"Charming cozy mystery debut with witty characters."

The fact that Abby Knight has dropped out of law school and become a florist doesn't keep people from coming to her for legal advice. Her insatiable need to help (or meddle, as her friends and family see it) often gets her into hot water. After advising a battered woman to seek a divorce and get a restraining order against her abusive husband, Abby starts receiving threatening phone calls and disturbing "presents" are left on her doorstep. To add to her current woes, her vintage Corvette has just been smashed by a hit-and-run driver. Abby sees the accident happen and is determined to track the driver down.

Marco Salvare, the ex-cop who owns the business next door, offers to help her. Marco would just as soon Abby quit meddling and let him do the detective work, but that's not in her nature, even when their pursuit of the mystery driver turns deadly.

A charming debut for the new Flower Shop mystery series. Abby makes for a spunky, feisty heroine, her sidekicks are quirky and Marco is suitably hunky. The whodunit was a bit transparent, but that's easy to forgive in light of the well-fleshed-out, witty characters.

Reviewed by Tish Glasson
Posted October 20, 2004

Read an Excerpt

First in the new Flower Shop Mystery series

Summary

I don't meddle, honest! But can I help it if my nose for injustice is as keen as my green thumb? Now, I, Abby Knight, law school dropout, am the proud new owner of Bloomers, my hometown flower shop. I'm devoted to making my business grow—but I'm no shrinking violet if someone needs my help to right a wrong—even if that person is already dead....

So maybe Abby's life isn't the bed of roses she was hoping it would be. She adores her job, but a new low-cost competitor is killing her profits—and a black SUV just rammed her vintage Corvette in a hit-and-run. Determined to track down the driver, she accepts the help of hunky ex- cop Marco Salvare. But their budding relationship is threatened when the trail turns deadly. Now Abby is caught in a tangle of menacing phone calls, police corruption, and murderous road rage. If she's not careful, the next flower arrangement might be for her own funeral....