This is the second book of Amanda Flower that I have read and I absolutely loved it. Her writing style is unique and wonderful. All her cozy mysteries involve some kind of magic and romance, which makes the stories and the characters adorable! And no cozy mystery is complete without a pet - meet Ivanhoe, a gray striped Scottish Fold Cat.

The characters in the story include Isla (Fi's sister), Seth and Hamish MacGregor, Presha and Raj Kapoor - the siblings who run a tea shop, laundromat and a pub, Inspector Neil Craig, Cally Beckleberry - Fi's new-found bestie, Carver Finley - a historian, Remy - a wife beater and good-for-nothing, Emer - the "first lady" of the school, and her husband - Douglas, the school headmaster.

The story is brilliantly concocted over the mystery behind the minister's murder. The suspects' list is long, and Fi is also on the list as the minister had stopped her from entering the church during a congregation. Fi's emotional dilemma regarding her ex-fiance` and the relationship she has with her parents are well portrayed. The story is also full of twists and turns and makes the reader wanting to know "what's next?".

The ending was absolutely brilliant. This is what I like about a good suspense mystery, the perp is not whom you think it should be. And this story has just that - the identity of the perp was unexpected. Fi's curiosity has definitely kicked a hornet's nest and the perp is now ready to do anything to save their name!

I loved the book. It has all the things that a cozy mystery usually has - murder, romance, a cat and delicious recipes (Indian recipes, in this case). Apart from the usuals, the story also has a magical garden - isn't that cute? If you love to read cozy mysteries (who doesn't?), then do not miss to read this book.

Fiona’s new leash in life started on some weird and sour note with the death of the town’s Minister who was totally against her, he even barred her from entering the church to worship.
With the impromptu arrival of her sister and her growing attraction to the sheriff, life for Fiona soon acquired a lot of sleepless nights. She is on a mission of finding the killer before someone else gets killed. An engaging and intriguing book with quite a few little twists, a lovely story, one for the must-read pile.

Death And Daisies is the second book in the A Magic Garden Mystery series.

Fiona Knox has been living in Scotland for a couple months and is beginning to settle into her new life. Fiona’s sister, Isla, has just finished college and has come to visit while she thinks about what to do with life. Isla’s arrival has come at the right time as Fiona is busy putting the final touches on The Climbing Rose Flower shop that will be it’s grand opening soon. A day or two before opening her nemesis Quaid MacCullen, minister of the local parish church leaves a threatening note saying she won’t be around long and that the “evil magical garden” will be destroyed. Fiona has also been denied attending Sunday services in front of many members of the parish church.

Opening day comes and traffic could have been better, but she did have a couple of wedding prospects. Plus she was pleased to see that Inspector Neil Craig took time to stop by and congratulate Fiona on her new shop.
But the celebration is marred when Constable Kipling comes in and announces that a body has been pulled from the harbor and is sure it is the body of MacCallen.

What with her past with MacCallen and with Inspector Craig seeing the threatening note, she is certain that she will become a person of interest and determined to learn who killed MacCallen. And she soon finds no shortage of possible suspects.

I’ve read all but, maybe 2 or 3 of Flower’s books and think highly of all of them. They are well-written and well-plotted with a very interesting cast of characters. I particularly Hamish and his pal Duncan, a squirrel. Also Raj Kapoor and his twin-sister, Presha. Raj is owner and bartender at The Twisted Fox and Presha owns Presha’s Teas. They have taken instantly to Fiona and are always looking out for her without being overbearing about it. On the not-so-positive side, I felt that Isla was a little flighty and whiny for my taste.

I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in this wonderful series.

Death and Daisies by Amanda Flower is the 2nd book in A Magic Garden Mystery series, and I When Fiona Knox's Godfather, Ian MacCallister, dies and leaves her his cottage in Edinburgh, Scotland so she moved there and became keeper of the magic garden. Fiona's sister, Isla, comes to Scotland for the summer to help open her flower shop, Climbing Rose Flower Shop. Unfortunately, parish minister,Quaid MacCullen, has made it clear he does not like Fiona or her uncle. When the minister is murdered, Fiona must find the real killer before she is arrested. Amanda Flowers is such a great author, I love all her series and can't wait for the next book to come out. There are twists and turns around every corner. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. If you love fun cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book. 

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Following a typical cozy storyline, our heroine, Fiona, finds herself the suspect in a murder. The setting, Scotland, is lovely. The magical garden is actually a nice addition even for people who are usually turned off by “fantasy” twists. I found Death and Daisies to be a fast read and enjoyable.

Death and Daisies is the second book in this new and brilliant series,I couldn't put it down as I couldn't with the first book .
I love the magic touch that Fiona has coming all the way to Scotland from America to inherited a cottage with a walled magical garden from her godfather and learning about her godfathers life .
A few twist to keep you guessing to who the killer was , a touch of romance and a surprise at the end .
Keep up the good work Amanda Flowers looking forward for your next book .
Thanks to the publishers and Nettgalley for letting read and review this book .

