A new cozy mystery series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery—and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot—as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia.Riches to rags. … Controlling to chaos. … But murder … seriously?After her ex-husband leaves her high and dry, former socialite Doreen … and dry, former socialite Doreen Montgomery’s chance at a new life comes in the form of her grandmother, Nan’s, dilapidated old house in picturesque Kelowna … and the added job of caring for the animals Nan couldn’t take into assisted living with her: Thaddeus, the loquacious African gray parrot with a ripe vocabulary, and his buddy, Goliath, a monster-size cat with an equally monstrous attitude.
It’s the new start Doreen and her beloved basset hound, Mugs, desperately need. But, just as things start to look up for Doreen, Goliath the cat and Mugs the dog find a human finger in Nan’s overrun garden.
And not just a finger. Once the police start digging, the rest of the body turns up and turns out to be connected to an old unsolved crime.
With her grandmother as the prime suspect, Doreen soon finds herself stumbling over clues and getting on Corporal Mack Moreau’s last nerve, as she does her best to prove her beloved Nan innocent of murder.
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Just loved this book! Have already read the next two books and they were great as well. Have been a fan of the author’s romantic suspense books and can not believe this was even better! This book has everything you could want in a “cozy”! Loved the animals! Loved her crazy gambling granny and her new potential suitor! Doreen stumbles into body after body, after splitting with her husband. Its great to see her grow in self-sufficiency and how much she really wants to solve the mystery. Humor, light romance and a great mystery!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What an awesome read. Love these books. It has murder, mayhem, suspense, emotional situations and so much more. Then you have the funny characters and great storyline. Add in a few funny animals and you have a story you just can’t put down. I was given a review copy and voluntarily review it.
This is book one in the Lethal Gardens series and it features Mack, Doreen and Nan. This quirky story is a witty, wacky murder mystery with crazy characters and their pets. In this first book there is NO romance even slightly happening. As a reviewer this genre with its lack of romance is not the normal for me but I decided to give it a chance anyways. As I started reading it became more and more interesting and before I knew it I was HOOKED! The murder mystery was brilliantly written. The outcome was surprising! Nan is fantastic! These quirky characters have just the right amount of crazy and seriousness in them. Mack is totally serious, more than sexy and I want more of him. I’m looking forward to the next book.
Omg!!! This is a hilarious mystery.
Our girl Doreen has just gotten out a marriage, (she got the shaft money wise, and hopefully that’ll change).
She moves to be closer to her grandma Nan, whom just moved to a retirement home.
Doreen’s first day involves her basset hound, a house that has seen better days, two new pets and a dead body!
With help from the local PD and Nan, Doreen is on the case!
A great start to a new series by this author that had mystery, humour, and a bit of suspense near the end. Doreen has moved into her Nana’s house after her divorce, trying to get back on her feet and make a new life. Only after arriving to her new home, her dog happens to find something disturbing and soon the police are all up in her backyard and business. She then decides to find some answers and gets Mack, a corporal in the force, helping her out when she finds more mysteries in her home. Now if she can only stop finding bodies, she may have a normal life.
A great start with a few scenes that had me chuckling out loud. I did miss the romantic aspect of the read but I’m hoping the author has Doreen and Mack find their way towards each other because of romance and not because of bodies. The story flowed nicely and Nana was a hoot as well as her family of furry pets. The ending brought all the answers to the mystery but leaves it on another mystery and a bit of a cliffhanger when Doreen, once again, finds something in a garden.
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy and expressed my honest opinion*
This is the first book in the Lovely Lethal Gardens series. When I first read about this book, I wasn’t very interested in reading it. I don’t really like the amateur sleuth genre. Since I love Dale Mayer’s other series I decided to give it a chance and I’m glad I did. Doreen was a trophy wife that never had to do anything for herself. After her separation, she needs to learn how to take care of herself. She moves into her grandmother’s house and finds that she has a cat and parrot in addition to her dog. The animals provide humor, while the dog finds dead bodies, the parrot is always talking with lines that make you think he isn’t just mimicking what he hears. Doreen starts clearing out some of the clutter in the house and turns up clues to the murders. While driving Mack the RCMP investigator crazy, she actually helps to solve the murder or as it turns out 3 murders. This is another hit series and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed reading Arsenic In The Azaleas . This is book one in the Lovely Lethal Gardens series .
