Making cupcakes can be murder.Especially when someone has poisoned them. Diana knows she’s being framed for a crime she didn’t commit, but who is out to make her look guilty, and why?Speaking of secret enemies… Fergus has done something terrible. Now part of a new crime-fighting duo, Diana finds herself immersed in a deep, dark conspiracy theory. At the heart of it is a mystery that has baffled … theory. At the heart of it is a mystery that has baffled investigators for decades. The whole thing is more ridiculous than anything Fergus has ever previously believed.
The worst part is… she’s starting to think it might all be true.
Now, more than ever, she needs to find a logical answer… or face accepting something that defies scientific explanation.
more
This book is part of series. While this book by itself is a great quick read, it’s the series that steals the show!
Diana Flowers is in trouble again. Just for a change Fergus didn’t cause it, but is involved by the end. A new florist has come to the village and seems to drive Diana out of business at any cost. Then someone drops dead after eating on of her cupcakes. The local policeman, who hates Diana because of her mother, wants to lay the blame squarely on Diana. She has to try and discover who is actually guilty. Meantime, Diana has received a job offer – which appears to be a offer that she is not allowed to refuse. She needs to find out what is going on.
Oh WOW! There are ALL kinds of thing happening in this book! Lots of surprises…Luana Ricci was a big one! Crickley Marsh was surprising. I loved reading this!
“Peonies and Poison” earns 5/5 Red Velvet Cupcakes & Conspiracies…Entertaining and Fun!
Luana Ricci has arrived in Merryfield to open a competing floral service, offering unsustainable deals to acquire clients, disparaging Diana’s reputation, and maybe doing a bit of…sabotage? Venturing into floral-infused honey and cupcakes Diana tries to set herself apart from Ricci’s Floristry, but the new vicar discovers red velvet treats topped with dianthus blooms are deadly!
Then Furgus, close friend and conspiracy theorist, returns from his book tour with some additional insights into the on-going mystery connected to his interest in Crickey Marsh, the nearby village deserted since WWI where even the previous residents are missing.
I am a fan of Ruby Loren’s Diana Flowers cozy. I am always treated to an intriguing mystery punctuated with twists and turns, humor, friendships, and although a clever ending, there are some issues left for another day. I thought I knew the direction she was heading, I saw Karma ridding her of one of her nemeses. However, I was pleasantly surprised how multiple suspects, stalkers, and more Ricci antics veered into an entertaining direction. I’m used to many British books and television shows portraying law enforcement as snarky and either resistant to help or quick to judgement, but I wish Detective Miller would chill out! The characters are the best. Diana has really settled in with great friendships and a budding romance with Fergus Robinson, and the members of the Merryfield Murder Mystery Fans’ book club illustrate quirky…lots of fun!
Diana is happy to find that her little flower business seems to be blossoming until a flower shop comes to town. Thinking that there is enough business for both of them, she decides to form a friendship with the flower shop owner but instead is faced with animosity. Not only is the woman mean and ruthless, but she also wants to see Diana’s business crumble. To bolster her spirits, Diana gets a booth at the fair and works with the local bakery to create cupcakes with edible flowers. Unfortunately, the vicar becomes a victim to a poisoned dessert and Diana is prime suspect number one.
Now Diana finds herself, with the help of Fergus, trying to prove her innocence before she loses her livelihood and faces a prison sentence for murder. This book is filled with humor, adventure, mystery, a bit of suspense, and lots of fun & quirky characters.
England, small-town, small-business, poisons, family-dynamics, friendship, cosy mystery
A nasty rival florist, sudden death of the new vicar after eating a cupcake topped with edible flowers that he just bought at her stall at the village fair, taken up and framed for murder by the looney local cop, and then her mother steps in! Mother insists that Diana find another job as a chemist instead of enjoying her new business as a florist in her home village. And then there’s Fergus. Besides being a good friend, he is a world class conspiracy theorist. From here things get REALLY crazy. Loved it!
Holy cadoodles.. so much mystery going on in this book. I loved it!
Diana and Fergus end up in some serious danger, and Diana is battling some competition from another florist in town.
I’ve read every book in this series, and they are all worth a read 🙂
I can’t wait to see what Diana and Fergus get up to in the next book.
Ruby Loren is such a amazing author. I absolutely loved this book.
It is filled with intrigue. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I Couldn’t put it down. Best in the series…
I can’t wait for the next book in this series by Ruby Loren and if you love a great cozy with characters you will love and a story that will keep you turning the page then this series is a must read
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.
This series is rapidly becoming one of the best British cosy mystery series, at least as good as her zoo series, and this book is the best in the series so far.
The story is great, with a couple of intertwining plots, leading to a very pleasing conclusion, but what really makes this series, and this book in particular, stand out are the characters, there is a very wide range of character types, from no-nonsense Diana, although even she is drawn towards conspiracies in this story, to pie in the sky Fergus, then there is Diana’s mother, who is a rather elemental force of nature, and of course there is the rather irrational, incompetent policeman.
Although the mystery is central, this is not a serious story, rather there is a lot of genuine humour which provides a great foil to the serious matter of the vicar’s death.
I received an advance copy of the book, but have voluntarily written this honest review.