Amanda Flower has quickly become one of my favorite cozy mystery writers. Her books have a magical quality, great characters and creative plots.

Death and Daisies is the second book in her new Magic Garden Mystery series. Fiona Knox is the caretaker of a magical garden. She is still trying to wrap her head around the fact she inherited the cottage and garden in Duncreigan, Scotland from her godfather. She has since opened a floral shop in a nearby village. Climbing Rose Floral Shop is named after a magical rose that grows in her walled garden. She's the 12th keeper entrusted to upkeep the garden and protect the rose. A local minister hates the garden and threatens Fiona, leaving her a cryptic note that the garden will bring evil. As if threats can't possibly be enough to put a damper on her shop's grand opening, the minister is found dead. Some villagers blame her for the death....Can Fiona find out the truth before everyone starts believing there is something sinister about her and the magical garden?

I love this series! It has the same wonderful, magical feel as the author's Magical Bookshop series! The location is awesome...who wouldn't love to inherit a cottage and walled garden in Scotland? The characters are well-developed and have that village quirkiness about them. The plot of this newest book is interesting and the mystery moves along at a nice pace with plenty of suspects, investigation and twists. There is just the right touch of the supernatural/magical to sparkle up the story....never over-done, just right.

While it isn't necessary to read the books in order, to get the full character and location background and development it might be best to read book one (Flowers and Foul Play) before jumping into Death and Daisies. But, a reader could jump in at this second book and still totally enjoy the story!

All in all, this is an entertaining and fun cozy to read. I'm definitely in line awaiting the next book!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

My first book by Amanda Flowers and I really enjoyed it. I do lean more towards 3.5 stars rather than 4 but rounded up.

Fiona has inherited the Duncreigan property in Scotland from her godfather and has been named Keeper of the Garden. She's jumped into life in Scotland with both feet, moving from Tennessee to live on the property, care for the magical garden, and open a floral shop. While there, she finds herself attracted the the police chief and stumbling her way into two different murders.

A quick and easy read that I enjoyed for the most part. What didn't I like? Fiona. I just didn't care for her. She was obnoxiously meddlesome (I really dislike amateur detectives who are so blatantly fishing for....and expecting, people to give them information as though they are real investigators. It just put me off. I adored her sister, and Inspector Craig and Raj and his sister as well. Even the cat and of course the fox. Just not her.

Regardless, the charm of the story has captured me and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2570577192

I was able to read the 3rd book in this series through Netgalley first. I enjoyed it so much I had to read the first 2 books. To my delight to was given the opprtunity through Netgalley again to read this 2 nd book of the series. Even with reading out of order this series is delightful. I enjoy all the characters.

Fiona Knox thought she was pulling her life back together when she inherited her godfather’s cottage in Duncreigan, Scotland—complete with a magical walled garden. But the erstwhile Tennessee flower shop owner promptly found herself puddle boot-deep in danger when she found a dead body among the glimmering blossoms. Her sister Isla has just moved in with her, and the grand opening of her new spellbound venture, the Climbing Rose Flower Shop in Aberdeenshire, is fast approaching. Then things start to go wrong. The imperious parish minister Quaid MacCullen makes it undeniably clear that he would be happy to send Fiona back to Tennessee. Then a terrible lightning storm wrecks havoc on the town. In the middle of grand opening the volunteer police chief finds a dead body on the beach. Fiona is called in. At first it is hard to identify the body but Kipling, chief, believes it is the parish minister. Now Fiona is on the suspect list.

Fast-paced and charming. Intriguing characters, red herrings, touch of the supernatural. I love the Scottish setting and the mystical garden in this book. It was a very delightful story. I would recommend reading the first one just so you have some background.

Fiona has inherited her godfather's cottage in Duncreigan,Scotland. She has fond memories of the place and the magical garden hidden from view with high walls.

It seems like a good idea to open her flower shop there while she gets over a bad break up and a failed business. Until she finds a dead person among the blooms.

On the plus side she did meet the hunky Chief Inspector Neil Craig and her life seems to be headed in the right direction. But when her sister Isla, fresh from college, appears on her doorstep to help her out, things start going wrong.

The local minister wants her out of town and even kicked her out of church! And when the minister's body is found on the beach there are more suspects than she can keep up with! And what is with Isla? Sneaking off, not coming home? Is she in trouble?

This time Fi may end up knowing more than she wanted to about any of it.

This is a really good series. All of Amanda's books are good. I especially like the descriptions of the area and all of the characters are solid.

Well Done!

Netgalley/November 13th 2018 by Crooked Lane Books

Fiona is putting the finishing touches on her Climbing Rose Flower Shop and working on making Duncreigan her own cottage. Her baby sister has flown over from Nashville to "find herself" after college. Fiona is also learning that not everyone in town is welcoming her with open arms. Minister MacCullen thinks she is trouble like her godfather and wants nothing to do with her or her business. After one of worst storms to hit the area in decades the minister is found washed up on the beach. Will Fiona's new love, Chief Inspector Craig, suspect her once again?