This cozy mystery is great and definitely keeps your attention .
It is humourous and delightful . The Characters are interesting . Doreen Montgomery is a accident waiting to happen but you gotta love her . Corporal Mack Moreau really has his hands full keeping Doreen in line or at least trying to . The collection of pets are a Fabulous interesting bunch . It is a very well written story .
I look forward to more in this series .
The story line is intriguing and interesting . I highly recommend taking the time to read and enjoy .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I will have to admit I was surprised at the idea of Dale Mayer writing Cozy Mysteries. I wasn’t sure what to expect but apparently she can do just that! She managed to grab my interest and keep it throughout this tale of Doreen and her new life after divorce. Thaddeus, Goliath and Mugs help the story along by being themselves. Doreen’s grandmother Nan and Corporal Mack Moreau keep the action going as well. I wasn’t too sure about Doreen at first but she is mellowing with time and I’m looking forward to more of her adventures!
I was also leery about reading a ‘Cozy Mystery’ as they have often been known to put me to sleep (which is great at bedtime but not so much at other times) but this one made me laugh, kept me wondering, made me want to pick up this book again when I had to put it down. Can’t ask for anything better than that. Another success for this author
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Thank you for sharing!
A new series from Dale Mayer and it’s a cozy mystery one and it’s so refreshing, so different from her other books and I love it.
It has everything that I love in a mystery book.
Easy to read but still a page turner mystery story with twists and surprises….check.
Quirky, unique, and full of curiosity heroine, although sometimes frustrating and a bit reckless, but still loveable….check.
Adorable freakish and mischievous furry friends….check.
Hot detective….double check.
Although I found it a bit predictable and simpler than her previous books (maybe it’s because the last book I read from Dale Mayer is the one in Psychic Visions Series), I still really enjoy it nonetheless, I was laughing a lot, rolling my eyes at some parts, smiling like a lunatic at other parts and can’t stop reading because all the mistery.
If you love cozy mystery read, this one is for you.
*I voluntarily received a review copy of this book
Arsenic in the Azaleas is the first book in a new Dale Mayer series entitled Lovely Lethal Gardens. Our heroine is blond, curly-haired, 35-year-old Doreen Montgomery, who has shed her married name of Merriweather and moved back to the house in Lower Mission area of Kelowna, British Columbia, where her beloved grandmother a/k/a Nan, had lived for 40 years before signing it over to Doreen and moving into the local senior community, Rosemoor. Nan and Doreen were very close during Doreen’s early years, but that connection was strained when Doreen married a very wealthy and controlling man who after 14 years of marriage replaced her with a new, younger woman. That the divorce lawyer who had advised her she was entitled to nothing in the divorce WAS that new, younger woman now living in her mansion, made Doreen more determined than ever to reclaim herself and her life as an independent woman. In Kelowna the two generations reconnect more strongly than ever, spiced with Nan’s gleeful participation in numerous betting pools at Rosemoor, where the gossip mill is alive and well, providing ideas for pools ranging from who did what, when they did it, and how long it took the police to find out.
Doreen’s life in Kelowna started not with a bang, but with a gas. Having hauled her meager possessions into the old house, she sought a relaxing cup of tea; however, the ancient dysfunctional gas stove, coupled with her inexperience in all things domestic, delayed that relaxation. Finally sipping her electric-tea-kettle hot tea on the veranda while watching her beloved basset hound Mugs (the only possession she had been allowed to keep from the failed marriage) meander through the large backyard garden, Doreen noticed something hanging from his mouth…(ew!)…a human finger with flesh and the fingernail still attached. Doreen and Mugs, along with Nan’s pets (bobcat-sized Maine Coon cat Goliath and African parrot Thaddeus), who have remained with the house, set about to solve the mystery of the digit’s owner.
