Murder Sets Seed: A Gardening Mystery

The second in the "Gardening Mysteries". This time Bretta Solomon is trying in vain to enjoy her new home - the renovated Mansion of the Beauchamp family of women. She encounters death during a holiday viewing of the new home. Thus, begins the search for the murderer.

I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to many more in this series!!!!!! Terrific book for the holidays, or anytime!

I have been absolutely thrilled with the new mysteries, especially the series that have started up in the last year or two, and Janis Harrison's Gardening Mystery series is just one example of theses great new series.A Murder Sets Seed is the second of Janis Harrison's Gardening Mysteries. Widowed Bretta Solomon, owner of a flower shop, is our amateur sleuth. She is a fabulous, full-bodied character who holds up the story with her personal strength, humor, and wisdom. The entire of cast and the story line of A Murder Sets Seed are impressive and complete, so readers can expect to react, thank goodness. The mystery, with its developments and revelations, pulled together expertly.Cameo Beauchamp-Sinclair, a rich socialite, has a couple of problems: she is being blackmailed and needs a surrogate daughter. After she meets Bretta Solomon, she sells the Beauchamp Mansion to her and turns to Bretta for help with the problems. During one of Bretta's formal dinners Cameo denounces her unknown blackmailer in front of the other guests, which causes a snowball effect into murder and mayhem.

Over eighteen months ago, Bretta Solomon's beloved spouse, a deputy sheriff, died. Bretta still mourns her loss, but their love is so powerful that even death cannot keep them from conversing with one another. Bretta runs a River City floral shop, but that is inadequate to keep her mind off of her husband's death. So when Cameo Beauchamp-Sinclair offers to sell her family mansion to Bretta, the florist leaps at the opportunity.Bretta performs a miracle restoring the mansion to much of its former glory. To celebrate her accomplishment, Bretta hosts a dinner to include Cameo and many of the elderly woman's friends and relatives. During the meal, Cameo announces that she has discovered the identity of the person trying to blackmail her. However, the lights go off and when illumination returns, Cameo is dead. Having successfully solved a murder before, Bretta begins investigating this homicide without yet realizing how close she comes to joining her husband in the afterlife.The heroine of MURDER SETS SEED is a likable, understandable, and empathetic individual. However, the remainder of the cast seems two-dimensional, symbolizing a stereotype rather than a person. Though not enhancing the tale, that flaw fails to hurt the story line because the plot totally belongs to the brave Bretta. Janis Harrison writes an enjoyable amateur sleuth tale that sets the roots for a warm sad character starring in a gardening mystery series.Harriet Klausner