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 was looking forward to this book as I am hooked on this series and Dale Mayer does not disappoint! I loved the book from start to finish. Love the shenanigans the main character gets caught up in with her inherited three pets. Love that she keeps an ongoing dialogue with the pets and that they are treated as almost human. I love the relationship between the two main characters, Doreen and Mack. And really love the many escapades of Doreen’s Nan. She is so adorable and funny and unpredictable. If you love a good mystery and some laughs you will love this book and this series. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was kindly provided this book as an ARC; in exchange for my honest review. This is book 6 of 6. in the Lovely Lethal Gardens series.
This book series is VERY different from anything else Ms. Dale has written before.
The series continues to remind me of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum mysteries. Doreen seems to inadvertently get into similar “adventures” as Stephanie Plum, and in lieu of a crazy, potty-mouthed, ex-prostitute, side-kick; Doreen has an crazy African Grey parrot. (Seriously).. The book while dealing with some morbid events, is light-hearted and comical in parts, but no hot-steamy love scenes, violence, or profanity. This book can be read by all-ages. (I’ve purchased and allowed a young teen to read). Some may find it to be a little “young,” or “silly;” but, as with all of Ms. Dale’s work, it is well written and a fast read.
Series begins with Doreen Montgomery, a divorced 35 year-old woman who’s on her own for the first time. After losing everything but her dog (Mugs) an adorable Basset Hound moves into her grandma “Nan’s” home. Where she ends up the new caretaker/owner of some interesting pets.
As before I recommend this book if you want a fun-light-hearted, but easy read. If you are accustomed to some of Ms. Dale’s steamier work and that’s your preference; then you may not enjoy. It does help a bit to read the series in order, just to understand the characters better. And, seriously, Thaddeus is a scream. I had a talking bird as a kid, you never quite know what to expect them to say. For some reason, it’s usually going to embarrass you… Like using naughty words in front of the senior pastor from your church… (that was my bird.) But, Thaddeus makes me laugh and reminisce about my silly bird.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
(4.5) This series is getting better and better. I like watching Doreen grown. Mack is growing on me. Mugs, Goliath and Thaddus make up her family, along with Nan who is in the retirement home. I am totally intrigued with the way Doreens brain works, lol and this really is a mystery, with some twists and turns. You think your traveling a simple who done it, and wham intrigue jumps in. I was surprised, and I LOVE being surprised in a mystery. This can be read and enjoyed by all ages.Well done ! Thank you for the arc, Dale Mayer, Booksprout All thoughts and opinions are my own and were unsolicited.
This is a story that takes you on a fast pace journey over just a few days which includes house break ins, car chases to emptying of family history to making new memories. Doreen and Mack’s relationship continues to grow reeling you in for the ride. Nan is still Nan into everything. Mugs, Goliath and Thaddeus keeps us all entertained. Mystery on the footprints are finally answered and the outcome of a cold case keeps you on your toes till the end.
Footprints, Furniture, and Family
I’m not sure which of this book’s parallel plots (Footprints in the Ferns AND Furniture under the Floorboards) held more interest for me (loved them both!), but it seems the common theme here is family.
As Doreen walks down Nan’s memory lane with all the memorabilia she comes across in clearing out Nan’s antiques for a major auction house event, she is filled with love for her sweet-yet-still-sassy grandmother whose investment in the many valuable pieces of furniture, books, and art was always intended to provide Doreen’s financial support for an independent life. The memories she finds date back even to Nan’s Nan, who would leave treats and trinkets in secret drawers and compartments for her own granddaughter to find. Doreen’s excitement as she continued to discover things in places she didn’t even know existed in the old house was incredibly exciting for me as well.
Of course, between sessions with the antiques experts, Doreen cannot clear her mind of the footprints recently found at what looked like a foiled child abduction that were a match for the footprints found outside the scene of an unsolved disappearance of a young girl ten years ago. In this storyline, we see a couple of examples that show the definition of family that transcends traditional genealogy. When Mack is almost run off the road, the family known as Goliath, Mugs, and Thaddeus are the ones who convince Doreen that something bad has happened to Mack. No spoilers here, so as you read about solving the connection between the matching footprints, see whether you can spot the family theme there as well. Good luck and good reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
More than a cozy mystery… This is more than a cozy mystery. This book picks up right after Evidence in the Echinacea. Doreen hears of another cold case, a missing girl, that sparks her curiosity but the movers are coming to pick up the rest of the antiques. While on a walk with her pets, Doreen is appealed to by the missing girl’s mother for help, but Mack doesn’t want her involved again. Doreen has a tendency to put herself in danger. I received a free copy of this book from the author through Booksprout. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. After the Psychic Visions series, this is my next favorite series by the author. I love reading about Doreen’s experiences with her pets, her grandmother, and solving mysteries. It takes longer to get to the mystery this time because of everything happening in Doreen’s life, but that’s half the fun. I enjoy reading about Doreen’s life as much as Doreen solving mysteries. I love this book and recommend this book and series.
