Marigolds, Mischief, and Murder Earns 5/5 Bouquets … Engaging & Clever!

Justin Hunt had serious issues with his friend Chris Crawford. They were schoolmates, teammates, and even tangled up in a few pranks together, but this disagreement was different. Chris dismissed it, and Gwen Stevens thought they’d work it out they always had before. But, it’s unly now. Gwen got a text from Chris at two in the morning about an “emergency,” and although she’s embarrassed about always being at Chris’s beck and call, she thought it could be trouble, and she’s right … murderous trouble. Justin dead, and Chris is nowhere to be found, and the new resident, Detective Finn Butler, is sure he knows why.

Erica Wynters’s debut cozy is an exciting small town gem! I was hooked right off with the teasing friendship between our star Gwen and her longtime friend Chris Crawford being interrupted by Justin Hunt raising all kinds of hell with Chris. The rumors reveal money problems (of course), infidelities (great motive), scorned significant other (they’re always in the mix), long-time grudges (know someone long enough there’ll be grudges), and no honor among felonious partners (hey, they’re criminals). A small town should be the easiest setting to solve a murder with fewer people and gossip as an art form, but Gwen finds some are eager to share what they know and others refuse, some are an open book and others have secrets, and she’s in the way or maybe a target. Clever drama … engaging all the way to a surprise conclusion.

The crime, the plot, and having a surprise result are all important and well-developed by Erica Winters’ creativity, but, for me, it’s the characters I need to be respond realistically and in some way, capture my interest. Here they do. Gwen is a strong female portrayed with realistic strengths and weaknesses, boyfriend issues, and an engaging place in the family dynamic. The cast is loaded with diverse figures, but it is still relatively easy to follow everyone’s connection to the crime. I enjoyed the romantic triangle pitting Gwen’s longtime friend Chris against the obvious spark she feels for the new detective. Sides are formed, yet there is no definite decision made, however, I am firmly on Team Finn! I greatly enjoy the dance between him and Gwen with good steps mixed with the bad, and it’s a nice giggle following Gwen’s efforts to uncover Finn’s real name since he knows hers. I didn’t learn much about “marigolds.” I would have d to have had some interesting insights or historical thoughts included about the flower, or maybe a connected clue discover because of the flower. Delightful fun!

Disclosure: I received an ARC from Gemma Halliday Publishing. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.a-krl completed-20231 Eirlys1,449 8

A good start to a series

An engaging story, with, Gwen, who runs the local florist shop becoming embroiled in a murder mystery. I d the characters who were very well created, and interacted with each other well.1 Ashley M151 25

Marigolds, Mischief and Murder is an intriguing small town cozy mystery with a great romance subplot tossed in for good measure.

Gwen Stevens has been hung up on her friend Chris Crawford for years. YEARS. She’d do anything for this guy, even after he’s firmly placed her in the friend zone. She’s been helping him renovate a building he purchased to start his own youth support centre. During a seemingly normal night of helping out, Justin Hunt enters and starts an argument with Chris. After being told to leave, Gwen heads for a night out with her bestie, Penny, where she hears another argument involving Justin. After being woken up in the middle of the night to a cryptic text from Chris, Gwen finds herself at his building. But she’s not alone - Justin is dead on the ground and Chris is the prime suspect. Knowing in her heart that Chris didn’t do it, Gwen sets out to prove his innocence - much to the chagrin of Finn Butler, the new (handsome)detective from out of town.

I thought this was a pretty solid book on the whole. The plot was well put together and I definitely had no idea whodunnit until the big reveal at the end. My hypothesis changed several times while reading but I was totally wrong with who I thought it was. I enjoyed being wrong and the buildup to the discovery was a lot of fun. I also felt the pacing of the book was good as well. There’s a definite passage of time, events outside of the murder happen to help move things along, and it helped build this small town into something real and believable.

I think the only thing I wasn’t fond of was Gwen’s total, utter devotion to Chris. , I get it, they’ve been friends for years and she’s been carrying a torch for him all this time. Penny was doing a great job as wingwoman trying to steer Gwen towards Finn. I actually really enjoyed Gwen and Finn’s interactions. The banter they had was fun to read and I loved the whole guessing what Finn stood for game. I was rooting for the two of them almost immediately and found I was getting annoyed whenever Chris would crash in and take her attention away!

The book ends off on a bit of a romance cliffhanger so I’m excited to see what happens next. Reeeeally rooting for Finn, though! I’m definitely not Team Chris over here!

If you want a good small town, cozy murder mystery with a love triangle romance then I would definitely recommend this!

Thanks so much to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review! Kathleen1,569 10

This is the first book I have read by Erica Wynters. Gwen’s BFF and crush is on the prime suspect for murder of his friend Justin. Chris states he didn’t do it and Gwen believes him even though the evidence points to him.

Detective Finn Butler is the new detective to town. Prior job was with Chicago PD. There are some threads of romance but mostly the murder. If Chris didn’t do it, who did. Chris has never acknowledge an attraction to Gwen but he does depend on her a lot as a friend.
Can Gwen and Finn find the killer and is it Chris, if not, whom is it?

I d the mystery and the red herrings. I d the relationships between what will be the core characters in this series.

I am definitely looking forward to the next in this series. I was given an advanced readers copy. These are my own opinions.

I was given advanced readers copy and am not required to leave a positive review.2023 arc mystery CaraAuthor 56 books65

Another great series from Gemma Halliday Publishing. Gwen Stevens loves the small town where she grew up. She also loves the family flower shop and wants to prove to her parents that she can handle running it. Murder gets in the way. The whole town believes Chris Crawford, Gwen's crush from high school, committed the murder. Gwen sets out to solve it and help Chris. The mystery is suspenseful, the pacing is quick. Lots of interesting small-town characters. I d Gwen's single-minded determination to help her best friend, a guy whose love she has always sought. Great setting. Who doesn't love flower shops? When Gwen is attracted to the new detective Finn Butler, she feels it's a betrayal of Chris, but she can't fight the attraction. Lots of danger at the end, but she solves the murder. Looking forward to the other books in the series, and to especially find out who Gwen chooses, Chris or Finn. I'm on Team Finn. Alice Hazelbaker959 10

Gwen and Penny are best friends in the small town of Star Junction, and while Penny is married, she is always trying to find family match for her friend. Meanwhile, Gwen has has a forever crush on her longtime friend of 18 years, Chris, which Penny is determined to stop. After a day of helping Chris at his soon to be youth center, everyone meets at Becky’s bar, where Justin shows up yelling at Chris. But when Gwen finds Justin dead with one of Chris’s screwdrivers in his chest, things look dire. The newly hired Detective Finn Butler, from Chicago, is on the case , and as he and Gwen become friendly, she tries to help him figure out the small town details. The problem with this case is that there are too many suspects! A fun book to read, and free right now! Regina2

Fun read!

I'm looking forward to Erica's next book in this series! She inhabits her books with well thought out and real characters that you can relate to. Then puts them in sticky situations and let's the hold your breath hilarity ensue! Erica let's her humor, love of romance, and thrill of the chase all shine through her stories; making them a fun read! I highly recommend both reading Marigolds, Mischief, and Murder and following Erica, so you never miss out on her future releases!
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