Daisies for Innocence
Author: Bailey Cattrell
Series: An Enchanted Garden Mystery 1
Publisher: Obsidian, January 5, 2016
Format: Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages
List Price: $7.99 (print and eBook)
ISBN: 9780451476883 (print); 9780698407176 (eBook)
Author: Bailey Cattrell
Series: An Enchanted Garden Mystery 1
Publisher: Obsidian, January 5, 2016
Format: Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages
List Price: $7.99 (print and eBook)
ISBN: 9780451476883 (print); 9780698407176 (eBook)
From Bailey Cattrell—who writes the New York Times bestselling Magical Bakery Mysteries as Bailey Cates—comes the first Enchanted Garden Mystery featuring custom perfume maker Elliana Allbright…
The Enchanted Garden behind Elliana Allbright’s perfume shop draws people of all ages with its fragrant flowers and lush greenery. But when the magical serenity is interrupted, it’s up to Ellie to sniff out a killer.
Ellie’s life has blossomed in Poppyville, California, since she opened Scents & Nonsense, a custom-made-perfume store. Her skills with aromas and botanical essences—some from her very own garden—seem almost…supernatural. Her perfumes can evoke emotions, bring about change, or simply make people happy. Customers are flocking to the store to buy her wares or just to sit in her beautiful garden, sip tea and enjoy homemade cookies.
But she smells trouble when she learns that her part-time assistant Josie is dating her ex. And before she can tell the young woman to beware of his charms, she finds Josie dead in the Enchanted Garden. Now the prime suspect in Josie’s murder, Ellie must search for the real culprit in Josie’s past—because it’ll take a miracle to nip this problem in the bud….
Jennifer's Review
Daisies for Innocence is the first installment in Bailey Cattrell’s new Enchanted Garden Mystery Series. The series follows Elliana “Ellie” Allbright, expert gardener and owner of boutique scent shop, Scents & Nonsense, in the picturesque town of Poppyville, CA, located at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Ellie is building a solid business and new life for herself after a painful divorce, but her new life and livelihood are in danger of collapsing after she finds the murdered body of her part time employee, Josie, lying on her garden walk. Josie just recently revealed that she is dating Ellie’s ex-husband, making Ellie the prime suspect in the murder. Ellie needs to move fast to find a killer before everything she has worked for withers away like a drought blighted garden.
Ellie and her family have always been talented gardeners, but their gifts for aromas are quite uncanny. Ellie is often able to sense exactly what scents her customers need to heal their ailments or bruised emotions, making her wares increasingly sought after. Ellie herself if bruised after her divorce from Harris. Harris is a cocky, bad tempered womanizer who has taken over the successful restaurant he and Josie ran together during their marriage. The ill-fated Josie is a part time employee at both the Roux Grill, Harris’s eatery, and Ellie’s scent shop, along with being a housekeeper to a handful of the town’s elite residents. Josie is a sweet natured and idealistic aspiring photographer and seems to be unsuited to the domineering Harris. Detective Max Lang, Harris’s long time buddy and all around brute, immediately zooms in on Ellie as Josie’s murderer, mostly because he has always disliked her, but his partner, Detective Lupe Garcia, is more open minded and is willing to consider other suspects.
Ellie has a strong support system who believe in her innocence, including her best friend, Astrid, and the members of a group of local businesswomen called The Greenstockings; Thea, Gessie, and Cynthia, along with Thea’s brother, Ritter. Astrid Moneypenny is a busy entrepreneur and animal lover, who loves to bake and works part time as a veterinary technician and dog sitter/walker. Thea Nelson is an old school friend of Ellie’s and is an artistic landscape designer and horticulturist. Thea’s brother, Ritter, is an old crush of Ellie’s and is back in town for what he says will be a short stay. Ritter is ruggedly handsome and chivalrous and sparks feelings in Josie that have been long dormant. Gessie King and Cynthia Beck round out the Greenstockings. Gessie is a kind, older woman who runs the local horse stables, and often the homeless towns people, like the eccentric Bongo Peter, to pitch tents on her land, and Cynthia, a knockout with a reputation as a man chaser, owns the local upscale beauty salon.
The pool of suspects and locals is rather large, and at times, confusing. The most notable of these are Vance, Shyla, Carl, Inga, Sophia, John and Gene, and Maggie. Vance Overland is Josie’s bitter brother, who has been estranged from his sister for years, and blames her for his current strained circumstances. Shyla is a pushy waitress at the Roux Grill who has an open dislike of Josie, and Carl is an assistant cook at the restaurant who has the element of the creepy about him. Inga Fowler is a high strung society wife and mother, who seems to harbor a plethora of secrets. Sophia is an adulterous supermodel who employed Josie as a housekeeper, as did Gene and John Trace, who also supported Josie in her photography. Maggie Clement is a long time bartender at the grill, a bleached blonde sweetheart who is observant and had a soft spot for Josie.
