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
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