Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Signet / Penguin
Release Date: November 2004
ISBN: 0451213505
Format Reviewed: Paperback
Buy it at Amazon
Genre:   Crime / Cozy [Contemporary, Indiana]
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Rachel A Hyde
Copyright MyShelf.com

Mum's The Word
Flower Shop Mystery #1
By Kate Collins

     Abby Knight might have been jilted by her posh boyfriend and dropped from law school, but she is currently pleased with her life. The possessor of a banana yellow vintage corvette, and the flower shop of her dreams in a small college town, she works with two of her best friends and shares an apartment with another. But when her beloved Vette is rammed by a hit and run driver, things start to go wrong, especially when a body is found, and Abby becomes the victim of abusive phone calls. The police seem out to get her, and getting embroiled in her co-worker's cousin's divorce case just brings further disasters. It isn't all bad though, as ex-cop Marco Salvare has just bought the bar along the street. However, if Abby doesn't solve the crime soon, she might be another victim…

    This is the first in a new series, and all fans of cozy modern crime are sure to find much to enjoy here. There is a crime to solve, romantic entanglements, plenty of comedy, and some spot-on digs at social climbers and the pitfalls of trying to get into Society. Telling a story in the first person is invariably a plus, for it brings the reader closer to the action as seen through the narrator's eyes, and gives the whole thing a sense of immediacy. Plenty of loose ends remain regarding the characters and their complicated lives, even if the crime element is tied up neatly. It looks as though there is enough here to make quite a lengthy series. This book doesn't tread water, and juggles its elements of plot, humor, social satire and characters admirably. Enjoyable, light and effervescent - I could read a lot of these.

Reviews of other titles in this series

Mum's The Word #1
Slay it with Flowers #2
Dearly Depotted #3
Snipped in the Bud #4
Acts of Violets #5
A Rose from the Dead #6
Shoots to Kill #7
Night of the Living Dandelion #11
To Catch a Leaf #12
Nightshade on Elm Street #13
Seed No Evil #14