In book two of the Magic Garden Mystery series we seem to jump right back in to Fiona's life. I love when you can open a book and feel like you never left. Just as the first book, it was a fast-paced read that you do not want to put down. Fiona is still strong and a take no prisoners kind of gal. My judgment is still out on the addition of her sister Isla. She adds to the story but she can be whiny to the point I want her to go back to Nashville.

There is some magic in the book with the garden and Fiona being able to see visions but the magic is more background. It doesn't overshadow the mystery.

I would definitely suggest you read this series in order so you don't ruin the surprises each book offers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

The second book in the Magic Garden series, and I loved it as much as the first! Fiona is settling in to her new life in Scotland--after a few bumps--but that's all blown away when she finds herself caught up in yet another murder investigation. This is a great series by a fantastic author. Everything you want in a cozy--a plucky heroine starting a new life in a quaint place, a smidgen of romance on the horizon, and of course-- a murder. Read the first book in the series before reading this one, but definitely read them!

This is the second installment of the Magic Garden series. Fiona Knox's flower shop is ready for its grand opening and her sister has come to spend the summer after her college graduation. Fiona has inherited the Dunheigan estate and accompanying magical garden from her late godfather Ian. The local minister made no secret of his intense dislike for her family so when he is found dead, Fiona finds herself a possible murder suspect.

I hadn't read the first book in the series but felt I had enough of the backstory to catch up. Amanda Flowers is a talented writer and painted a very detailed picture of a charming Scottish village, flower shop and estate grounds. However, the book fell short for me. It started out slowly and I really never connected with Fiona, most of the other characters or her budding romance. I would have liked to have read less about the shopkeepers and more about the magical garden.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance digital copy of this book. My review is voluntary.

Fiona Knox is finally opening her new flower shop, the Climbing Rose in Bellewick, Aberdeenshire, and has invited the whole village to celebrate. A newcomer to Scotland, Fiona inherited Duncreigan, her godfather’s estate, along with becoming the secret Keeper of the Magic Garden.

Unfortunately, Fiona finds herself in the crosshairs for the murder of Minister Quaid MacCullen, local parish rector, who earlier refused to allow her attend Sunday service at his church. It doesn’t help that Chief Inspector Neil Craig finds a threatening note from MacCullen just moments before news of minister’s death breaks up the flower shop’s opening. Fiona’s sister Isla is visiting and adds to the distractions and red herrings that divert the reader’s attention.

Amanda Flower plots wonderfully complex mysteries with a touch of magic, relatable characters, authentic dialogue and a pace that maintains comfortable suspense. Ms. Flower’s two series, Magic Garden Mysteries and Magical Bookshop Mysteries, offer imaginative and enchanting stories for the discerning reader.

Scotland, murder, law-enforcement, magic, urban-fantasy, family-dynamics

I was disappointed that there was more focus on Fiona's git of a sister than on the magical aspects of the garden and its menhir.
The background to the murder was very well done and the characters are interesting and engaging complete with many side dramas. The investigation itself certainly had a good dose of suspense and proved to be quite twisty. As far as atmosphere and scenery, I couldn't have asked for better, but my favorite aspect was that her Uncle Ian was the ever present red fox.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.

The second book in the Magical Garden Series will not disappoint it’s reader. I recommend this book to anyone that loves flowers, family, food, magic and fun. Truly fun to read.

“Death and Daisies” by Amanda Flower was such a delightful cozy! I had not read part one prior to this book but I found that it was still easy to follow along with. This book was very well developed, had a great cast of characters and left me wanting to check out more from this author. With the book being called “ magic Garden” I would have loved more magical elements in the story but other than that, I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars.

Death and Daisies is a great addition to the Magic Garden mystery series. Loved the plot, characters and the Scotland setting. This author never fails to deliver a great read. Mystery fans will love this one. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc this is my unbiased review.

I so liked everything about this fun book. It was almost like reading an adult “Secret Garden”. Except that the Secret Garden was published in 1910 and this one is much more up to date. What I am trying to say is that the storyline is delightful and it centers around a very famous and magic garden. A garden that this author makes you want to be able to see with your own eyes. To sneak in and sit in the quiet and enjoy all the flowers. She even makes you want to spend time weeding if you can imagine. Since that’s true it must really have been a magic garden to me. And then just when Fiona, the new keeper of the garden, thinks her new flower shop will finally be her success, she finds of course…a body.

This is a quirky easy and fun read. Well-written by an author who seems to be able to surprise us with her murderers and keep us a little on our toes. One who seems to make her own characters real to us as we read. The descriptions of the flower shop are as vivid as those of the garden.
Not only is this the 3rd book in a series titled “A Magic Garden Mystery” but Amanda Flower has written several interesting series each with very good reviews. I think I’m going to try out a few of each of them.

***This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are definitely my own.