Rating: 4.5⭐️
“It smells like someone overwatered ambition,” Whim muttered from beneath the herb stand, his tail flicking toward a pot of mint that looked more like mush.
It’s Spring Planting Weekend in Willowmere and the commentary is flowing fierce.
My favorite paranormal mystery is back in force. High quality language, mystical imagery, scenes that feel both gothic and cozy along with a haunting landscape follow Maeve and Whim, her familiar, when beloved florist Marigold Bloom is found dead, holding a bouquet of flowers whose language sends a bite instead of a message of love.
We get an excellent story, a serious mystery and series of clues to lead to a complex albeit mystical investigation.
However, the language and phrases by the author just continue to delight me. Clever and creative, conveying a sense of humor and character with a conciseness that is perfect.
Example:
“Good morning, Dorian.”
He tipped his glass. “The garden’s looking well-fed. Much like the town’s curiosity.”
Maeve shook her head and tried not to smile. Dorian was charming, curious, and a little too good at circling truths without landing on them.
That’s Dorian Quinn owner of the Lavender Lantern, one of the several unique community members of Willowmere.
Always a tad too charming, too much, too perfectly put together, even at a murder scene, sipping a cocktail.
There’s an ongoing sense of grief and hidden secrets that are unraveling under Willowmere now that Maeve has returned home. Secrets that her great aunt Hazel knew about and helped seal.
Along with her familiar, Whim, and Silas Merrick, a local beekeeper, one death at a time, (one story at a time) the secrets are being revealed.
It does make me wonder, like that old joke about (Midsomer Murders) Cozy Mysteries, how many people are still living at the end of the series in such a small village?
I’m throughly enjoying the process, the mystical elements, and the fabulous writing.
I’m highly recommending this for anyone who loves great writing, interesting mystery attached to a bit of mysticism. Haunting and poetic.
Not a fan of the covers, which doesn’t match up with the tone of the book.
Willowmere Cozy Mysteries (17 book series):
1 Mildew & Murder (2025)
2 Moss & Murder (2025)
3 Marigolds & Murder (2025)
4 Mulch & Murder (2025)
5 Magnolias & Murder (2025)
6 Morning Glories & Murder (2025)
7 Milkweed & Murder (2025)
8 Mulberries & Murder (2025)
9 Mint & Murder (2025)
10 Moonflowers & Murder (2025)
11 Marjoram & Murder (2025)
12 Mandrake & Murder (2025)
13 Meadowfoam & Murder (2025)
14 Mayapple & Murder (2025)
15 Mallow & Murder (2025)
16 Mist & Murder (2025)
17 Mosswine & Murder (2025)
Buy link:
Marigolds & Murder (Willowmere Cozy Mysteries Book 3)
Blurb
The garden blooms again… but something beneath it never died.
Spring in Willowmere is in full swing, and Maeve Everhart is trying to keep her hands in the soil and her heart out of trouble. But when beloved florist Marigold Bloom is found dead among her foxglove and rue, the scent of grief is laced with suspicion. The bouquet wasn’t accidental. And neither is the silence blooming in its wake.
Everyone in town has something to protect—some secrets are personal, some are poisonous, and some are old enough to be buried in the land itself. As whispers curl beneath fresh blossoms and intentions are masked with petals, Maeve finds herself unraveling a plot that roots back generations… and may still be growing.
Because in Willowmere, the soil remembers. And this time, it might not forgive.
Get ready for a whirlwind mystery and cozy thrill ride in this paranormal cozy mystery. Get under a blanket and be prepared to be immersed!
date
May 14, 2025
Language
English
Print length
149 pages
Book 3 of 17
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 