Clover Covered Corpse: A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery
by Jackie Layton
About Clover Covered Corpse
Clover Covered Corpse: A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Texas
Publisher: Level Best Books (May 28, 2024)
Print length : 308 pages
Digital ASIN : B0CX2YH996
Emma Justice never imagined working at the farmers market on a normal Saturday morning would lead to her second murder investigation. When two friends become suspects in the latest small-town murder, she’ll help prove they are innocent by tracking down the real killer.
Houston Turner, the successful owner of Texas BBQ Hut, is a hard man and has made many enemies in his life. Revenge, greed, and hatred are some of the motives Emma must sift through to catch the killer. Seeds of suspicion from family, friends, and employees leave Emma digging for real clues instead of stumbling through the rocky soil of deceit and lies.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Flower farmer Emma Justice enjoys selling her flowers at the local Farmers Market but when Texas BBQ Hut owner Houston Turner is murdered there she loses her bliss for the place. When her friends Brett Tirabasi and Paula Jones are picked as suspects by Police Chief Matt Young she knows it is time to weed out the real killer. Houston Turner had his hands in a lot of pots and made his share of enemies. Digging through the clues she finds plenty of suspects with motives to kill, but if she isn’t careful she could be the next Clover Covered Corpse.
The core characters Ms. Layton created in the first book, Weeding Out Lies, have returned and have continued to develop so well. Emma’s flower farm has recovered after being destroyed and is growing a wide variety of flowers. She has a good following at the market and around town. Her newly adopted mostly golden retriever Cowboy is such a good boy and is usually by her side. She has discovered he has some unique talents. Jake has a huge heart. He is attentive, kind, and helpful, not only to Emma but other Lutz residents too. I am happy he and Emma are getting closer but they aren’t the only ones, Brett and Celia are getting closer too.
We meet Houston Turner, his sister Miranda Penn, her daughter Shelby, young photographer, Elijah Barnes, and several vendors selling their wares at the farmer’s market. I was thrilled that Houston was murdered. He was a nasty, self-serving bully of a man. He had no redeeming qualities. Shelby touched my heart. She had high hopes are getting a tennis scholarship for college but faced several obstacles. All the characters were interesting and had depth. Some were easy to like, others, not so much.
Ms. Layton has written an intriguing mystery. At times Emma was going in circles trying to eliminate suspects but their actions kept putting them back on the list. I liked that she and Jake worked together and side by side. He wanted to keep her safe and they make a really good team. She gets a bit pushy going back repeatedly to question people, pushing the actual killer too far. Emma soon found herself in a dire situation as everything was revealed. The culprit was at the top of my suspect list for some time after a few well-placed clues stuck with more than they did for Emma.
Clover Covered Corpse is a fine addition to the Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery Series. Ms.Layton’s characters easily draw you into their lives and make you eager to follow them page by page to a very satisfying conclusion. They plus small-town charm and a curious mystery with perfectly planted humor and romance made this book a very enjoyable read. I hope to return to Lutz soon to see what Emma and her friends dig into next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
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About Jackie Layton
Jackie Layton is the author of cozy mysteries with Spunky Southern Sleuths. Her stories are set in Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. She lives on the coast of South Carolina where she enjoys walks on the beach and golf cart rides around the marsh. Reading, gardening, and traveling are some of her favorite hobbies. She always keeps a notebook handy to write down ideas for future stories. Be careful what you say around her, because it might end up in a book.
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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.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”
I want to read Clover Covered Corpse after reading the book excerpt-thanks
Thank you, Lori !
Sounds like a good book.
Sounds intriguing. Great cover too.