Due to the long list of suspects, some of the characters, aside from the main ones, lack some depth, but this is something that can be easily remedied in coming installments in the series. The mystery powers most of the storyline, but there is a very intriguing side plot that touches on the possible supernatural aspects of Ellie’s talents and promises to be an interesting aspect of subsequent novels. There is a small section at the end of the book that features a cookie recipe, invented by the eclectic Astrid, and a few aromatherapy blends that tie into the story. This book sets the stage for what could be an excellent and long running series.
Daisies for Innocence is the first installment in Bailey Cattrell’s new Enchanted Garden Mystery Series. The series follows Elliana “Ellie” Allbright, expert gardener and owner of boutique scent shop, Scents & Nonsense, in the picturesque town of Poppyville, CA, located at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Ellie is building a solid business and new life for herself after a painful divorce, but her new life and livelihood are in danger of collapsing after she finds the murdered body of her part time employee, Josie, lying on her garden walk. Josie just recently revealed that she is dating Ellie’s ex-husband, making Ellie the prime suspect in the murder. Ellie needs to move fast to find a killer before everything she has worked for withers away like a drought blighted garden.
Ellie and her family have always been talented gardeners, but their gifts for aromas are quite uncanny. Ellie is often able to sense exactly what scents her customers need to heal their ailments or bruised emotions, making her wares increasingly sought after. Ellie herself if bruised after her divorce from Harris. Harris is a cocky, bad tempered womanizer who has taken over the successful restaurant he and Josie ran together during their marriage. The ill-fated Josie is a part time employee at both the Roux Grill, Harris’s eatery, and Ellie’s scent shop, along with being a housekeeper to a handful of the town’s elite residents. Josie is a sweet natured and idealistic aspiring photographer and seems to be unsuited to the domineering Harris. Detective Max Lang, Harris’s long time buddy and all around brute, immediately zooms in on Ellie as Josie’s murderer, mostly because he has always disliked her, but his partner, Detective Lupe Garcia, is more open minded and is willing to consider other suspects.
Ellie has a strong support system who believe in her innocence, including her best friend, Astrid, and the members of a group of local businesswomen called The Greenstockings; Thea, Gessie, and Cynthia, along with Thea’s brother, Ritter. Astrid Moneypenny is a busy entrepreneur and animal lover, who loves to bake and works part time as a veterinary technician and dog sitter/walker. Thea Nelson is an old school friend of Ellie’s and is an artistic landscape designer and horticulturist. Thea’s brother, Ritter, is an old crush of Ellie’s and is back in town for what he says will be a short stay. Ritter is ruggedly handsome and chivalrous and sparks feelings in Josie that have been long dormant. Gessie King and Cynthia Beck round out the Greenstockings. Gessie is a kind, older woman who runs the local horse stables, and often the homeless towns people, like the eccentric Bongo Peter, to pitch tents on her land, and Cynthia, a knockout with a reputation as a man chaser, owns the local upscale beauty salon.
The pool of suspects and locals is rather large, and at times, confusing. The most notable of these are Vance, Shyla, Carl, Inga, Sophia, John and Gene, and Maggie. Vance Overland is Josie’s bitter brother, who has been estranged from his sister for years, and blames her for his current strained circumstances. Shyla is a pushy waitress at the Roux Grill who has an open dislike of Josie, and Carl is an assistant cook at the restaurant who has the element of the creepy about him. Inga Fowler is a high strung society wife and mother, who seems to harbor a plethora of secrets. Sophia is an adulterous supermodel who employed Josie as a housekeeper, as did Gene and John Trace, who also supported Josie in her photography. Maggie Clement is a long time bartender at the grill, a bleached blonde sweetheart who is observant and had a soft spot for Josie.
Due to the long list of suspects, some of the characters, aside from the main ones, lack some depth, but this is something that can be easily remedied in coming installments in the series. The mystery powers most of the storyline, but there is a very intriguing side plot that touches on the possible supernatural aspects of Ellie’s talents and promises to be an interesting aspect of subsequent novels. There is a small section at the end of the book that features a cookie recipe, invented by the eclectic Astrid, and a few aromatherapy blends that tie into the story. This book sets the stage for what could be an excellent and long running series.
The Giveaway
What: One entrant will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of Daisies for Innocence by Bailey Cattrell from the publisher. US ONLY
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Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59PM US Eastern Time on February 2, 2016. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter
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Thanks for this enchanting and captivating feature and giveaway which interests me greatly. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI really like to start with the first book of a series---so I guess this is my chance. Love the cute cover, too.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to this new series! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteinteresting series
ReplyDeleteGreat author with what sounds like a great new series. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDelete