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The village fête was supposed to be fun. Then someone ended up dead with a show ribbon wrapped around their neck.
Flora Reed again, reporting from the increasingly murderous village of Heatherford. I've survived two bodies, kept Catmint Cottage Nursery from bankruptcy, and almost convinced Marmalade the ginger tom that I'm competent. I've even landed a commission that could put the nursery on the map: designing a "canine scent garden" for Victoria Trent, wealthy dog breeder and social media influencer extraordinaire.
The garden is meant to stimulate her prize dogs' senses with aromatic plants at nose height. Simple enough. Except Dr Percy's terrier Newton has fallen madly in love with Victoria's poodle Delphine, causing chaos at every site visit. The dog show crowd are at each other's throats over rankings and breeding politics. And then, during the village fête's closing fireworks, Victoria's business partner is found dead near my nearly finished scent garden.
His body is arranged with decorative ribbons matching Victoria's show colours. The police suspect a jealous rival breeder. I suspect something far more sinister, particularly when Catmint Cottage is vandalised overnight -- slashed seed bags, smashed cold frames, and threatening messages.
Marmalade starts his own investigation, disappearing for hours and returning smelling of expensive cologne and commercial fertiliser. Someone's been visiting the nursery after closing. Meanwhile, I discover that insurance fraud, fixed dog-show results, and rare plant smuggling are all tangled together like bindweed. The scent garden itself holds crucial evidence: certain plants have been swapped for restricted species worth thousands on the black market.
With Rowan providing research from past dog-show fraud cases, Nell keeping me fed and rational, and Percy's inventions causing their usual havoc, I'm racing to solve a murder before someone else ends up strangled with a show ribbon. The trouble is, the killer knows I'm getting close. And unlike the dogs, they're not playing by any rules.
Perfect for readers who love:
• British village fête mysteries
• Cat and dog cosy mysteries
• Gardening mysteries with plant clues
• Amateur sleuth series with arcs
• Clean mystery with humour
• Quirky English village characters
• First-person narration with wit
Some gardens are for show. Some hide evidence. This one does both.
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