Great story. Wonderful characters, especially Diana and Diggory. Walter is his ever unpleasant self. And Fergus is still a bit self-centered. Several other characters have expanded throughout. There were several unexpected twists and turns.
I received a copy of this book as a gift. This is my honest review.
Sometimes Conspiracy Theorists are Right!
I love this series and this book is great! There are several mysteries intertwined in this story, which will keep the reader very involved. The conspiracy theory type of mystery is very good and will keep you guessing. The ‘real life’ murder mystery has so many twists! I never could have guessed the final resolution on that one! I so enjoy this series and this author. I was given this ARC book for free by the author and this is my honest opinion of the book.
The 4th book in the Diana Flowers series is a winner! This book has two storylines meshed together. One is the murder of the new vicar in town at the Cuckoo Fair in town where Diana had a booth and the vicar ate one of the cupcakes from her booth. Even though she didn’t bake them, the detective inspector Walter Miller handcuffed her and took her in for questioning. Everything that went wrong in the village Miller always blamed on Diana. Seems Diana’s mother dated him long ago and dumped him and he has been carrying a vendetta against the family ever since. There is also the new florist in town who has been trying her hardest to put Diana out of business and is very nasty and devious and secretive. The second storyline has Fergus returning to the village after going on a book tour and filling Diana with another one of his conspiracy theories which although throwing good sense to the wind she says she will be pragmatic and scientific and help him to find out what is going on. After all he keeps telling Diana they were hired (their detective agency in Fergus’ mind) by a client to find out what happened to Crickley Marsh. This book has humor, murder, favorite characters in Diana, Fergus, Diggory, Diana’s dog and the crazy mystery readers club. And we deal with murder, a new vindictive florist, a stalker, a secret corporation complete with guards. I love this series each book is a page turner and you just can’t put it down until you are finished! I received and ARC from the author, but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
I loved this book. The team of Diana and Fergus are at it again. Fergus has a conspiracy theory and needs Diana’s help to prove what it’s all about. These two are great characters. This author has a great way of creating and building her characters. You’ve got to read this book and you’ll be ready to see what these two can get done. This is an arc copy that I received for free. But the review is all me and means that I voluntarily leave my view of what these books mean to me.
This is a mystery to get your teeth into as there is no obvious suspect, and the plot keeps you guessing right up to the end.
Diana finds herself in trouble …again.
She also finds herself part of a crime fighting duo with Fergus, even worse ,she’s almost starting to believe some of his conspiracy theories. Their investigation is centred on an abandoned village.
The twin strands of the plot are neatly woven together, and the pace of the story is well judged.
The characters are well written and believable, especially Diana and Fergus whose relationship continues to develop.
As with all the books in this series, there is a touch of humour behind the serious business of murder and conspiracy….usually involving Fergus.
This was a light, but enjoyable, read and I finished it in one sitting.
Red velvet, the vicar’s sweet downfall! Another twisting mystery knee-deep in village hijinks
May 20, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 flowery stars
Two mystery plot lines in this fun, unpredictable village cozy mystery. Diana Flowers and her conspiracy theorist friend Fergus get caught up in a dark mystery involving an off-limits site where a village disappeared a century earlier, and Diana faces constant badgering from Walter Miller, the inept and revenge-obsessed village lawman after the vicar meets a sudden end at a local fair just after visiting Diana’s stall.
Author Ruby Loren has created some great characters in these Diana Flowers horticulture mysteries. In this one, besides Diana and Fergus, Diana’s scene-stealing mother shines as does Luana Ricci, Diana’s new cut-throat competition (although most of her actions are seen second-hand).
The writing is good, with frequent bouts of humor, the action and mayhem never falter and the murderer remained a mystery to me right through to the big reveal near the end. I am always looking forward to the next scrape Fergus drags Diana into and her next run-in with Officer Miller. I also love the chemistry and science Loren works into the plot through Diana’s dedicated knowledge of flowers and horticulture.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Diana finds herself in hot water with the local DCI Walter Miller again.
Diana finds herself in the middle of a florist’s war with the new florist in Merryfield. Then the Vicar Ashley Roberts suddenly dies after buying a cupcake from Diana. The day has hardly started and already things were not going well, especially when DCI Miller dragged Diana to the police station for questioning. Fergus is back from his book tour with his regular conspiracy theories. Together they must solve who killer the Vicar. They are lured into the mysterious presence of a large corporation by offering Diana a job with tremendous benefits but no job description. Diana and Fergus follow the trail and discover something very old. Read this exciting cozy mystery to discover why and how the Vicar died and what the big corporation is hiding. Loved it! I received a free ARC and have voluntarily left a review
Diana finds herself the target of a marketing plot to undermine her business.
Along the way, it’s murder, the kind of plot Fergus has been waiting to unveil, but cannot due to the NDA they signed, some almost romance with Fergus, and an unexpected ally, as well as unexpected foes.
Curiouser and curiouser.
A fun and mayhem filled KU read with the kinds of chaos and laughs that only a small town or village can provide!
I love this cozy mystery series! With Fergus on tour promoting his latest book, Diana has been enjoying a bit of peace and quiet…then Fergus returns. The writing is fresh and skillful. The plot is tight and multi-layered, and the characters are well drawn and believable. It was an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to future installments. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.