A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery Book 5)

Author:    Daryl Wood Gerber

Genre:     Mystery/Fantasy

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496744937

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$17.95; $9.99 Amazon

April 23, 2024

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Courtney is delighted when her tiny friend Fiona returns from the fairy realm, appearing at the base of a Cypress tree.  When her Ragdoll cat, Pixie, emerges from her own portal -- aka the cat door -- the three set off for a busy day.  Busier than usual, since Courtney has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm, where she hopes to grow her own supplies for her fairy-garden business.  Plus, the annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has booked a booth...

But the murder of Courtney's friend, Genevieve, casts a pall over the festival.  Ever since Genevieve sold her floral business, she'd been building a career as an influencer.  She was perennially opinionated -- but in her new role she'd become surprisingly vicious, dissing local entrepreneurs with nasty posts and unwarranted bad reviews.  That's landed a couple of Courtney's other friends on the suspect list -- including Flower Farm owner Daphne Flores.  And when a second victim is discovered, seeds of doubt about Daphne's innocence sprout in Courtney's mind.  With only a gem of a clue, Courtney will have to overturn every rock to get the dirt on the real killer...

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Courtney lives in Carmel-by-the-Sea in California, and owns Open Your Imagination, a shop that allows people to make their own fairy gardens.  It helps that she has her own personal fairy, Fiona.  Fiona has recently returned from the fairy realm, and Courtney is happy to have her back.  Although not everyone can see -- nor believes in -- fairies, Courtney and others don't really care.

While hosting a group that are there to make their own little gardens, one of the women, Genevieve, learns that she is not invited to participate in the Summer Blooms Festival, and it rankles her.  She proceeds to insult other guests, and since she is known as an influencer, uses her online forum to diss other local businesses, as well.  As imagined, this doesn't sit well with people.  Although it is surprising when Genevieve is found dead, and Daphne Flores, one of the women whose business she insulted, is found standing over her.

When another person is found murdered, the police are honing in on Daphne.  Courtney has trouble believing her friend is a killer, but to be fair, she's not close with the woman and doesn't know all that much about her.  But Courtney is nothing if not persistent, and she continues to ask questions and look for clues that might point her to a killer -- a killer who might already be aware that Courtney could be dangerous if left alive...

This is the fifth book in the series and I must say that I have found them all delightful.  While I will not say whether I believe in such things as fairies or not, I will also say that I am positive that some people have no problem believing.  Which is why this book is so delightful (yes, I said it again).  Just like the title of her shop, it allows you to open your imagination and try to think what it would be like if there were many of them floating around us.

While, of course, the mystery takes first place as it should, we have a secondary tale in which Fiona's sister enters the human world to be mentored by her elder sister and other fairies that reside there.  We learn that even in the fairy realm there is sibling rivalry and arguments, but there is also fun and enjoyment.  It is a pleasure to share in these moments with the fairies.

But back to the mystery -- Courtney has no issues with asking people where they were on the nights of the murders, even though the police tell her to stay out of the investigation.  There are mixed signals, with the lead detective also telling her to keep her ears and eyes open and report anything she learns.  Hmm.  You can't have it both ways, sir.  So Courtney does what she does best, and gathers information any way she can (although she doesn't do anything illegal, which is good).  With each piece of data gathered she is eventually able to dismiss people from the suspect list, leaving her with only three of them; and figuring out which one it is could put her life in danger.

While I knew the murderer long before Courtney did (Again, I read a lot of mysteries) I did enjoy watching her figure it out.  Alas, it was nearly too late, but Courtney can think on her feet and she had no problem putting things in motion ahead of time.  In the end, it all comes together very nicely, and we are given a glimpse of what might be to come.  Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Twinkle-Trouble-Fairy-Garden-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CFGF36NM/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6171382552

More on Daryl Wood Gerber's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/daryl-wood-gerber/

A Flicker of a Doubt (Fairy Garden Mystery Book 4)

Author:    Daryl Wood Gerber

Genre:     Mystery/Fantasy

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496741271

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$16.95; $9.99 Amazon

March 28, 2023

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With a theater foundation tea and an art show planned at Violet Vicker'.  estate, Courtney is hired to create charming fairy gardens for the event.  It's not so charming, however, when her best friend Meaghan's ex-boyfriend turns out to be Violet's latest artistic protégé.  Even worse, not long after Meaghan locks horns with him, his body is found in her yard, bludgeoned with an objet d'murder.

