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To Catch a Leaf
Flower Shop Mysteries, No 12
Kate Collins

Obsidian
November 2011/ 978-0-451-23523-7
Mystery/Cozy
Amazon

Reviewed by Laura Hind


Abby Knight is finally feeling happy and relaxed; but not for long. The spate of murders she had investigated over the past year is over. She’s putting that all behind her. Her flower shop, Bloomers, is in the black, her engagement to Marco Salvare is official, and things in general are looking up. Yet fate intervenes and her bliss is short-lived. Abby freaks out when she hits a cat with her car. She rushes the feline to the animal hospital in an effort to do the right thing. The veterinarian assures her that she did not actually hit the cat, but the cat does have a broken leg. Naturally, she ends up with the cat coming home with her until its owner can be found.

One of Abby’s assistants at the flower shop, Grace Bingham, discovers the body of her dear friend Constance Newport. The extremely wealthy Constance Newport, that is. Aside from finding the body, which shows opportunity, it is learned that Constance left most of her money to Charity—her cat—with Grace as administrator of the trust for the cat, which points to motive. Meanwhile, Charity the cat has gone missing. Abby and Marco have no doubt that Grace is innocent, so they set to find the real killer and clear her name.

As their investigation uncovers an art forgery ring, they realize that any of Newport’s relatives could have killed her, or perhaps several of them are in cahoots. It is a dangerous game of cat and mouse as they work to fit the pieces together before the grand jury indicts Grace. While all of this is going on, there is a personal drama unfolding as well. It seems that Marco’s mother, Francesca, has decided to stay in New Chapel to help organize a bridal shower and generally plan Abby and Marco’s wedding for them. Abby’s own mother is on yet another art project kick, and has Abby selling eyeglasses made of sea glass in the flower shop, as just one more thing that Abby has to deal with when she’d rather not.

Will Abby and Marco discover who killed Constance Newport before Grace is unjustly arrested? Will Francesca run roughshod over wedding shower plans and even the wedding itself? Will sea-glass eyeglasses be a hit or a miss with New Chapel shoppers? What will happen to Tabitha, the cat that Abby saved when it was injured? How does an art forgery ring fit into the mix?

Author Kate Collins does a really good job with stringing all the clues and mysteries together into a fun and fast-paced plot. The story captured my attention from page one, and held it until the final sentence. The usual cast of characters in this series makes their presence known, and it was fun to revisit old friends. Whether you have read this series from the beginning or if this is your first visit to New Chapel, you’ll find this mystery intriguing and fun. Collins has a way of describing things that puts the reader right into the middle of the action. With a touch of humor, some romance, funny family dynamics and a mystery within a mystery, you can’t go wrong with “To Catch a Leaf.” Enjoy!

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

 

 

Reviewed 2011
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