SUNFLOWERS, SCARECROWS, AND SCANDALS by Erica Wynters
Fiction, Cozy Mystery (coming Oct.1, 2024)
5*****
Blurb: It’s Halloween in Star Junction, and the town is gearing up for a spooky good time. That is, until florist Gwen Stevens discovers the dead body of her neighbor Trevor—dressed as a scarecrow in the Halloween display in front of City Hall with an ominous note from the killer tucked into the pocket of his costume! Murder investigations are always complicated, but when the friends of Trevor’s wife all confess to murdering him, the local police detective Finn Butler is stuck sorting through their conflicting confessions, leaving Gwen to dig up the truth. Ghosts and goblins aren’t the only things that go bump in the night as Gwen searches for the murder weapon, sorts through enough suspects to fill a kid’s trick-or-treat bag, and finally makes a decision between dating Finn or her long-time best friend and crush, Chris. As Halloween approaches, can Gwen unmask a murderer or will this unsolved case haunt the small, peaceful town of Star Junction forever?
Thoughts: This was a fun mystery set at Halloween in a small town that is the standard for cozies. Gwen helps her parents at their flower shop and plays sleuth when she has time. This is the third in the series, but I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything by not reading the first two (though I will now). There is a bit of a romance triangle as Gwen’s high school crush has decided he’s interested in her now, but she is more interested in Finn, the town detective. I loved how Gwen’s father is obsessed with King Arthur times (even naming the flower shop Camelot Flowers).
Gwen’s across-the-street neighbor, Trevor, is as nasty a person as you can have—and also the body. But it’s the suspects who are piling up as five of Trevor’s wife’s (Sandra) all line up to confess to the murder. Finn goes to work on the case, but it’s Gwen who follows the perp and ends up in serious trouble.
This was a quick, easy read with a satisfying ending.
Recommended
Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
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