There's a gallery of suspects, from an unstable former flame to an arts and crafts teacher with a sketchy past.  But when the cops focus on Meaghan's business partner, who's like a protective older brother to her, and discover he also has a secret financial motive.  Courtney decides to draw her own conclusions.  Fearing they're missing the forest for the trees, and with some help from Fiona the sleuthing fairy, she hopes to make them see the light...

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Courtney is happy with her life.  She has her fairy garden shop which is doing well, a boyfriend in restaurateur Brady Cash, and a new job for wealthy Violet Vickers -- turning her lawn into a giant fairy garden.  With her father as the landscaper, she can't be happier.  Everything is going smoothly, until her friend Meaghan runs into her shop in a panic.

It seems Meaghan's ex-boyfriend Nicholas has returned to town and he wants Meaghan back.  Even though she states she's not interested, the man won't give up.  Then someone else, an invited guest to Violet's soiree, turns up and Courtney's life takes an unexpected turn.  But when Nicholas winds up murdered in Meaghan's yard, the suspects seem a little too close to home, including Meaghan's business partner, Ziggy.  While Courtney and others are convinced he's innocent, the police have evidence.  So what's a girl to do except try and find a killer?...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read and enjoyed them all.  This one, however, might actually be the best of them.  We get to learn a little more about Fiona, Courtney's fairy, and that point is more interesting than not.  I certainly am rooting for her all the way.

But back to the murder:  some suspects are unexpected, while others are right there in front of us.  The story is indeed done extremely well; the mystery is deep and twisted one way and then another.  You must keep your brain moving to discover clues and keep them together; they are there, but threaded through the story and not falling one after another.

Surprisingly, while more than one person is upset by Nicholas's death, we learn that he was not all he appeared.  His past was shaded with abuse to others, and he had more than one skeleton in his closet.  Yet, for some reason, women seemed to flock to him.  Could this have been his undoing, or was it something else?

I hesitate to add more of my impressions of this book, since I do not want to spoil it for others.  Just know that there are so many subplots in this mystery, and yet all of them tie into the murder.  The tapestry comes together one thread at a time, and when it is done, you feel rather sad yet understand.  It is the fine melding of clues that create the art, and in the end, you wish for more.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Flicker-Doubt-Fairy-Garden-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B6DBQ5CM/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5064419149

More on Daryl Wood Gerber's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/daryl-wood-gerber/

A Hint of Mischief (A Fairy Garden Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Daryl Wood Gerber

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496736048

Kensington Publishing

368 Pages

$15.95; $9.99 Amazon

June 28, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Courtney has thrown a few fairy garden parties --  for kids.  But if a local socialite is willing to dip into her trust fund for an old sorority sister's fortieth birthday bash, Courtney will be there with bells on.  To make the job even more appealing, a famous actress, Farrah Lawson, is flying in for the occasion, and there's nothing like a celebrity cameo to raise a business's profile.

Now Courtney has less than two weeks to paint a mural, hang up tinkling windchimes, plan party games, and conure up all the details.  While she works her magic, the hostess and her girlfriends head off for an indulgent spa day -- which leads to a fateful facial for Farrah, followed by her mysterious death.  Could the kindhearted eyebrow waxer who Farrah berated in public really be the killer, as the police suspect?  Courtney thinks otherwise, and with the help of her imaginative sleuth fairy, sets out to dig up the truth behind this puzzling murder...

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Courtney has a store named Open Your Imagination that sells fairy gardens and all things connected.  She loves her life, and is even starting a new romance with an old friend.  When trust fund baby Misty Dawn asks her to throw a birthday fairy party at her home for her and her sorority sisters, Courtney is all too happy to do so.  When one of Misty's sorority friends comes to town, it is none other than actress Farrah Lawson, and more than one person is happy to see her again.  The birthday is for their friend Odine, who has her own store in town.  

While having tea in Courtney's fairy garden, Farrah wants to take everyone -- Courtney included -- for a spa day.  While at the spa, Courtney hears a scream and finds Farrah almost hysterical.  It seems the owner's daughter who was waxing Farrah's brows, accidentally caused a problem and Farrah is upset, to say the least.  When her screaming stops, Misty assures her it is fixable.  Contrite, the daughter wants to apologize.  But before she can do so, Farrah is found dead in her rental home.  And Twyla, the daughter, is the main suspect.  Now Courtney, with the help of her own fairy, Fiona, is determined to find the true killer and pull Twyla out of danger...as long as she doesn't put herself in harm's way, right?...

