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The Bluebonnet Betrayal
Potting Shed #5
Marty Wingate

Alibi
August 2, 2016 / ASIN: B017QLSIU4
Cozy Mystery / International / Amateur Sleuth

Reviewed by Linda Morelli

 

Pru Parke moved to England to find her lost family. That done, she is now happily married to Detective Inspector Christopher Pearse. Chris knows Pru has a knack for finding dead bodies, and he can’t help worrying that history will repeat itself, now that she’s working on a Chelsea Flower Show exhibit featuring the beloved bluebonnets of the Pru’s Texas home. Pru is standing in for Twyla Woodford, the president of the Texas garden club, until Twyla’s arrival, supervising club members on the installation. When Twyla finally appears, Pru likes her immediately and feels as though they are comrades-in-arms.

The next morning, Pru arrives at the site and sees Twyla’s body buried under some rocks. Pru imagines she hears Twyla’s voice urging her to complete the work, even though the police investigation, with DCI French in charge, prevents the group from forging ahead. French is aware of Pru’s marriage to Chris and her tendency to meddle in police proceedings. He warns her off, but Pru can’t help wondering if the killer was one of the garden club’s members. She convinces Chris to go undercover to help discover the murderer’s identity. Was it one of her ex-lovers? And why would anyone want Twyla dead in the first place?

I have adored this charming series from the first release. Ms. Wingate writes characters with compassion and determination, ones who struggle through uncertainties and obstacles and come out shining. The interactions between Pru and Chris add just the right amount of romance. I especially enjoy the excellent portrayal of England and the country’s inhabitants. The gardening tidbits are fun and the endings are always a pleasant surprise. Ms. Wingate writes solid, well plotted intriguing mysteries, and The Bluebonnet Betrayal is the best one yet.

Reviews of other titles in this series

The Garden Plot #1
The Red Book of Primrose House #2
Between a Rock and a Hard Place #3

Reviewer Linda Morelli is the award winning author of three published romance novels.
Reviewed 2016
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