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 … not this time!One night 10 years ago, 8-year-old Crystal, vanished from her bed … 8-year-old Crystal, vanished from her bed in her parents’ house, the only clue a footprint in the flowerbed below the girl’s window.
Now that footprint’s reappeared, this time at the scene of another crime, and Doreen is under strict orders not to stick her nose into Corporal Mack Moreau’s new investigation.
But while Mack is busy with the new case, Doreen figures it can’t hurt if she just takes a quick look at the old one. Her house is empty, her antiques removed, and she has time on her hands. She’s finished working on Penny’s garden and needs a new project to keep her busy – and allow her to avoid the heavy work waiting in her own garden. And with the help of her assistants, Thaddeus the parrot, Goliath the Maine Coon, and Mugs the Basset, soon Doreen is busy navigating the world of pawn shops and blackmail as she looks for clues as to what happened to the girl stolen from her bedroom so many years ago.
Surely, it’s not her fault when her case butts up against the new one – is it?
more
I’m not sure what I am enjoying more, the antiques Doreen is discovering, the mysteries that have Mack and her sparring, the interactions with her grandmother, Nan, or the antics of her pets.
In each book the pets have been instrumental in solving the cold case and they are also very protective of Doreen. Mugs the Basset, Goliath the Maine Coon cat, and Thaddeus the parrot have become her family.
Now Doreen is still recovering from the hit on the head she took from the guilty party in the last book, but as in real life things don’t stop for her. The house still needs to be emptied of the antiques and Scott is coming to evaluate more of the pieces to see what he can take to auction.
Then there’s the new case with a possible link to the disappearance of a child 10 years ago. Mack can’t share much but Doreen is looking into the older case, the animals don’t particularly like the child’s mother, but the investigation continues.
Plenty of fun and visits with Nan. The suspense of the cases both old and new. Some laughter at Doreen’s naiveté with regards to banking and checks. The amazing finds and new experts coming to evaluate makes for such an enjoyable read.
I really loved the lead in to the next book as well. I can’t wait to read it.
Footprints in the Ferns by Dale Mayer
Lovely Lethal Gardens Series Book Six
Doreen has only been in Nan’s house for a short time, but she’s been kept quite busy. Side jobs of gardening, finding bodies, solving cold cases, avoiding being murdered herself…
Not to mention that she’s found out that Nan left her a house full of valuable items that she can sell and keep the money. All good and fine if only others would stop trying to steal those items from her house.
She’s keeping her new detective friend, Mack, quite busy with all the cases…and trouble that seems to find her. And then there are her animals…her family. Goliath the Maine coon cat, Mugs the basset hound, and Thaddeus the talking bird.
I love this fast-moving, humorous series told from Doreen’s point of view.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2014/09/dale-mayer-book-list.html
I love this series. They have all been great. I recommend them!
This is another book in the Lovely Lethal Gardens series. The best thing about these books are the quirky characters. I love Doreen’s grandmother Nan who left Doreen a house full of antiques and pet menagerie of Mugs the Basset, Goliath the Maine Coon cat and Thaddeus the parrot. Their interactions add so much humor to the story. Then there’s the love hate relationship between Constable Mack and Doreen. Doreen is a newly divorced trophy wife who was handed everything on silver platter and now she has to learn everything about living on your own. Mack spends his spare time with Doreen teaching her about things most people take for granted like cooking, banking, and household repairs. Much to Mack’s chagrin, Doreen gets in the middle of his cold cases. Mack wants her to stay out of police business which ultimately puts Doreen in danger and then Mack needs to come to her rescue. I’ve read a lot of different amateur mystery series, but this is my favorite. Dale Mayer has a way of integrating the characters and mystery into one story.
