A TWINKLE OF TROUBLE by Daryl Wood Gerber
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, 304 pages
4****
Blurb: Carmel-by-the-Sea garden shop owner Courtney Kelly sees things others can’t—like fairies, and hidden motives for murder . . . Courtney is delighted when her tiny friend Fiona returns from the fairy realm, appearing at the base of a Cypress tree. When her Ragdoll cat, Pixie, emerges from her own portal—aka the cat door—the three set off for a busy day. Busier than usual, since Courtney has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm, where she hopes to grow her own supplies for her fairy-garden business. Plus, the annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has booked a booth . . . But the murder of Courtney’s friend, Genevieve, casts a pall over the festival. Ever since Genevieve sold her floral business, she’d been building a career as an influencer. She was perennially opinionated—but in her new role she’d become surprisingly vicious, dissing local entrepreneurs with nasty posts and unwarranted bad reviews. That’s landed a couple of Courtney’s other friends on the suspect list—including Flower Farm owner Daphne Flores. And when a second victim is discovered, seeds of doubt about Daphne’s innocence sprout in Courtney’s mind. With only a germ of a clue, Courtney will have to overturn every rock to get the dirt on the real killer . . .
Thoughts: This is the fifth book in the series and, for those who haven’t read the others, it is a cute cozy with a fun twist – real fairies. Though not everyone can see them. They are tiny and flit around, sometimes helping Courtney out with her investigations. The descriptions of them and the fairy gardens Courtney creates are so vivid, you think they are real.
In this story, a friend, Genevieve, is murdered and it is up to Courtney to help figure out who did the deed. Then there is a second one and everyone seems to have a solid alibi. But, with the help of Fiona, Courtney eventually puts all the pieces together and solves the case (while also putting herself in danger).
The characters are great and the descriptions realistic. But what I loved the most, in addition to the story, is at the end of the book are recipes for some of the foods mentioned in the story – in both regular and gluten free versions! Thank you to the author and publisher for this!
Recommendation: Definitely recommended.
Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Books, for this advanced copy. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by anyone.
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