Floral Depravity by Beverly Allen

Floral Depravity by Beverly Allen ISBN-13: 9780425264997 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: October 6, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover:
As the co-owner of the Rose in Bloom Flower Shop, Audrey Bloom knows how to put together unique wedding bouquets, but this one takes the cake. The daughter of a local historian is getting married in a medieval-themed, hand-fasting ceremony, and Audrey is responsible for providing period-accurate blooms.

But making sure she gets her roses right turns out to be the least of Audrey’s problems. Shortly after the vows are exchanged, the father of the groom suddenly drops dead. When Audrey discovers the man’s death stems from monkshood poisoning, it’s a clear-cut case of murder. Now, faced with a suspect list that rivals the guest list, Audrey needs to root out the toxic killer.


My Review:
Floral Depravity is a cozy mystery. It's the third 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.

It's a clue-based puzzle mystery. About halfway through, I'd noticed enough subtle clues that I felt certain I knew whodunit. I only became more certain, but the two people reading the story with me were surprised. I liked the main characters. They were nice but sometimes made mistakes. They also learned from their mistakes. Most of the action took place at a semi-remote medieval encampment, which led to plenty of funny moments. Audrey has several relationship issues that she also had to resolve.

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.


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