Things pic up straight after the last book and Mack has given her strict orders to rest but well if there is one thing we have learnt about Doreen from the previous books it’s best not to try and tell her what to do. Not only do we go along for the ride as Doreen tries to work out what happened to Crystal all those years ago but also what other exciting things are hidden within her house. There are some good red herrings in regards to what happened or who was behind the disappearance of Crystal as well as some fun stories told by Nan and surprises in regards to how much money could be coming Doreen’s way!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This series gets better and better with each book written into the series. I love following Doreen and her menagerie of pets as they give people closure from cold cases. It is so funny watching her match wits with Mack and watch him try to keep her from getting into trouble. Every time I finish one of these mysteries, I want to read the next one right away. These are all stand alone books, I just like going to the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Another great book from miss Mayer full of mysterie and humor. If you read one book in this serie you want to read them all. I received this book via Booksprout for an honest review.
I think each one is better than the one before. I have always known animals and birds are very smart, they are intuitive and pick up on so much that we do not give them credit. This menagerie is no different and they love to be involved and help and help they do as you will see. They are hilarious and stubborn and oh so caring. Mack has his work cut out for him and Doreen just seems to fall into cold cases and some not so cold Doreen’s Nan well she is a well-meaning old lady with a heart of gold and a penchant for betting on the outcome of well whatever catches her fancy. Kelowna will never be the same again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is another entertaining and enjoyable entry in this cozy mystery series. I thought the story got off to a slow start in Doreen’s latest escapade but once the main part of the story kicks in, you are reminded of why you like this series and all it’s memorable characters so much. Adventure, madcap high jinx, drama, suspense, humor, cuteness and sweetness are all woven throughout the well written and involving storyline. I love Doreen, Nan, Thaddeus, Mugs, Goliath and the long suffering Corporal Mack Moreau and can’t wait to see them again in the next book.
Mack the ever suffering Police officer, where Doreen is concerned, had had to tell her off again. But while he’s doing it, he patiently is teaching her how to live in the real world Like “What’s a check and how do you make it bounce?” So on the day she’s at the hospital for getting head bashed in, she’s already looking in to a new case. Mack doesn’t know what to do with her! We see a little peak at Mack might be catching feeling, because Doreen hurt them. These astories are easy to read, funny, and have good plot twists, good for any age to enjoy!
Doreen, her animals, friends, and Mack make this book so much fun to read. The series keeps getting better but I am ready for things with Mack to pick up the pace. So far with these books I don’t think I have ever correctly guessed how they will end.
I love this series, the antics of this woman and her menagerie have me chuckling throughout the story. Doreen has another mystery to solve without even trying hard. They just fall into her lap. The house is also empty of expensive items, so we are left wondering will anymore people break into her home. I’m wondering of the chemistry between her and the cop, will it eventually sizzle? I really enjoyed this book, it kept me entertained and glued to my kindle.
This series just gets better and better! Doreen and her cast of characters, from the adorable animals to her eccentric family! Not to mention the Hot Detective she is friends with. This is an awesome cozy mystery with plenty of laughs and a lovely continuing plot. Read them all, you will not regret it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the best book in the series so far and my absolute favorite with Doreen, along with Thaddeus, Goliath and Mugs, trying to find whodunit in a ten year old crime where an eight year old girl went missing. Ms. Mayer knocked me for a loop with “Footprints in the Ferns” and I look forward to more adventures and a must-solve mystery in book seven of the Lovely Lethal Gardens series. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys well-crafted cozy mysteries. I received an advance reader copy of this book from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Another cold case for Doreen to get into more trouble. Actually the cold case is tied to a new case by the footprints discovered in both mysteries. Doreen has just solved one old case (actually more than one) and can’t resist researching another. The pull being an almost abduction of a child in the present compared to the missing child from 10 years ago. Doreen has a busy life trying organize her grandmother’s old house while same grandmother lives in a retirement community nearby and has given her blessing to get rid of the excessive antique furniture acquired over many years. Excessive barely covers the amount of furniture Nan (Grandmother) has stuffed into every nook and cranny. Doreen also has a love interest with her new friend Mack who is a corporal in the local police force. Mack really wants Doreen to stay out of danger this time but Doreen has different thoughts.
Between Doreen’s daily life activities with her very lovable pets who are a hoot in themselves, trying to learn to cook, attempting (maybe) to keep out of trouble, selling and arranging for the dispersal of tons of antique furniture and an equal amount of clothes, handling a few break ins at her new home, and trying to adjust to a new life as divorced woman, Doreen has her hands full and does a wonderful job of balancing it all with grace, mystery and humor. Another great story in this fairly new cozy mystery series.
