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
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