A Blush With Death

Persia and her aunt own and operate a bath and body shop, Venus Envy. The shop is an honest business and uses only good-quality ingredients. They even have a huge rose garden so that they can use fresh roses in some of the products that they make. Their shop seems like paradise! Persia and her aunt are the coolest people I've ever known! Not only are they honest people, but Persia is positive and confident and works out and she can occasionally indulge in foods she otherwise couldn't. Her wonderful aunt raised her, and she is an extension of her aunt. And in addition to all that, Persia (like me) has a very strong sense of smell, and a side effect to that is a strong sense of taste. Now on with the story line: It appears that a competitor cosmetic and fragrance company is trying to put Venus Envy (and other fragrance companies) out of business. Horrible things are happening at Venus Envy. I won't tell you exactly what is happening, because I don't want to ruin the book for you. But it does appear that someone is trying to wreck the company. Persia and her aunt are determined to find out who is doing this, and to find substantial proof of who their enemies are. They go to great measures to find out. I cannot sing enough praise for this incredible, wonderful book. It is positive; Persia and her aunt deeply and truly love each other; the book is sensual and comforting; and I can almost smell the roses.

Persia and Aunt Florence are struggling to keep Venus Envy open. Why? Bebe Wilcox has opened her own boutique and is hell bent on putting everyone else out of business. She and her workers stop at nothing. They steal and sabotage without so much as a second thought. Then one of Bebe's pushy saleswomen ends up dead. The "game" has advanced to a new level. In an attempt to save Venus Envy, Persia and her aunt stage a public falling out. Persia applies at Bebe's Boutique and is hired. Can she snoop around without getting caught? Can she find the stolen goods and enough evidence to put Bebe away and close down her shop for good? Can she do all this before the killer finds out and comes after her? I like Persia. She is a fun character and very well constructed by the author. She is three-dimensional and her friends and aunt are terrific as well. I love the small-town feel of this book. The boutique is a great setting for the story. The feud between the two boutiques is very believable and there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing. I highly recommend this book.

In the 2nd book in the Bath & Body Mystery Series, it appears as though Persia and her Aunt Florence are struggling to keep Venus Envy afloat. A rival boutique has moved into town, taking a lot of customers with it. Bebe's Belles, a group of cutthroat saleswomen for the new store, Bebe's Boutique, will stop at nothing to make a quick sale. And when all of the roses that are grown organically for Venus Envy's custom blends are sabotaged with pesticide, Persia starts to feel as though she is being personally attacked. When the store's computer is hacked into, and her fragrance journal is stolen, Persia will stop at nothing to win back her customers and save the business. Does that include murder? A saleswoman for Bebe is murdered, and Persia must work overtime to clear her name, and put a stop to the underhanded dealings of Bebe's Belles. This was a great sequel! I enjoy both the strong character of Persia and her relationship with her aunt (although the nickname "Imp" seemed a bit out of character for Persia and slightly annoyed me). The mystery was good and the characters likable. There is a bit of a new romance for Persia...and I was surprised to see a bit of a rebellious side to her. Sporting a fairy tattoo and body piercings, she is not your everyday cozy character. However, she is smart, tough, and loyal to the end...which is a great formula for any good cozy detective. Included in the book is information regarding blending your own custom fragrances, and stress reduction. This series is a light, fun read. The first book in the series is called "Scent to Her Grave". Enjoy!

The second installment in the Bath and Body mysteries does not disappoint! Not only do we get a great mystery that had me guessing up until the end but we learn alot about Persia, her feelings, motivations and character. An exciting mystery and a fascinating character study? What could make this better. Some great recipes for easy to make homemade potpourri and oils. Highly reccommended.

A really cute second installment in the Bath and Body mysteries. Persia and her aunt are having financial woes at venus Envy and they find out it is due to another cutthroat beauty maven in town. This lady will stop at nothing to get on top. She poisens the roses, steals formulas and maybe murder? When a pushy saleswoman gets murdered and a friend is being framed, Persia goes undercover to try to find out what is going on and to get her fragrance journal back, but she bites off more than she can chew this time. Old and new friends join in this cute second installment of the Series. Cute and won't disappoint.