I really really love Doreen and her quirky furry friends, these adorable squad back in action again, this time with an eight years old girl kidnapping cold case with only footprints in the ferns as a major clue, although most of the story is about Doreen and all her antique furnitures and her journey to get settled financially than the real cold case, I still enjoying it nonetheless, I love how clueless she is about everything and I love how she’s growing to be an independent woman and when the cold case kicks in, everything got more interesting and there’s no way to stop reading because my head keeps spinning all the theories. So yes, I love this book.
If you love cozy mystery read, you don’t want to miss this one.
This series continue to offer us refreshing view of mysteries. Murder was never light matter, of course. Yet the way the story told and the interaction between characters gave a light atmosphere to otherwise gruesome theme.
Again, Doreen found herself embroiled in a cold case mystery. Naturally a curious person, she tried to find out what happened to a case gone cold 10 years ago while Mack busy with a new one that had the same clue as the cold case. It’s cute to see her effort and interactions with Mack and Nan.
An enjoyable read. Company for relaxing days.
I was provided a complimentary copy by the author / publisher through Booksprout, but this in no way influenced my thoughts or opinions.
Doreen has just closed the case against Penny when she stumbles into the case of a strange print in ferns and a missing child from ten years ago. This time another active case goes hand-in-hand with this one and Mack doesn’t want her to interfere with his ongoing case. She’s also trying to sell off her antiques before someone manages to steal them from her. Doreen loves solving the cases and I think she even enjoys having something to do with all her spare time. I love the evolving friendship between her and Mack. The characters are expertly written and intriguing. The story will draw you in and make you feel like you are there. It’s a wonderful series that I just can’t seem to get enough of. I volunteered to read this book on Booksprout.
The highlight of Footprints in the Ferns is, as expected, Doreen, the main character. Her bright and unconventional personality dominates the story, a never-ending source of entertainment for the readers. Her pets are, as usual, active counterparts to her adventures.
Quite unexpectedly, the first few chapters of the book do not reveal any new investigation, focusing instead on describing Doreen’s efforts to give stability to her new life in Kelowna. The painstaking descriptions of her Nan’s antiques’ sale and of her efforts to sort through her belongings may leave the reader wondering as to what the main storyline will be.
Around the middle of the book, however, Doreen launches into solving yet another cold case. The story picks up its pace, the dialogue becomes lively and the narrative is back to the usual, gay writing style of other books of the series.
The second part of the book is a very enjoyable detective story although, given the limited amount of pages left, a few loose strings remain unsolved.
Overall, Footprints in the Ferns feels more like a transitionary episode to me. The author indulges in the exploration of her characters’ personalities rather than recounting the expected detective story. As a result, the book is likely to be different from what the readers may have anticipated. Nonetheless, it remains interesting enough to entice their curiosity for Doreen’s next adventures.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. Opinions and comments are solely my own
Doreen’s house is empty as the valuable antiques have all been removed and so she has time on her hands. So when her friend (and love interest?) Corporal Mack Moreau is busy with a new investigation which has a similarity via mysterious footprints under the bedroom window to a 10-year-old case of a missing 8-year-old girl called Crystal, she decides it won’t hurt to use some of the time she has on her hands (and to avoid heavy work in her own garden) to have a quick look (even though Mack has already warned her off). of course she won’t have to struggle on her own as she has the help of Thaddeus the parrot, Goliath the Maine Coon, and Mugs the Basset hound. What she finds are a world of pawnshops blackmail and hidden emotions. So it’s not really her fault surely when her case merges with the one Mack is working on. Can Doreen solve this latest mystery?
This was a lovely mystery which you find yourself solving as you read through the story and find the clues. It seems that where Doreen now lives is a bed of old police cases just waiting for her to come along and solve. It makes me wonder if it is the same in order places or did her Gran deliberately live somewhere with so much hidden crime? Well written and very addictive, I was dying to know the outcome while also feeling sad that another of these stories was coming to the end. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next story and just hope that Mack and Doreen manage to get to something more romantic (and permanent). Highly recommended.