I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Flicker of a Doubt
by Daryl Wood GerberSeries: Fairy Garden Mystery #4
Series Rating:
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation on March 28, 2023
Setting: Carmel, California
Genres: Cozy Culinary Paranormal Mystery
Pages: 304
Format: Kindle
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
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Also in this series: A Sprinkling of Murder, A Glimmer of a Clue, A Hint of Mischief, A Twinkle of Trouble
From Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber, the fourth in an enchantingly whimsical series featuring Courtney Kelly, the owner of a fairy-gardening and tea shop in Carmel, California. It's a special place brimming with good vibes and the kind of magical assistance its proprietor will need to investigate a shocking murder at a prestigious art show!
Making fairy gardens, and teaching crafters how to do the same, keeps Carmel-by-the-Sea shop owner Courtney Kelly busy--but sometimes she has to make time for a wee bit of detective work . . .
With a theater foundation tea and an art show planned at Violet Vickers’s estate, Courtney is hired to create charming fairy gardens for the event. It’s not so charming, however, when her best friend Meaghan’s ex-boyfriend turns out to be Violet’s latest artistic protégé. Even worse, not long after Meaghan locks horns with him, his body is found in her yard, bludgeoned with an objet d’murder.
There's a gallery of suspects, from an unstable former flame to an arts and crafts teacher with a sketchy past. But when the cops focus on Meaghan's business partner, who's like a protective older brother to her, and discover he also has a secret financial motive, Courtney decides to draw her own conclusions. Fearing they're missing the forest for the trees, and with some help from Fiona the sleuthing fairy, she hopes to make them see the light . . .
A Flicker of a Doubt by Daryl Wood Gerber has fairies galore that are accompanied by murder.
Will Ziggy go to jail? Or could Courtney get him out of it?
Courtney and Fiona are back to solve another mystery. Or at least Courtney is, as Fiona can’t meddle in human affairs. These two are a riot, and I love their companionship, along with how their friendship is growing. Courtney is growing with her business and thriving now that Fiona is part of her life. We learn more about Fiona this time, but I can’t say. Fiona made me promise to keep it a secret! Unless you have read the book, she probably did the same for you too. Fiona is growing more into her powers, and her thirst for reading is fabulous. The quotes she uses are hilarious, especially when she uses them in the right circumstances.
The Victim
Ziggy found Nicolas Buley in Meaghan’s yard when he came to ensure she was alright after everything that happened earlier in the day. He had been the police’s number one suspect since he found the body. Nicolas, though, didn’t have many good friends anymore. Meaghan didn’t want him back because of his anger. Nick said he was learning to manage his anger in therapy and wanted her back. Meagan finally realizes he isn’t worth her time and refuses to waste more time on him. Throughout the book, a lot about Nicolas is brought forward to both Courtney’s and Meg’s attention. I figured out who did it right away and guessed at half of the motive but not the entire motive. I didn’t learn that until when it was discovered. Ms. Woods did a great job on this one!
Five Stars
Courtney and Fiona are a force to be reckoned with in this series, and I love every time I come back to Carmel in these books. The characters are fantastic, and I always feel like I’m returning to old friends. That brings me to my rating. I will give A Flicker of a Doubt by Daryl Wood Gerber five stars and recommend it to all cozy paranormal mystery lovers.
Ms. Wood gives us recipes in the back, which are Cashew Tea Cookies, Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Chocolate Coconut Muffins, Gluten-free Chocolate Coconut Muffins, Dark Chocolate Chai Cookies, Double-Chocolate Caramel Brownies, Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies, Gluten-free Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies, Lemon Butter Cookies, Maple Madeleines, Gluten-free Maple Madeleines, Meat Loaf Pie, Nutty Blond Brownies, and Gluten-free Nutty Blond Brownies. I adore that Ms. Wood also adds a gluten-free option for some of these recipes.
Fairy Garden Mystery Series
Giveaway
Prize: A gift card, tote bag, swag, and a choice of my Fairy Garden Mysteries.
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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Flicker of a Doubt by Daryl Wood Gerber. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.
Until the next time,
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2023 Beachcombers Mystery RC
- 2023 Cloak and Dagger
- 2023 CMRC Prompts
- 2023 Craving the Cozies
- 2023 Cruisin' thru the Cozies
- 2023 Finishing the Series
- 2023 Goodreads RC
- 2023 Medical Examiner RC
- 2023 Six Shooter
Karen, thank you for your fun and frisky review! I love how you lay out your blog with the story, victim, and more. Very clever. May your readers enjoy it as much as I did. ~ Fairy best wishes, Daryl Wood Gerber