This is the third book in the series and I have read them all.  I find the interactions with the different fairies quite enchanting.  It is almost as if you want to look around for your own fairy in your own garden.  The book is written wonderfully, and the characters are fun to be around.  Everything isn't going as well as Courtney would like, however; an old 'friend' from the past shows up and disrupts her life.  Also, there's a thief running around the town, stealing small items, but stealing just the same, and no one seems to have a clue as to the thief's identity.

But Courtney has to make the birthday party magical, even without Farrah, so she and her friend Meghan and employee Joss set about creating a garden worthy of many fairies.  What Courtney discovers in Misty's yard surprises her, but she continues on with her task.

As the book progresses we learn a little more about the fairies and the different types, and Fiona is learning more as well.  The descriptions of Courtney's garden make me want to go to tea there myself, and spend an afternoon just enjoying it all.  (If I didn't live where it was hot quite a bit, I'd probably have a garden myself).

But the suspects abound, and Courtney has a lot of alibis to sift through; and no one wants to be truthful about their whereabouts.  This gives her pause and makes her wonder what everyone is hiding, and who is the most likely to be the murderer.  It takes her time and much thought to figure it all out, and when she does, the climax is indeed worth reading about.  Courtney can think on her feet, as it were, and I appreciate that in a protagonist.

When the ending comes, it all comes together wonderfully; and there is an epilogue that gives us a hint as to more of the fairy world, and teaser chapters regarding the next book (hurry, please!).  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Hint-Mischief-Fairy-Garden-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09HRDQZH5/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4820920995

More on Daryl Wood Gerber's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/daryl-wood-gerber/

A Glimmer of a Clue (A Fairy Garden Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Daryl Wood Gerber

Genre:     Mystery/Fantasy

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496726360

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$11.71; $9.99 Amazon

June 19, 2021

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When Courtney's friend Wanda gets into a ponytail-pulling wrestling match in public with a nasty local art critic, Courtney stops the fight with the help of a garden hose.  But Lana Lamar has a talent for escalating things and creating tension, which she succeeds in doing by threatening a lawsuit, getting into yet another scuffle -- in the midst of an elegant fundraiser, no less -- and lobbing insults around like pickleballs.

Next thing Courtney knows, Lana is on the floor, stabbed with a decorative letter opener from one of Courtney's fairy gardens, and Wanda is standing by asking, "what have I done?"  But the answer may not be as obvious as it seems, since Wanda is prone to sleepwalking and appears to be in a daze.  Could she have risen from her nap and committed murder while unconscious?  Or is the guilty party someone else Lana's ticked off, like her long-suffering husband?  To find out, Courtney will have to dig up some dirt...

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Courtney Kelly owns a fairy garden shop in Carmel.  She helps people create their own fairy garden while she cultivates hers, and communes with her own little fairy, Fiona.  Fiona in turn helps Courtney in order to gain her full set of wings.  Courtney's been asked to create two gardens for people to bid on for a local fundraiser by her friend Wanda, who is her best friend Meaghan's mother.  But while at her shop one morning she hears a commotion, and goes outside to see a fight between Wanda and Lana Lamar, an art critic, and it's turned physical.  Lana has Wanda by the hair and refuses to let her go.  So Courtney does the only thing she can: she grabs a hose and waters both of them down to stop the fight.

But Lana isn't about to be deterred, and continues to hound Wanda, even up to the point of the fundraiser, where she has no problem making a scene with anyone and everyone.  When Wanda feels a bit tired, she goes to lie down, and later Courtney hears a crash and runs toward the sound.  She finds Wanda kneeling over Lana's body, holding the end of the letter opener stuck in her -- the one that Courtney had used in the now-smashed garden.  Now Wanda is the main suspect, and if Courtney doesn't find the true killer, her friend's mother won't wake up from this nightmare...

This is the second in the series and I found it just as delightful as the first.  The idea of a little fairy helping Courtney solve a murder is indeed a cute plot addition, and it makes for a fun read.  While Courtney starts looking at Lana and who would want her dead, she comes up with a plethora of suspects, none of whom seem to have solid alibis.  There's also a couple of secondary plots which keep the story going without a lull in the action, and these are engaging as well.  