New experiences abound as Doreen tries to overcome the deficiencies of having been the “Barbie” wife who was not allowed to get her hands dirty. And now, the local police force is destroying her backyard looking for the source of the finger. Detective Mack Moreau is the lucky dude who fields Doreen’s many calls as she finds more bodies and clues, seeing new connections and drawing conclusions to “help” solve the murders.
Nan, Doreen, Mack, and of course the as-yet unknown killer are the key characters for the first book of this new series; but my list of favorites would be incomplete if it didn’t include Mugs, Goliath, and Thaddeus. Of the three, only Thaddeus speaks, but all three communicate their support for Doreen by their hilariously “accidental” diversions whenever someone they consider a threat is near. If you love a storyline about relationships — the sweet relationship between a wronged young woman and her supportive grandmother, the adversarial relationship between a once-wealthy-now-broke woman and an old kitchen stove, and the new amazing family relationship shared by a canine, a feline, a parrot, and a human, Dale Mayer’s Arsenic in the Azaleas is perfect for you. I plan on reading the whole series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Arsenic in the Azaleas by Dale Mayer
Lovely Lethal Gardens Series Book One
Doreen Montgomery has just moved into her grandmother’s home. It’s a huge change from where she lived with her wealthy husband. Nan’s moved into Rosemoor, the nursing home not far from Doreen. Her first day isn’t going too well. She hasn’t even unpacked—before all kinds of things happened. Such as, she now not only has Mugs, her basset hound, but she’s also a caretaker for a cat the size of Mugs and a talking bird.
The following days in her new home and town don’t improve much. Doreen seems to be a magnet for trouble. Good thing she has the handsome detective to call.
This is told from Doreen’s perspective only. A humorous mystery.
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I was kindly provided this book as an ARC; in exchange for my honest review. If you’re a loyal reader of this authors books; I feel I must warn you that this book (a first in her new series) is VERY different from anything else she’s written before.
This book reminded me of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum mysteries. The book while dealing with some morbid events, was truly light hearted an comical in parts, but no hot-steamy love scenes, violence, or profanity. This book can be read by all-ages. Some may find it to be a little “young,” but as with most of Ms. Dale’s work, it is well written and a fast read.
Story begins with Doreen Montgomery, a soon to be single 35 year-old woman who’s on her own for the first time. After losing everything but her dog (Mugs) and her expensive (mostly useless) wardrobe, Doreen moves into her grandma “Nan’s” home.
One hour after arriving at her new home, Doreen’s dog and Nan’s cat (Goliath) bring her a human finger! Then the adventure begins. This is an entertaining and somewhat silly story. The next book in the series will be Bones in the Begonias. I’m looking forward to it.
This one is a cozy mystery full of humor. This is a new genre for this author and I was unsure how I would feel about it. I think it was a great read and the series has a ton of potential! Doreen is a quirky heroine and Corporal Mack is a great character that you kinda feel a bit sorry for when you read their interactions. The mystery itself will keep you guessing and the way Doreen learns more about Nan as a person is engaging. I look forward to seeing this new series develop.
This book starts off with a bit of sadness since Doreen Montgomery has been booted out by her husband and then she discovers his new love is her attorney who led her astray when advising her on how to do things. She signed on the dotted line but is it too late?
As Doreen settles into her now home which was given to her by her Nana who has moved into an assisted living facility she discovers she has also inherited a cat and a parrot to go along with the dog she already has.
Then she discovers the item her dog is chewing on is a human finger!
As things progress Doreen is about as sharp as any tack ever made. The detective in charge has to stay on top of his game to keep her from going off to follow leads without him.
This book is filled with mystery, intrigue, murder (more than 1) and it was so much fun to read that I almost forgot it was a serious murder mystery and not a humorous story.
