Cathy C. (cathyskye) - , reviewed on 4/20/2009 + 2307 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

First Line: Another fickle June day was ending.

Retired botany professor Dr. Lawrence Kingston is busy climbing into helicopters to film English gardens when he gets the call from Becky Halliday saying that her husband has gone missing, but that doesn't matter. Stewart Halliday is one of Kingston's closest friends, and he drops everything in order to see what he can do to help. Halliday and Kingston have enjoyed working Sunday crossword puzzles for years, and when Kingston finds crossword-based clues in the Halliday home, his unease increases. Soon he's crash landing in a helicopter, getting conked in the head, and being held hostage--all in the name of friendship.

"This was where Kingston was walking on eggs. Carmichael was already aware of Stewart's cryptic messages. Now introducing the idea that Stewart could have left more messages in the house could give Carmichael the impression that Kingston had read The Da Vinci Code one time too many."

Anyone who loves English gardens or British television series such as Rosemary & Thyme will enjoy Eglin's English Garden mystery series. Eglin is an award-winning gardener himself and knows how to put flowers front and center in a mystery in unusual and compelling ways. Dr. Lawrence Kingston is a fussy, older bachelor type who drives a sporty convertible. He knows how to keep a stiff upper lip, and when he wants answers to his questions, he isn't above letting the other person assume he's a medical doctor. Although Kingston seemed to take stupid risks a few too many times in this book, I still enjoy the series for the information about plants, for glimpses into beautiful gardens, for engaging mysteries, and for keeping an eye on Kingston. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!

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