Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower is the first installment in A Magic Garden Mystery series. Fiona Knox is having a rough time. Her fiancé has left her for their cake decorator, her flower shop has folded up after a discount floral chain opened nearby, and her godfather has passed away. When Fiona receives the call from Alastair Croft, her godfather's solicitor, that she has inherited Duncreigan, she hops on the next flight to Scotland. Duncreigan is the ancestral home of the MacCallister clan and Ian MacCallister was the last of his line. Fiona is happy to see Hamish MacGregor, the caretaker, upon her arrival and he takes her to see Ian's pride and joyâthe walled garden. Unfortunately, everything in the garden is dead including Alastair Croft. Chief Inspector Neil Craig is in charge of the investigation, but he sets his sights on Hamish as the culprit. Fiona knows Hamish would not harm a soul, and she sets out to find other suspects for the handsome inspector. It turns out that Alastair was not well liked in Bellewick. Fiona also discovers that Duncreigan has a secret and she is the keyâwell, technically the Keeper. Come along for an enchanting adventure in Flowers and Foul Play.
Flowers and Foul Play is a delightful new cozy mystery. The setting is beautiful. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Bellewick, Duncreigan, and the walled garden. Fiona is a charming main character. She is engaging, smart, personable, inquisitive and open to magic (what a joy). Fiona is not going to let Hamish go to jail for a crime he did not commit. She immediately goes to the village to meet the locals and do some subtle questioning. Hamish is a gentle giant who the perfect counterpart for Fiona. Duncan, the red squirrel, is adorable and I look forward to finding out more about him (I bet there is something special about him). I hope we see more of Presha (from the tea shop) in the next book. I bet there is more to her story. I found Flowers and Foul Play to be well-written and have a nice steady pace. The mystery was intriguing, and I always love when buried treasure is included. I just wish that it had been harder to solve. I did find the background details on Fiona to be light. I am hoping we will get to know her better in Death and Daisies. There are other pieces of information missing from the story (cheating fiance's last name, where did they find the treasure and what did they do with it). I want to know why Fiona is tied to the stone when she is not a MacCallister. Flowers and Foul Play is a whimsical, magical cozy mystery. I am rating Flowers and Foul Play 4 out of 5 stars. I am eager to return to Scotland in Death and Daisies.
Flowers and Foul Play is a delightful new cozy mystery. The setting is beautiful. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Bellewick, Duncreigan, and the walled garden. Fiona is a charming main character. She is engaging, smart, personable, inquisitive and open to magic (what a joy). Fiona is not going to let Hamish go to jail for a crime he did not commit. She immediately goes to the village to meet the locals and do some subtle questioning. Hamish is a gentle giant who the perfect counterpart for Fiona. Duncan, the red squirrel, is adorable and I look forward to finding out more about him (I bet there is something special about him). I hope we see more of Presha (from the tea shop) in the next book. I bet there is more to her story. I found Flowers and Foul Play to be well-written and have a nice steady pace. The mystery was intriguing, and I always love when buried treasure is included. I just wish that it had been harder to solve. I did find the background details on Fiona to be light. I am hoping we will get to know her better in Death and Daisies. There are other pieces of information missing from the story (cheating fiance's last name, where did they find the treasure and what did they do with it). I want to know why Fiona is tied to the stone when she is not a MacCallister. Flowers and Foul Play is a whimsical, magical cozy mystery. I am rating Flowers and Foul Play 4 out of 5 stars. I am eager to return to Scotland in Death and Daisies.
Carole J. (PianoLady357) reviewed Flowers and Foul Play (Magic Garden, Bk 1) on + 157 more book reviews
Flowers and Foul Play is atmospheric, whimsical, and absolutely enchanting ⦠I loved this story and can't say enough good things about it!