I found this book to be surprisingly fun, suspenseful and highly entertaining. A murder mystery read that is heavily spiced with humor will leave you chuckling as you try to figure out this whodunnit. I loved Doreen. I thought she was a charming combination of sassy and clueless. This left you either cheering her on or smacking your forehead at her many “Duh Moments”. Her interactions with poor Corporal Mack Moreau will leave you in stiches and sending him your sympathies. I think I feel a spark of chemistry there and hope it develops over the series. The addition of the scene stealing Mugs, Goliath and Thaddeus is truly the icing on the cake! A great book and a wonderful start to this series that will leave you eager for the next book.
Just who is the most intuitive crime fighter in this series??
I started reading this and I wasn’t sure what to expect but oh WOW!! I’ve read all of Dale Mayer’s Military/Seals and Psychic Vision series…I’ve just found a new book series to love and continue.
… Doreen makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time… I love her sassiness, her outlook and the realism of life in not knowing what to do but making the best of any given situation that comes her way. Still trying even if mistakes and bumbles are made. She is definitely finding herself… the animals… OMGooshness they are hilarious, highly intuitive, laugh out loud family pets… and boy they make for better crime scene investigators!!
This is a book that delivers fun, hilarity even when your facing some of your toughest moments, when life has drastically changed, you don’t know where your next dollar is coming from and don’t mention the bodies in the garden… yet through all the angst you remain upbeat, finding out who you really are as a woman of strength and courage. ARSENIC IN THE AZAELA’S is the captivating series starter in the Lovely Lethal Gardens series. It’s just the beginning for Doreen and her menagerie of pets. It offers readers serious but loads of fun and hilarity to lighten those serious aspects of life. A wonderful weekend page-turning story to brighten your day. I highly recommend this new series. If you love mysteries and humour this book delivers… I look forward to seeing the next adventures that Doreen faces…
Is this what’s known as a cozy mystery, not really my thing but I love this author. It was an entertaining tale with all the animals and dead bodies turning up. I had wondered if the good guys would turn out to be the bad guys. The female character is a ditz, brainwashed into being a trophy wife for too long. Hoping the next story has her ex getting what he deserves. Funny tale, I enjoyed it.
Doreen had no idea what she was in for when she took up an offer from her grandmother. Yes, sure I will come live there, and well yes, I can feed the cat. She takes Mugs to Mission and the rest is history. Mugs finds a bone. Then of course there is Goliath and Thaddeus. Those two characters help keep this story moving and provides many a chuckle. Then throw into the mix the RCMP and it is game on. I have tried hard to not give any spoilers. I know you will get some laughs out of this and want more of the Doreen and Mack saga.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was such fun! In spite of a rather nasty divorce that leaves Doreen with no home and no money she falls nicely on her feet thanks to her Grandmother ‘Nan’. Nan is moving into an assisted living facility in her town and gives Doreen her home.
Doreen has a dog Mugs, and the house comes with two pets as well, Goliath a very large Maine Coon Cat, and Thaddeus, a Gray African Parrot. These pets are a hoot.
As Doreen starts to get settled, Mugs comes running with something in his mouth.
The hilarity ensues from Mug’s discovery on. From the initial interview with the police, to her first interaction with Corporal Mack Moreau I couldn’t help laughing at her naïveté. In spite of that she does manage to find additional clues that lead to the murderer. Much to Mack’s chagrin.
So many little twists and turns as she does her best to prove her Nan had nothing to do with the murder. The animals are so much fun as is her Nan. This book is pure enjoyment and I can’t wait to see how her relationship with Mack develops in this series.
This is a new genre and a new series for this author. At first I was dubious about this heroine. She at first appeared ditzy but as her character is developed you realized she does have some brains under her blonde hair.
I really enjoyed this story as it was a light and easy read. As the bodies start to pile up, Doreen puts on her thinking cap and comes up with a theory about how the deaths are related. Or not, according to Mack who is the detective on the case.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.