The adventures continue for our Doreen, Thaddeus, Mugs and Goliath and we must not forget Mack. As Doreen organises her house and get the antiques out of the house, intruders, threats, cooking lessons and a new but old case to solve. As Doreen and her pets continue their escapades into a case, it’s not all it seems by the end and the animals come to her rescue again. I absolutely love Doreen and her animals and I really hope that something happens between her and Mack. They seem so suited for each other. A fabulous read and I can’t wait to see what she gets upto next.
I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book.
Footprints in the Ferns is the 6th book in the Lovely Lethal Gardens series, it can be read as a standalone story but definitely read the previous books. They are fun and a bit kooky.
Doreen is on the tracks of another “cold”case, injured from her previous case and still with the house filled of antiques. Can Doreen and her little menagerie of pets solve the missing child case even when police Corporal Mack asks her keep herself safe.
Another wonderful mystery story, it’s fast-paced and well-written. The storyline is well thought out with plenty of drama and twists. The characters are amazingly likable, even nan with her quirks is delightful. I’m absolutely loving this series.
A little lighthearted while still dealing with serious themes, I adore Doreen and her family of animals. I hope Mack soon makes a move though, I can feel the attraction sparking off the pages but its a very slow build. I think all it will take is one hot and heavy kiss, so hopefully in the next book while cooking dinner. I don’t think I would want to live in this town though, there seems to be an awful lot of missing people over the years and some linked. I love Nan and the relationship the two of them have, I had one similar with my Nan and we were extremely close so this reminds me of her a bit. I especially love all the antiques and clothing with little secrets and money hidden away that she has bought and saved just for Doreen, as if she knew that at some point she would need this to fall back on. Even with the help though Doreen is working, either gardening which she is paid for or helping solve cold cases, each case is interesting and a bit different. The animals are helping to, they suss the suspects out and give her clues to if they are honest or not. Fabulous reading and so easy to just sit and dive deep into the plot, I really wish I could read for a living instead of having to work, it would be my ideal life.
Doreen seems to keep stumbling over cold cases, much to the dismay of her friend Constable Mack. Strange footprints were found at the site of a kidnapped little girl 10 years ago and now just recently, at a site where only some toys were missing. What happened and was it going to happen again? As Doreen dug deeper, much to Mack’s dismay and amazement, the clues and theories evolve. Dale Mayer keeps the reader wandering and questioning, her path filled with curves and twists. A mystery for all ages, this is the 6th book of the Lovely Lethal Garden Series. Cold cases are solved even as Doreen finds herself and reconnects with who and what is important. She is aided by Goliath, Mugs and Thaddeus, her fur and feather family.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love reading this series . This story is spectacular . Doreen and her family of critters are back to solving the cold cases . I love Doreen and her critters . Mack does not have a chance of Doreen staying out of the cold or current cases .
This story is heartwarming , definitely a delightful and full of humorous situations . I read straight through so Intertaining . I am looking forward to reading the next in the series . They are so great. I highly recommend taking the time to read and enjoy this amazing cozy mystery .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Doreen and her pets are still recovering from a head injury from her last case and just released from the hospital when another cold case falls in her lap. This one involves an eight year old girl who has been missing for ten years.
With Doreen’s ability to think outside the box, she looks at this case differently than the police…from the child’s point of view. She starts asking questions and people start getting nervous and new information reveals itself.
Another enjoyable cozy mystery from this author. I can’t wait for the next one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I am an undeniably huge fan of this cozy mystery series. Is there a romance? Is there not a romance? And OMG the animals. Hilarious. Tie all this together with mystery – perfect.
I look forward to every book in this series. It’s like visiting with friends.
Doreen and her little family of furry and feathered companions are an absolute delight to read about.
Nan makes me laugh out loud with her various money making ventures at the senior residence she lives in, and she is a real blessing to her Granddaughter.
Corporal Mack has his hands full keeping their little town safe, and trying to keep Doreen safe at the same time. Doreen has a talent for solving cold cases, but not as much talent at keeping herself out of dangerous situations.
The companion animals in this series are hilarious. The different personalities they have make them the perfect addition to the series, as well as Doreen’s little family.
Doreen is fast becoming famous, or infamous depending on which neighbor you talk to hahaha.
Love love love this series of books!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.