A thrilling and funny British cozy mystery series, packed with conspiracies, cake, and flowers galore! Perfect for fans of Agatha Raisin and Stephanie Plum.Flowers, favours, and a cake with a body in it… what a way to start a wedding!Diana already regrets saying yes to her neighbour’s ridiculous wedding flower demands, but when she discovers a body in the middle of the multi-tiered centrepiece… … middle of the multi-tiered centrepiece… it’s really taking the cake!
The man in the cake has been murdered.
Diana suspects that one of her neighbours may be the killer.
And she already knows that some of them are keeping skeletons in their closets.
Sometimes literally.
Murder would send most people running for the hills, but Diana has a blossoming business to think about.
She needs to get to the bottom of her neighbourhood’s dark past, or her new cut flower business could suffer a blight!
Start reading this hilarious cozy mystery series today!
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I had so much fun reading these mysteries! I love the characters and the way Diana and Fergus solve these mysteries! Fergus is an absolute hoot and a complete kick in the pants! He is so funny! I highly recommend this series!
Gardenias and a Grave Mistake makes my neighbors seem very tame This book has everything I expect from Ruby Loren – good writing, interesting plot, way too many suspects, even a conspiracy theorist this time, and of course her dog! Prepare to be entertained.
I really enjoyed Delphiniums and Deception . I never figured it out. Fergus takes Diana to a very strange flower arranging course as a birthday gift. How strange will be explained when you read this wonderful mystery. Of course one of the attendees is murdered the first night. Attendees had to surrender all electronic devices before the course began. Now they are locked in until the course ends and someone is a killer. I did not get much else done until I finished this one!
Poinsettias and the Perfect Crime is a great addition to the Diana Flowers Floriculture Mysteries. Diana, Fergus and their dogs, Diana’s ex-boyfriend, various villagers and some of Diana’s family members are embroiled in this new murder. There are conspiracy theories, a cursed diamond, secret societies and way too many suspects. Come join the fun.
Peonies and Poison is actually two mysteries in one. Even Diana is beginning to think there may be something to Fergus’ latest conspiracy. But Diana has bigger problems when the vicar dies after eating one of her cupcakes. The bumbling village lawman Walter Miller is determined to pin anything and everything on Diana. This book has red herrings, misdirects, a new florist in town, a stalker, an explosion, the usual village inhabitants and Diana’s mother makes a great speech! This may be my favorite book in the series. This is an exciting, witty, well crafted mystery.
The Lord Beneath the Lupins is another ride through conspiracy land with Diana and Fergus. Poor Diana unearths yet another skeleton. Fergus has a theory – and he may be correct! These tales are always convoluted, amazing and well written. This book just may be the best one in the series so far. I was sucked into Diana’s world on page one and was sorry to reach the end!
This is an outstanding series of well written, cleverly crafted mysteries!
A whole bouquet of Diana Flowers mysteries!
If you enjoy the sharp wit, the wacky Fergus conspiracy theories and his fan club, this is a great collection!
She is independent and has a great if naughty dog.
Fun and fab read
Pretty posies and mysteries go together.
I have gotten a chance to read these wonderful cozies and I just loved them Ruby Loren has such wit and talent in her well-written pieces. This collection has the first five Diana Flowers Mysteries and you can get the prequel free “The Florist and the Funeral”. Diana is a chemist who turns to growing flowers and running across mysteries. The books are well thought out and highly entertaining it is a collection you would not go wrong with having. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Diana Flowers series:
The Florist and the Funeral #0 – The prequel to the Diana Flowers series. A quickly read, fun story about a chemist, with a high IQ, interested in growing and selling flowers to meet the growing demand. Along the way there’s a death, which she solves since she is smarter than the old Lt. There’s quite a bit going on in this novella and the “killer” is a big surprise and not what you expect. Another series that may be the match for Madi’s zoo series. I contacted the author to review her books and received this one. 5*
Gardenias and a Grave Mistake #1 – My favorite series by this author is the Madi Amos Zoo Mysteries, but this is an interesting series so far. The prequel should be read first to get the foundation, The Florist and the Funeral. I like both Fergus and Diana; they’re perfectly matched to each other, tin-foil hat optional. The other characters worked in their roles. The story took a little bit to get rolling but it did get interesting and had some good twists. Diggory is a character all of his own. I was disappointed that Di let the nematodes get to her; there’s an easy, nonpoisonous fix to get rid of those critters, but there’s always a change that works out better in the end as I found with Madi’s series. Included with the story is a free offering of the prequel and a list of edible flowers. I contacted the author to review her book. 4.5*
Delphiniums and Deception #2 – This story had me so immersed in it that I just let it carry me along. The bunker had overtures of several sources, including the Saw series, so I saw several ways this could have worked out. Several people in a isolated location with a murderer and the deceased. But Ms. Loren made this theme her own and unique, and it was hard to put the book down. I figured out three possible murderers, but I missed. I liked the way the Floral Arrangement retreat was arranged; and certainly enjoyed the punishment feature of the classes. There are many interesting storylines for the characters. Fergus really shined brightly in this story, from his heartwarming gift to his ability to surprise. 4*
Poinsettias and The Perfect Crime #3 – A good addition to the series, with plenty of new characters and twists. There are plenty of storylines weaving their contributions throughout this story, all well thought out and moving at a good pace. There is still the funny and interesting relationship between Diana and Fergus, adding to the mix of townsfolk and new characters. The new characters are developed just enough pull their share and are believable – you believe they’re up to something. Fergus pulls his load and comes up smelling like a rose again. There’s a bit of originality with the crime and a very good surprise with one of the special characters. There’s traces of Egypt and India meshed in behind the scenes that lend a different flavor to this series. I contacted the author to review her books. 5*
Peonies and Poison #4 – Wow, the best book of the series and Fergus plays a big role. I loved the way the book started with the new florist in town and I enjoyed the conspiracy. Quite a bit of intrigue to keep the reader immersed in the story. Ms. Loren writes a bit above the regular cozy mold and this book is above her usual. Good suspense, good mystery, good descriptions; all that make this a must read. I contacted the author to review her books. 5*
The Lord Beneath the Lupins #5 – I enjoy reading this series and The Lord is no exception. All of the books in this series is actual substantial compared to many of the cozy mysteries; with plenty of planning and research and common sense. Ms. Loren has put plenty of changes and twists in this story giving the reader a glimpse of what is to come. The old storylines merged well with the present storylines and the future books promise several good mysteries to solve as well as pursuing an influential evil monster. There is a good change with some of the characters. Diana gets a bit naughty with some of her actions, but with good reason. There are lots of trust issues going around that add more intrigue to the pages. OK, I will stop here; I am starting to sound like a book report, which goes against my grain. Reviews are not book reports. Needless to say, The Lord is taking this series into deeper muck with different road to travel from the previous books. I contacted this talented author to review her books. 5*
Diana Flowers series end.