Fatal Flowers: A Flower House Mystery, by Jess Dylan

 

Offered a tremendous amount of money to provide the flowers at the wedding of the daughter of the wealthiest couple in town, at a historic home, no less, Sierra is unable to turn it down. Only after accepting does she find out that,, one, the wedding is only two weeks away, two, the original florist quit under mysterious circumstances, and, three, that the wedding planner is not just difficult to work with but downright obnoxious. Is it any surprise he winds up dead?

I found the mystery intriguing although, quite frankly, I found myself frequently rolling my eyes at Sierra. She does have a darling corgi, Gus, however, so dog-lover that I am, especially corgis, I cut her some slack. I wasn't sure that was a good idea, however, as she indulged her tendency to speak without question and ask questions that might draw attention to herself as a threat and, sigh, wander off alone. Even after being shoved in front of a moving car, the next thing we know she's off for a walk in the woods. Yet, she's smart and caring, so she was hard to dislike, even when her actions might frustrate my more cautious self.

Not sharing any more of the plot, sorry. You'll have to read it to discover what or who she encountered in the woods. Who is Calvin and why is he off on a seeming treasure hunt? What does the mysterious Felix have to do with anything? What happened to the original florist? Even more important, where is the missing bride-to-be? Why doesn't the mayor's wife, the mother-of-the-bride, want to report the break-in and fire? Could the van with the image of a rattlesnake on it be connected to the murder? What's going on with Sierra's brother Rocky and her friend Deena? Why won't the former florist readily talk with Sierra? Why do the police want Sierra to take a lie detector test? Was the spa visit worth it when someone steals her car? What scares Sierra our of her home? Will her temper get her in trouble? Will Gus be a help or just in the way? Why are there.....oh, never mind. You get my drift. There is a great deal going on and it's difficult to sort out the important facts from the red herrings. I know I didn't figure it out, so it's one of those that keep you guessing. Great set up at the en d, too, that has me thinking I'll be on the look out for the next book in the series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for letting me spend some time visiting Sierra and her friends, not to mention cute Gus. Sitting her in snowy Alaska, I'm ready to stop and smell the flowers