Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
Kate Dyer-Seeley is touring with Great Escapes and I am happy to feature her new book today.
Be sure to check out the rest of her tour for guest posts, interviews, and more reviews!
Natural Thorn Killer (A Rose City Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
New Series
Setting – Oregon
Kensington (March 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496705136
Digital ASIN: B073NPHX8Z
Cut down among the flowers . . .
Britta Johnston might be a late bloomer, but after leaving her deadbeat husband and dead-end job, she’s finally pursuing her artistic passion at her aunt Elin’s floral boutique, Blooma, in Portland, Oregon. It’s on the banks of the Willamette, in a quaint district of cobblestone paths and cherry trees. The wine bar featuring Pacific Northwest vintages is a tasty bonus, offering another kind of bouquet to enjoy. But things aren’t as peaceful as they look.
For one thing, someone’s been leaving dead roses around—and a sleazy real estate developer who wants the waterfront property has put a big-money offer on the table. Then, after a contentious meeting of local business owners, he’s found on the floor of the shop, with Elin’s garden shears planted in his chest. And before the police decide to pin the crime on her beloved aunt, Britta will have to find out who arranged this murder . . .
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Blooma, a flower/wine shop in Portland Oregon is where Britta Johnston finds herself after leaving her lazy husband and job behind. Her Aunt Elin’s shop is expanding and she is thrilled Britta is bringing her artistic talents home. Soon after Britta arrives she learns that a real estate developer wants to buy out all the local business owners so he can tear everything down and rebuild a marketplace with housing on the waterfront. Most of the owners are refusing to sell, but the developer gives one last push and that push may have caused his demise. Britta arrives at Blooma and discovers the developer dead surrounded by dead roses and her Aunt Elin’s garden shears pushed right into his chest. When the police decide Elin is their main suspect Britta decides to sow a few seeds of her own to find the real natural thorn killer.
Blooma is a delightful setting for this cozy mystery. Elin’s interest in wearable items made of flowers is unique and fresh as is her whole outlook on her business. Flowers grown locally is what she uses for all her creations. She tunes and really listens to her customer’s wishes to make something original and that is what set her above other florists. Plus she has a wine bar and she is opening up a cottage next to the shop for events and classes. The whole Riverplace Village sounds pretty fantastic.
We meet Britta Johnston in the middle of a cold Minnesota winter when she is fed up with her husband and realizes she will never be happy at her job. She just packs up, gets on the train and heads home to Portland. I myself would probably take the Minnesota weather over the Oregon cold rainy weather but I sure can’t blame her for changing her life and following her dream especially when her aunt’s business is the perfect place for Britta to bloom.
The mystery was well planned and plotted. I formed an instant dislike for the victim, as had almost everyone around him. That means plenty of suspects. It also means Detective Pete Fletcher and Officer Thomas “Tomo” Iwamoto spent a lot of time around the flower shop. I really enjoyed Tomo, he was so friendly and good-natured. Detective Fletcher was great too. The mystery was not easy to solve and kept me guessing right up until the end.
All of the characters we met within this story were pretty fleshed out for the first book in a series. They were very engaging and relatable. They are characters I want to get to know more about and the relationships they build together.
This series is off to an excellent start! I am excited to see what is next for Britta and Elin.
About the Author
Kate Dyer-Seeley aka Ellie Alexander writes multiple mystery series, all with a Pacific Northwest touch. She lives in the PNW with her husband and son, where you can find her hitting the trail, at an artisan coffee shop, or at her favorite pub. Better yet—at all three.
Author Links
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Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Hudson Booksellers IndieBound BAM
Find her books written as Ellie Alexander here.
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TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 26 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
March 27 – Writing Pearls – REVIEW
March 27 – Valerie’s Musings – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 28 – The Power of Words – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 28 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
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April 1 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
April 1 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
April 2 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
April 3 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST
April 3 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 4 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
April 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
April 5 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
April 5 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 6 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This sounds like the start of a good series,
I live in Portland and I love that Kate has described the waterfront so vividly. This sounds like a great series, and since I love the Ashland Bakeshop mysteries, this is naturally at the top of my TBR list! Thanks for the giveaway!
Would love to read this!
A delightful cozy which I would enjoy.
I’m looking forward to reading about Britta and her new job at her Aunt Elin’s flower shop in Portland, as well as the whodunit! Thanks for featuring Natural Thorn Killer on your blog, Lori — it sounds like a winner ~
Everything Kate writes is amazing!!! I don’t really like flowers and can’t grow anything to save my life but this book made me even want to try growing beautiful blooms everywhere!!!
Sounds like a good read.
This sounds like my kind of read. I really liked the description of the book and I’m looking forward to reading the book.
I am looking forward to this new series and getting to know Britta better! Thanks!
Thank you for the giveaway! Sounds like a great new series!
This sounds really good–I’d love to read it.
I love how nice the location for this series sounds, especially with cobblestone walkways!
Sounds good and love the cover.
I imagine this story includes some great tips/suggestions for flower arranging.
This sounds like a fun book!