Dead ivy covering the garden wall that turns green as Fiona walks by ⦠mouth-watering Shepherd's Pie from the village Twisted Fox Pub ⦠a chill in the air from the North Sea coast â¦
As a rule, I don't care for paranormal stories at all, but Flowers and Foul Play is that rare exception, and it works incredibly well in this story. I've been wanting to try one of Amanda Flower's books for a good while, but the bottom line is that I'm drawn to British fiction and could not resist the Scottish setting and appealing storyline â and what an enjoyable time I had! The dictionary defines âwhimsicalâ as being âplayfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way,â and that perfectly describes this story. From a mysterious âmagicâ garden, to the cutest quirky animals, I was fascinated and really didn't want the story to end.
"Flowers died but always came back, be it through a bulb, a cutting, or a seed. They always found a way to go on. I wanted that kind of resilience in my own life." (Fiona)
Fiona Knox actually does have that resilience and her inner strength shines through in spite of all that recently happened in her life â a fiancée who dropped her for the cake decorator, the loss of her flower shop thanks to a chain store, and the death of her beloved godfather, Ian MacCallister. The story opens as Fiona arrives at the picturesque Scottish cottage bequeathed to her by Ian, where she is met by the caretaker, Hamish MacGregor, Duncan (a most fascinating pet squirrel) â and a dead body in the garden. There's also the fascinating Chief Inspector Neil Craig, who I am inexplicably drawn to.
More characters are slowly introduced as Fiona visits the nearby village of Bellewick, intent upon discovering more about the deceased lawyer, Alastair Croft, and I loved how we're given time to get to know each one. Amanda Flower is a gifted writer with quite an imagination, and I wavered between wanting to read quickly for the solution, but slowly so as to savor each word and nuance. There's also a twist and conclusion that I never saw coming.
Amanda Flower has written several series, so if you're a cozy mystery fan, I encourage you to pick up this book or one of her others and be prepared for a treat. Flowers and Foul Play gets 5 stars from me and goes on my âbest of the bestâ list. Can't wait to see what comes next!
Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through The Review Crew. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Dead ivy covering the garden wall that turns green as Fiona walks by ⦠mouth-watering Shepherd's Pie from the village Twisted Fox Pub ⦠a chill in the air from the North Sea coast â¦
As a rule, I don't care for paranormal stories at all, but Flowers and Foul Play is that rare exception, and it works incredibly well in this story. I've been wanting to try one of Amanda Flower's books for a good while, but the bottom line is that I'm drawn to British fiction and could not resist the Scottish setting and appealing storyline â and what an enjoyable time I had! The dictionary defines âwhimsicalâ as being âplayfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way,â and that perfectly describes this story. From a mysterious âmagicâ garden, to the cutest quirky animals, I was fascinated and really didn't want the story to end.
"Flowers died but always came back, be it through a bulb, a cutting, or a seed. They always found a way to go on. I wanted that kind of resilience in my own life." (Fiona)
Fiona Knox actually does have that resilience and her inner strength shines through in spite of all that recently happened in her life â a fiancée who dropped her for the cake decorator, the loss of her flower shop thanks to a chain store, and the death of her beloved godfather, Ian MacCallister. The story opens as Fiona arrives at the picturesque Scottish cottage bequeathed to her by Ian, where she is met by the caretaker, Hamish MacGregor, Duncan (a most fascinating pet squirrel) â and a dead body in the garden. There's also the fascinating Chief Inspector Neil Craig, who I am inexplicably drawn to.
More characters are slowly introduced as Fiona visits the nearby village of Bellewick, intent upon discovering more about the deceased lawyer, Alastair Croft, and I loved how we're given time to get to know each one. Amanda Flower is a gifted writer with quite an imagination, and I wavered between wanting to read quickly for the solution, but slowly so as to savor each word and nuance. There's also a twist and conclusion that I never saw coming.
Amanda Flower has written several series, so if you're a cozy mystery fan, I encourage you to pick up this book or one of her others and be prepared for a treat. Flowers and Foul Play gets 5 stars from me and goes on my âbest of the bestâ list. Can't wait to see what comes next!
Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through The Review Crew. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
