For Whom the Bluebell Tolls by Beverly Allen

For Whom the Bluebell Tolls by Beverly Allen ISBN-13: 9780425264980 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: January 6, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Florist Audrey Bloom, co-owner of the Rose in Bloom, creates fragrant bouquets for brides. Her dazzling creations are picked to be featured on a wedding reality show. The hot series is filming an episode about a bride who’s bonkers for bells, and Audrey’s bouquets of campanulas, calla lilies, and Bells-of-Ireland are perfect for the bridal theme.

But Audrey’s ex-boyfriend, Brad, is a crew member on the show and still likes her, which threatens her blossoming relationship with Nick the baker. To make matters worse, when one of the show’s hosts is found dead in the bell tower of a historic church, all the evidence points toward Brad.


My Review:
For Whom the Bluebell Tolls is a cozy mystery. It's the second book in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books.

The mystery was a clue-based puzzle mystery. About halfway through, all the clues fell into place for me with a very satisfying snap, and I knew whodunit. I couldn't guess the full motive until much nearer to the end. I don't think most readers will realize whodunit until later, and the writing was good enough to keep me fully engaged in the story even knowing whodunit. I liked that Audrey realized she wasn't critical to the police investigation (though she sure helped!), that the police weren't fools, and that Audrey has learned from the past and is careful when investigating murderers.

There was no bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this engaging mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.