfortunately, everything in the garden is dead including Alastair Croft.  Chief Inspector Neil Craig is in charge of the investigation, but he sets his sights on Hamish as the culprit.  Fiona knows Hamish would not harm a soul, and she sets out to find other suspects for the handsome inspector.  It turns out that Alastair was not well liked in Bellewick.  Fiona also discovers that Duncreigan has a secret and she is the key—well, technically the Keeper.  Come along for an enchanting adventure in Flowers and Foul Play. 

Flowers and Foul Play is a delightful new cozy mystery.  The setting is beautiful.  I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Bellewick, Duncreigan, and the walled garden.  Fiona is a charming main character.  She is engaging, smart, personable, inquisitive and open to magic (what a joy).  Fiona is not going to let Hamish go to jail for a crime he did not commit.  She immediately goes to the village to meet the locals and do some subtle questioning.  Hamish is a gentle giant who the perfect counterpart for Fiona.  Duncan, the red squirrel, is adorable and I look forward to finding out more about him (I bet there is something special about him).  I hope we see more of Presha (from the tea shop) in the next book.  I bet there is more to her story. I found Flowers and Foul Play to be well-written and have a nice steady pace.  The mystery was intriguing, and I always love when buried treasure is included.  I just wish that it had been harder to solve.  I did find the background details on Fiona to be light.  I am hoping we will get to know her better in Death and Daisies.  There are other pieces of information missing from the story (cheating fiance’s last name, where did they find the treasure and what did they do with it).  I want to know why Fiona is tied to the stone when she is not a MacCallister.    Flowers and Foul Play is a whimsical, magical cozy mystery.  I am rating Flowers and Foul Play 4 out of 5 stars.  I am eager to return to Scotland in Death and Daisies. Flowers and Foul Play will be available on Tuesday, May 8.

I hope you have found a new book to read.  I will return tomorrow with my review of Room on the Porch Swing by Amy Clipston.  May you have a day filled with happiness and few household chores.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader