Lethal Lily
with Joyce and Jim Lavene
I might even term this a cozy thriller. It has several of the elements of a cozy mystery, but with a decidedly darker feel – at least for me. But that made it even more intriguing – like exploring uncharted territory.
~Back Porchervations
Lethal Lily is a wonderful cozy mystery, perfect for curling up and reading on a nice spring afternoon.
~Brooke Blogs
I enjoy reading Joyce and Jim Lavene books. they tale a good tale.
~readalot
LETHAL LILY was only released last week, and I am hoping Joyce and Jim write fast.
~Christa Reads and Writes
Love Loved it! Strong characters, great plot makes for a wonderful night of reading! You do not want to miss a minute of this!!
~Shelley’s Book Case
I really liked Lethal Lily. I loved all the information about the different plants.
~Kaisy Daisy’s Corner
Peggy is an enjoyable main character. Take this one to the beach with you this summer for an entertaining read!
~Author – Michele Lynn Seigfried
If you like plants, flowers, gardening, and edge of your seat thrills, this is the book for you.
~Melina’s Book Blog
Lethal Lily
(A Peggy Lee Garden Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
300 pages
Synopsis
Part-time garden shop owner/part-time forensic botanist, Peggy Lee is trying to discover if the death of Ann Fletcher 20 years ago was an accident – or foul play. In return, she hopes to receive more information about her first husband’s death. She knows John Lee was murdered, but questions have arisen as to why he was killed. She is working with a private detective who stumbles across his own feet, but her Internet friend, Nightflyer, says that Harry Fletcher has the answers. When Harry is murdered by convallatoxin, from the lily of the valley plant, Peggy begins to understand her role in everything. Now she has to stay alive long enough to prove her theories – and keep her son, Paul out of trouble too!
About The Authors
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.
Author Links
www.peggyleegardenmysteries.com
www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
http://amazon.com/author/jlavene
https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene
A Book Excerpt
It was after midnight. Peggy Lee had been waiting in the dark parking lot of the Tri-State Mini Storage for more than an hour.
Since she was trying to keep a low profile, she hadn’t looked at her phone or listened to music. There was still a light in the mini storage office. She knew someone was working.
A sign flapped in the warm breeze that had blown up from a tropical storm churning at the Atlantic coast. She glanced at her watch again for the third time in as many minutes.
Where was Harry?
Peggy had only met Harry Fletcher a few days ago. They’d both received emails from her online friend, Nightflyer, suggesting they should work together.
A friend of mine is investigating an old murder in Charlotte, and might call on you for help. I sent him to you because he knows part of the puzzle surrounding John’s death. I’ll speak with you when I can. ~ Nightflyer
The note had caught her attention—and held it. It had only been a few months since she’d learned that her former husband, John Lee, may have been deliberately murdered. She still wasn’t sure it was true, but she decided it couldn’t hurt to check into it.
John had been a Charlotte, North Carolina police detective when he’d been killed more than a decade ago. He’d been called out on a domestic abuse situation that he shouldn’t even have responded to. But it was on his way home, and he’d gone willingly because he was needed.
The call went bad when the man, who’d been shooting at his wife’s boyfriend, decided to shoot at the police. He’d escaped in the gunfight that had ensued, but John had been killed. The shooter was never found. John’s partner had been at Peggy’s door a few minutes later with the news.
Peggy pushed the thoughts of that night out of her head. It was a long time ago, but it still haunted her. She couldn’t let herself get trapped in the past if she wanted to know what really happened to John.
Her phone rang—startling her. She almost dropped it. “Yes?”
“I found the storage unit,” Harry Fletcher whispered. “I forgot the bolt cutters on the floor of the car. Can you bring them? I’m at Unit 34.”
She agreed to do it, and sighed. The man was terminally careless. Just in the short time she’d known him, he was always dropping something, or forgetting something. She wondered how he’d managed to stay alive while he was working as a private detective.
Harry said he’d been working as an informant for the FBI when John was killed. They’d talked about it over tea in a sunlit atrium high above downtown Charlotte, with exotic lilies perfuming the air, and fleet-footed waiters continually checking their cups.
She hadn’t wanted to bring him to her house—it was better if she was the only one who knew about it. If her son, Paul, knew she was involved in anything like this, he’d be furious. Worse, it could ruin his life. His peace had been hard won after John’s death. He’d struggled with the knowledge that no one had been arrested in the case, eventually becoming a police officer himself.
Paul had always said there was something wrong about John’s shooting. It looked as though he might be right.
Tour Participants
May 5 – Back Porchervations – Review
May 6 – Our Wolves Den – Review
May 6 – Deal Sharing Aunt – Interview
May 7 – Brooke Blogs – Review
May 8 – Thoughts in Progress – Guest Post
May 9 – readalot – Review
May 10 – Christa Reads and Writes – Review
May 11 – Mother’s Day
May 12 – Kelly P’s Blog – Interview
May 13 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review
May 14 – Queen of All She Reads – Review, Guest Post
May 15 – Kaisy Daisy’s Corner – Review
May 16 – Traci Andrighetti’s blog – Interview,
May 17 – Michele Lynn Seigfried’s Blog – Review, Guest Post
May 19 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – Guest Post
May 20 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review
May 21 – Community Bookstop – Guest Post
Rafflecopter Giveaway
1 Peggy Lee tote bag with print copies of A Thyme to Die (2013) and Lethal Lily
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Thanks for being a fabulous host, Lori!
This should be a fun trip!
A great giveaway and books.
Love these authors’ books, especially the gardening ones!!
Your books always sound inviting.