I do like the fact that whatever information Courtney digs up, she immediately transfers to Detective Summers.  While he gets annoyed with her, at least she's offering up what she discovers and doesn't try to accost her own suspects and accuse them of murder face-to-face.  One gets tired of protagonists who confront suspected murderers without the police knowing about it.  Courtney is intelligent and caring, with her heart and mind open to not only seeing fairies, but helping others as well.  I do like her character.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, I pretty much had gathered who it was early on, but finding out the motive for murder was what I was waiting for, and I wasn't disappoint in the outcome.  All in all, I do like this series and wait eagerly for the next book.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Glimmer-Clue-Fairy-Garden-Mystery/dp/1496726367/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3924231058

More on Daryl Wood Gerber's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/daryl-wood-gerber/

A Sprinkling of Murder (A Fairy Garden Mystery #1)

Author:  Daryl Wood Gerber

Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496726346

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$15.95; $9.99 Amazon

June 30, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Since childhood, Courtney has loved fairies.  After her mother died when Courtney was ten, she lost touch with that feeling of magic.  A year ago, at the age of twenty-nine, she rediscovered it when she left her father's landscaping business to spread her wings and start a fairy garden business and teashop in beautiful Carmel, California.  At Open Your Imagination, she teaches garden design and sells everything from fairy figurines to tinkling wind chimes.  Now she's starting a book club tea.

But the light of the magical world she's created inside her shop is darkened one night when she discovers the neighboring dog-grooming business owner Mick Watkins dead beside her patio fountain.  To make matters worse, the police suspect Courtney of the crime.  To clear her name and find the real killer, Courtney will have to wing it.  But she's getting a little help from an unexpected source...

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Courtney left her father's landscaping business to create her dream: a fairy garden business in Carmel.  So far she's doing well enough to hire an employee, elfin Joss.  She also offers classes on how to make your own fairy garden as well as others.  Her business is thriving and so is she.  One morning her neighboring business owner Mich Watkins enters, and she's afraid he's going to start trouble, but he doesn't; in fact, it seems as if he's looking for someone.  But he tells her that their landlord is on the warpath and wanting the tenants out because he wants to sell their shops to a developer -- and Courtney wonders if it's true.  

But Courtney has a secret of her own -- she has her very own fairy, Fiona.  Fiona, unfortunately, is on probation for some unnamed act and hasn't earned her full set of wings.  Fiona is also a righteous fairy (there are four different types), which means she needs to bring resolution to embattled souls.  What this means Courtney has no idea, but she's grateful for Fiona's help -- that is, until Fiona tells her early the next morning that she needs to get to her shop right away.  Courtney finds the body of Mick in her garden, dead.

After calling the police she figures out how Mick got in, but not why.  What's worse is that Courtney is now a suspect in the murder, and the detective on the case doesn't think her alibi is strong enough.  So with Fiona's help, and that of her friends Joss and Meghan, Courtney is on the trail of a killer...

This is the first in a new series and I honestly didn't know what to expect.  I will say upfront that I don't read books about witches and such; I'm just not interested enough to invest my time.  But this book had a beautiful cover (yes, I am sometimes swayed by them), so I decided to take a chance and am glad that I did.

The concept of one having their own personal fairy is a new idea for a book, and quite an intriguing one.  Also the fact that the fairy is quite adept at helping solve a murder without going against her own rules.  I found the mystery was done nicely, with a few clues here and there, but also giving Courtney the chance to seek them on her own.

I do like Courtney's character.  She never puts herself in harms' way. and she's more concerned with getting herself off the hot seat than putting someone else in it.  She's not going around accusing every person she meets of murder, and that's a good thing.

The descriptions of fairy gardens were done well enough that it is explained what they are; and perhaps someone who reads the book might want to create one of their own.  While this book was peopled with many characters throughout, it wasn't difficult to keep them straight, and there were a few red herrings thrown in for us to sift through.  While I had figured out the murderer early on (I read a lot of mysteries) it was still fun getting through the journey until we got to the end of it and Courtney, with help of course, figured it out and put everything together.

In the end, it all came together nicely and while there was no nail-biting climax, it was still done well enough that I want to read the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Sprinkling-Murder-Fairy-Garden-Mystery/dp/1496726340/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3418772909

More on Daryl Wood Gerber's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/daryl-wood-gerber/