Lavender and Lies by Carly Winter

Item: Lavender and Lies
Rating: 4
Author: BaronessMom

Posted March 23, 2024 by BaronessMom in Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Cozy Mystery Book Club. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Lavender and Lies

by Carly Winter

Series: Heywood Herbalist Cozy Mysteries #2
Series Rating:

Published by Independently Published on August 25, 2022
Setting: Arizona
Genres: Cozy Animal Mystery
Pages: 186
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: Cozy Mystery Book Club
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Hiding her true identity is difficult... but not as hard as catching a killer.

As Samantha Jones, a former daytime television star, tries to assimilate into the small community of Heywood, her life is upended when her friend, Gina, is arrested for murdering her abusive ex-husband.

Even though every shred of evidence points at Gina being the true killer, Sam can't believe her friend would murder one of the most hated men in town. As her search for the real killer eventually peters out and Sam's ready to declare Gina guilty, a turn of events leads her down an unexpected path.

But will this path lead Sam to the real killer, or will an innocent person rot in prison for the rest of her life?

Lavender and Lies by Carly Winter is a well-plotted mystery set in small town Arizona.

Will Sam figure out who killed Gina’s ex-husband?

Sam Jones

Our sleuth is Sam Jones, aka Samantha Rathbone, a former soap opera star. Now, she owns an herbal shop in a small mountain town in Arizona. She’s got lots of trust issues but has found some great friends and is trying to figure out who she is.

I like Sam. She is funny and caring, and she likes to take care of people. I enjoy her inner dialog and how she sees the connections that some others don’t see. Most of all, though, I enjoy her positivity and the fact that she is moving on with her life.

The Mystery

Gina finds her ex-husband dead in her nail salon, calls the police, and they immediately arrest her. The thing is, her ex-husband isn’t a nice guy; he’s a deadbeat dad and hits women. Ralph is also into some shady stuff. Yet, the local sheriff goes for the most effortless close for the case.

Sam, being the friend that she is, doesn’t believe that Gina would kill anyone, even if she threatened to do it a dozen times. So, she sets out to find the culprit so her friend can be free.

Four Stars

I enjoyed this light-hearted, cozy mystery. My rating for Lavender and Lies by Carly Winter is four stars. I recommend this book to all cozy mystery readers. Ms. Winter has a few other cozy series that I hope to check out in the future.

Heywood Herbalist Cozy Mysteries

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Lavender and Lies by Carly Winter.

Until the next time,

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About Carly Winter

USA Today bestselling author Carly Winter writes fun, small town cozy mysteries, always with a dash of humor and quirky characters. When not writing, you can find her spending time with her family, on a Pilates reformer or enjoying the fantastic Arizona weather (except summer – she doesn’t like summer). She does like dogs, wine and chocolate and wishes Christmas happened twice a year.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges: