Daisies for Innocence
Series: Enchanted Garden Mystery Book #1
Author: Bailey Cattrell
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Page Count: 336
My Rating:
Book Summary
From Bailey Cattrell—who writes the New York Times bestselling Magical Bakery Mysteries as Bailey Cates—comes the first Enchanted Garden Mystery featuring custom perfume maker Elliana Allbright…
The Enchanted Garden behind Elliana Allbright’s perfume shop draws people of all ages with its fragrant flowers and lush greenery. But when the magical serenity is interrupted, it’s up to Ellie to sniff out a killer.
Ellie’s life has blossomed in Poppyville, California, since she opened Scents & Nonsense, a custom-made-perfume store. Her skills with aromas and botanical essences—some from her very own garden—seem almost…supernatural. Her perfumes can evoke emotions, bring about change, or simply make people happy. Customers are flocking to the store to buy her wares or just to sit in her beautiful garden, sip tea and enjoy homemade cookies.
But she smells trouble when she learns that her part-time assistant Josie is dating her ex. And before she can tell the young woman to beware of his charms, she finds Josie dead in the Enchanted Garden. Now the prime suspect in Josie’s murder, Ellie must search for the real culprit in Josie’s past—because it’ll take a miracle to nip this problem in the bud….
More Facts for Readers about our Sleuth:
Main Sleuth: Elliana Allbright
Physical Description: Hispanic female, (I can’t recall specific ancestral country, sorry!)
Business: Scents & Nonsense, Aromatherapist and Perfume Maker (storefront on the boardwalk)
Country: Poppyville, California
Pet: Dash, a white and tan Welsh Corgi, and Nabby, a gray cat
Love Interest: Ritter Nelson, former high school crush
Family: Grandmother and mother both passed but who are mentioned regularly. Half-sisters and a father who live elsewhere in another state.
Diversity? Yes! Our sleuth is of Hispanic heritage and her grandmother is referred to a lot both in terms of culture, and in terms of inherited gifts. I don’t know that specifically either her ex-husband, current crush, or friends are of Hispanic descent, and honestly, it doesn’t matter much to me, but I think having diversity is important. The main detective Lupe Garcia is Hispanic and also very intelligent compared to her narrow minded male partner who reads to me like a typical white male – but I can’t be sure. I will endeavor to make better notes about this in the next book, especially for those folks seeking connections in terms of culture to our main sleuth!
My Review
Hooray for Book 1, “Daisies for Innocence” in the Enchanted Garden Mystery series by Bailey Cattrell! The cover illustration pulls you in right off the bat (props!) and the description of the cozy paired with that illustration lets you know you’re in for a good time – I was not disappointed. Enter our main sleuth Elliana Allbright who owns a perfume shop called “Scents & Nonsense”, who is reclaiming her independence after a not-so-great divorce the previous year and who is just getting her footing with her new business, and tiny home. And then wouldn’t you know it – the woman who’d been working for her, and who also had been working for her ex at his restaurant (and had since started dating him), turns up dead – on Elliana’s property. Yikes!
As a life-long plant lover and magically gifted aromatherapist, Elliana can intuit the needs of her customers, and uses her ability to help others and coax her memories into clarity, which help solve the case! If you love gardening, learning about plants, a touch of magic, smart female detectives, girl bosses, small town communities, great friends, and crazy exes peppered into your cozy mysteries then this is for you! There’s a little something for everyone and I can’t wait to read book two. <3
