Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781683317814
Crooked Lane Books
$26.99; $10.69 Amazon
November 13, 2018
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Fiona Fox thought she was pulling her life back together when she inherited her godfather's cottage in Duncreigan, Scotland - complete with a magical walled garden. But the erstwhile Tennessee flower shop owner promptly found herself puddle boot-deep in danger when she found a dead body among the glimmering blossoms. One police investigation later (made a trifle less unpleasant by the presence of handsome Chief Inspector Neil Craig), and Fiona's life is getting back on a steady, though bewitched, track. Her sister Isla has just moved in with her, and the grand opening of her new spellbound venture, the Climbing Rose Flower Shop in Aberdeenshire, is imminent.
But dark, ensorcelled clouds are gathering to douse Fiona's new sunny outlook. First, imperious parish minister Quaid MacCullen makes it undeniably clear that he would be happy to send Fiona back to Tennessee. Then, a horrific lightning storm, rife with terribly omen, threatens to tear apart the elderly cottage and sends Fi and Isla cowering under their beds. The storm passes, but then Fi is called away from the Climbing Rose's opening soiree when Kipling, the tiny village's weak-kneed volunteer police chief, finds a dead body on the beach.
The body proves difficult to identify, but Kipling is certain it's that of the parish minister. Which makes Fiona, MacCullen's new nemesis, a suspect. And what's worse, Isla has seemed bewitched as of late...did she do something unspeakable to protect her sister? The last thing Fiona wanted to do was play detective again. But now, the rosy future she'd envisioned is going to seed, and if she and Craig can't clear her name, her idyllic life will wilt away.
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Fiona Knox is settling in to her new life in Scotland; caretaker to a magic garden that will work its magic only for her, and anticipating the opening of her new flower shop in town. She was also surprised when her younger sister Isla turned up on her doorstep announcing she wanted to visit Scotland before she went home and looked for a job after her college graduation. She certainly has her hands full, but there's trouble on the horizon when the local minister makes an unannounced visit to her yet-to-be-opened shop and tells her that she's not wanted.
When there's a terrible storm and Minister MacCullen is found dead on the beach, Fiona believes she'll be a suspect, and sets out to find out who wanted the minister dead. But while it becomes apparent that many people disliked him, she also finds that the little town is hiding more secrets yet, and not only is a killer still on the loose, it seems that person has set their sights on her as the next victim...
This is the second book in the Magic Garden series, and I wanted to like it as much as the first, which was, for the most part, a delight. Unfortunately, when there's something that makes it so you don't really enjoy it, and that something happens to be one of the characters, well...it's Isla. I just couldn't stand her. She's a petulant child who never should have been let off the family farm.
She treats Fiona like the enemy, fighting with her at every turn instead of being happy that she's getting free room and board (she's even taken over the bed leaving Fiona to sleep on the sofa). What does she do in return? Complain constantly. Hide things from Fiona and lie to her. Tell her a curse has been put on her head. Oh, yes, such a lovely young woman. There's nothing great about being a "free spirit" either. That usually means you don't want to do anything or take responsibility in your life, living off others if you get the chance. Isla also whines about not having a job or a place to live. How is this Fiona's fault? There's no good way around it, Isla is annoying, petulant, spoiled, selfish and self-centered. I just didn't see any good qualities in her at all, and I was certainly looking for them. My only hope is that she won't be in any future books.
Then, Fiona remarks that because of their eight year difference in age her younger sister looks on her like an aunt. Oh, please. My oldest sister is nearly eleven years older than my youngest, and trust me, neither of them have looked on each other as niece/aunt. This is just patently ridiculous. So I suppose if a husband is eight or more years older than his wife she looks on him like a fond uncle? There's a place you don't want to go.
There's also a continuity problem between the two books. In the first book, Fiona is twenty-eight, but this is two months later and Fiona is over thirty. Boy, that garden has some strange magic going on. It even ages you a couple of years in a matter of months. I was also confused because in the first book we were given to understand that she broke up with her fiancé (true) eight days before arriving in Scotland, and her flower shop had gone under just ten days before she arrived. But now she states as how her shop had closed two years ago. What? Then, in another chapter, she states that she hadn't thought of the car keys being in her pocket when she left Isla alone at her shop, but earlier in the same chapter she mentions that Isla would be frustrated at how long she was gone since the car keys were in her pocket and Isla would be stuck in the village until she got back. This was in the same chapter and only a few pages earlier.
Also (sigh) Fiona thinks to herself that Ivanhoe's bed belonged to his former owner - but in the previous book the bed was a gift from Cally, not Alistair. Cally told her she went out and bought the bed, toys, food, etc.; everything a cat would need. I know I'm being harsh, but did the author not take notes as she was writing? I always take notes to reference later. So this was not a good beginning to the book, which is a bit of a tragedy because I was really looking forward to reading it. It really tainted my enjoyment of the book. But I will say that if you have not read the first book (or at least as close together as I have) then you will not notice these differences or inconsistencies at all.
The blurb was also a tad misleading; I never felt that Fiona was a suspect in the murder. She never openly fought with the minister, and seemed more confused at his behavior toward her. Craig also never treated her like a suspect, so one would come to the conclusion that he never thought she was. It was only Hamish's request that she prove his nephew Seth had nothing to do with it that made her get involved in the first place.
While there were plenty of suspects and red herrings strewn about, I would have liked to have Fiona involved more with the garden. She was there only once or twice, and Hamish was barely in this book. She didn't even spend much time at her new shop. She ran about trying to solve a murder and withholding evidence from Craig, which was not a very smart thing to do. How does she expect him to trust her when she doesn't trust him?
In the end, I was surprised by the killer, but I did feel that it all came together nicely. However, you really do need to read the first book to understand the reasons why Fiona made Scotland her home in the first place, and it will help you understand things in this book. I am also pleased to say that my suspicions in the first book came to pass in this one.
The writing was very good, and I enjoyed revisiting Raj and his sister Presha, and, of course, Detective Inspector Neil Craig. It was interesting watching Fiona deal with her feelings in that regard; and of course, Ivanhoe, without whom the book just wouldn't be complete.
Even with the problems this book has, I am still looking forward to another book in this series. However, the author is penning several different series, and even beginning a new one; I can only conclude that it will take some time before we see that third book, which will answer questions that were raised in this one.
I know that Ms. Flower is a talented and prolific writer, and I also read and enjoy a couple of the others. Hopefully, though, we will see the third book in this series emerge before too much more time passes. Recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Daisies-Magic-Garden-Mystery/dp/1683317815/ref
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2799949932
More on Amanda Flower's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/amanda-flower/
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