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Natural Causes |
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Gardening
Mysteries |
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Janis Harrisson |
Janis Harrison
owns and
operates a
greenhouse with
her husband in
Windsor,
Missouri. Not
surprisingly,
the main
character in her
series is a
florist who
lives in the
fictional town
of River City,
Missouri.
The
Detective
Bretta
Solomon, the
45 year old
owner of the
Flower Shop
in River
City,
Missouri, is
featured in
The
Gardening
Mysteries.
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Susan Wittig
Albert |
The author
currently lives
near Austin, Texas
with her writer
husband Bill.
Jointly, they
write a Victorian
mystery series
under the pen name
of Robin Paige.
She holds a Ph.D.
in English from UC
Berkeley and was a
college teacher
and administrator
before becoming a
full-time writer.
Her solo creation,
China Bayles, is
the owner of an
herb shop in the
fictional small
west Texas hill
country town of
Pecan Springs.
China had been a
high-priced,
high-powered
criminal defense
lawyer in Houston,
on the fast track
to an ulcer and a
not pleasant
Type-A
personality. She's
sold everything
and abandoned the
money and stress
to follow her
first love,
botany. A strong
feminist; she
feels she has
liberated herself
and relishes her
independence.
Long-running
series like this
have to stay
fresh; character
growth and
relationship
changes are as
important as the
mysteries. The
background of
gardening, flowers
and herbs is very
interesting and is
deftly worked into
the lore and
history of the
plants. You'll
find yourself
anticipating the
next chapter,
curious to see how
China handles a
prickly person or
situation. Later
books in the
series include
some simple
recipes. All books
provide additional
information about
herbs and spices
and include
purchasing
sources.
The
Detective
China Bayles is
a former
attorney who
escapes the rat
race for a small
town in Texas to
open an herb
shop and enjoy
the simple life.
She never quite
gets to the
"simple, quiet"
part, though,
and therein, of
course, hangs
the tale. I
really enjoy
these books, and
with her right
to practice law
still in place,
China manages to
keep things
interesting for
everyone around
her - especially
the reader! --vj
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Kate Collins
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Kate Collins, a
former teacher,
lives with her
husband in
Northwest
Indiana during
the mild months,
then high-tails
it down to Key
West for as much
of the winter as
possible.
There are four
books in the
Flower Shop
Mystery series.
The
Detective
Me, Abby Knight,
an entrepreneur!
Who would have
guessed when I
flunked out of
law school a
year ago that
I’d be standing
here today in
front of
Bloomers, my
very own flower
shop. Even
though I may be
penniless, I am
soundly devoted
to my new
profession—whether
it means
arranging a
bouquet of
flowers—or
unearthing the
seeds of murder…
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Joyce and Jim
Lavene
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Joyce and Jim
Lavene have
written more
than forty
novels together.
They also write
short stories,
non-fiction
articles and
teach writing
workshops. Their
hobbies include
gardening — they
are certified
Master Gardeners
— and
photography.
The
Detective
Peggy Lee,
botanist,
detective’s
widow and owner
of The Potting
Shed, an urban
gardener’s
paradise in
downtown
Charlotte.
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Heather Webber |
Heather Webber
writes mysteries
in between
running her
three children
to and from
various sporting
and school
events, actively
avoiding
housework, and
wishing someone
would give her
backyard a Taken
by Surprise
makeover. This
native of
Massachusetts
was uprooted and
transplanted to
a little cranny
of southwest
Ohio shortly
after marrying
her high school
sweetheart. She
loves her small
town and can
usually be found
somewhere in the
midst of a
soccer field or
hard at work on
her next Nina
Quinn novel.
The
Detective
Landscaping is
Nina Quinn's
business, but
trouble seems to
be her middle
name. Saddled
with a recently
expelled,
faithless
local-cop
husband, a
teenaged terror
of a stepson,
and the yappiest,
most
unhousebreakable
Chihuahua in
captivity, Nina
needs a break!
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