Kristina A. reviewed on + 1528 more book reviews
Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower is the 3rd A Magic Garden Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you have not delved into Flowers and Foul Play or Death and Daisies. Fiona Knox is the Keeper of a magical garden at Duncreigan in Bellewick, Scotland. She also recently opened her flower shop, Climbing Rose. Fiona is a smart, friendly, and caring woman who has embraced her new life in Bellewick. She enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Chief Inspector Neil Craig when not at her shop or working in her garden. Of course, Fiona's sister, Isla is still in town. She is the flighty sort who acts before she thinks. Isla has fallen in love with Seth MacGregor who has dropped out of medical school and has a gambling problem (every mother's dream). I believe he changes jobs more often than his socks. Isla's talkativeness gets Fiona into more than one jam. Mums and Mayhem is a delightful book to read. Great characters, a charming town, and a murder. Barley McFee, a famous fiddler, is performing his Coming Home Concert. This is a big event for their small town. When Barley fails to return from a break, Fiona volunteers to track him down. She soon regrets it when she finds Barley choked to death in his tour bus. I am sure that Fiona would have been digging into the mystery anyway, but when her father becomes a suspect, it is a given. I like that Fiona passes information onto Neil (no holding back). The whodunit was not a challenge to solve, but I still enjoyed following the investigation. There were several viable suspects, good clues, and a red herring. There is good action plus some suspenseful moments. Mums and Mayhem is a busy book. The concert, the parent's arriving in town, a murder, and then trouble with Fiona's magical garden. Someone breaks into her garden and cuts the yellow rose blooming on the menhir. This breaks the magical bond and causes the flora to wither and die. Fiona needs to restore the magic to the garden, or it could be gone forever. Hopefully, the little blue-eyed fox can help her out. I liked the humor throughout the book. I laughed out loud on several occasions. The story is well-written, and it has swift pacing. Mums and Mayhem was over way too quickly. I am eager for the next A Magic Garden Mystery. Mums and Mayhem is an enchanting tale with a fine fiddler, elderly enthusiasts, apprehensive parents, a forceful reporter, a friendly fox, a spontaneous sister, and a macabre murder.
