Courtney Kelly has a shop full of delights, a cat named Pixie, a green thumb—and a magical touch when it comes to garden design. But in Carmel-by-the-Sea, things aren’t all sweetness and fairy lights . . .
When Courtney’s friend Wanda gets into a ponytail-pulling wrestling match in public with a nasty local art critic, Courtney stops the fight with the help of a garden hose. But Lana Lamar has a talent for escalating things and creating tension, which she succeeds in doing by threatening a lawsuit, getting into yet another scuffle—in the midst of an elegant fundraiser, no less—and lobbing insults around like pickleballs.
Next thing Courtney knows, Lana is on the floor, stabbed with a decorative letter opener from one of Courtney’s fairy gardens, and Wanda is standing by asking “What have I done?” But the answer may not be as obvious as it seems since Wanda is prone to sleepwalking and appears to be in a daze. Could she have risen from her nap and committed murder while unconscious? Or is the guilty party someone else Lana’s ticked off, like maybe her long-suffering husband? To find out, Courtney will have to dig up some dirt . . .
Titles in the Fairy Garden Mystery series include — A Sprinkling of Murder – A Glimmer of a Clue –
Title: A Glimmer of a Clue
Series: Fairy Garden Mystery #2
Author: Daryl Wood Gerber
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published: June 29, 2021
Publisher: Kensington Books
My Rating: 4.5 stars
A Glimmer of a Clue continues the Fairy Garden Mystery series with a fun, engaging mystery with a magical touch. I’m enjoying this series very much. I’m drawn to it for many reasons, my love of creating my own fairy gardens, that puzzle to solve before the reveal of who really is the culprit, and the touch of magic with Fiona, Courtney’s fairy friend who has gotten into a bit of trouble with the Fairy Queen.
This time around Courtney’s friend is in the middle of all the mystery involving the stabbing of an art critic with who Wanda had some serious words and altercations earlier. Lana might have been the town bully but even she didn’t deserve this. Trouble is Wanda sleepwalks and has no memory of confronting Lana one final time. Can one kill literally in their sleep? Or is someone else using that as a cover for murder?
The suspects are numerous, the red herrings scattered about so well that by the story’s ending you might be surprised by the actual killer’s reveal. I had fun with this one, and it only makes waiting for the next one a bit harder to handle – I’m often an impatient series reader… but I’ve lots of good company in that trait.
If you love a cozy mystery with a touch of magic, and an entertaining puzzle to figure out then you’ll want to pick up A Glimmer of a Clue soon. I’ve never been disappointed by this author so if you enjoy Cozies then this one is perfect for you.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
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