Title: Mum’s and Mayhem

Author: Amanda Flower



Ch: 38 Plus Epilogue



Pg: 336



Series: Magic Garden Mystery



Genre: Cozy Mystery



Rating: 4 stars



Publisher: Crooked Lane Books


Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower is the third book in the Magic Garden Mystery series. In this book Fiona Knox has settled into life in Scotland her parents are coming to visit when she finds herself involved in another murder.


This was my favorite book of the series as the third book the characters and the setting are set and the mystery part has gotten stronger. I do recommend that you read this series in order otherwise you will spoiled for the story and mystery thread that runs through the series.






I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I found this mystery to stand out from others due to the actions of the protagonist.

I am so used to our heroine being told not to do something, don't go somewhere that is dangerous, and she never, ever listens. Sometimes this woman thinks, "this is a bad idea" but she always, always goes ahead anyway.

In this case Fiona is dating the Chief Inspector and, you guessed it, a murder occurs. Fiona is the one who finds the body, so she is invested in finding out who the murderer is. There are other complicating factors (ans suspects she believes to be innocent) that have her more convinced that they need to find who did it. She finds herself in situations that might be dangerous. She either tells herself not to do this because Craig would disapprove or makes certain that someone knows where she is instead of rushing in without a thought. I loved that about her.

The characters are interesting. Besides Fiona and Craig, there is her sister who is apparently a recurring character, her parents who have come to Scotland to visit, and friends in the community. One such older couple is a brother and sister who have moved to Scotland from India and have lived there for decades. They run a restaurant an reading some of the meals prepared made me hungry!

There is one thing I had trouble with. Fiona has a run-in with a local historian. I don't want to say too much as it would be a spoiler to the end of the book, but let me simply say, I wouldn't have let him get away with anything and would have pressed charges for trespassing no matter whatother decisions were made.

Amanda Flower is clearly talented and I can't wait to read more in this series.

4.5 stars

This is the third book in the A Magic Garden mystery series by Amanda Flower.

This was a very fun read! I enjoyed the magic garden even though it seemed to be dying for an unknown reason and Fiona had to ferret out the reason the magic had left the building, so to speak. Then when her parents come to visit, her father some how becomes the main suspect in the murder of a popular fiddle player who is in town for a concert. The mystery was very complex and there were a lot of suspects that had ties to town that were unknown when the book started. Loved the unfolding of it all.

There was so much detail in this that it made the whole story so fresh for me. I think I have read one other book in this series since the concept seems so familiar to me. Looking forward to diving more into this popular flower titled series and seeing what it has to offer me.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Barley McFee, the world famous fiddler, has come to town for a grand homecoming concert that has been put together by local jeweler Bernice Brennan. Fiona volunteered to aid in anyway she can but is now regretting jumping in to help. With her parents in town Fiona already has more than she can handle right now. They've flown all the way from Tennessee to spend time with her and her sister. Fiona soon learns of secrets that surround her birth that her parents have been keeping from her. When Barley is found dead during the concerts intermission she soon learns there are more secrets being kept than she could imagine. Even though she knows she should leave the investigation to the police she can't help but try and figure things out herself. She knows some of her families secrets surround the man's death and she can't just let it all go. Follow Fiona as she tries to bring to light all the secrets that have been kept from her and find a murderer in the process.

I am in love with this series, the town, the characters, etc.

Fiona is thriving in her business and her relationship with the chief inspector is blossoming. Her parents are coming to visit and her there is a huge music event is coming to town. What could possibly go wrong?? How about her garden dying and another dead body?? The good news, Fiona isn't a suspect this time. The bad news, someone in her family is. Are the murder and the garden connected? Can Fiona figure out what is going on before its too late?

The charm and details of the everything about these books are beyond delightful, you truly feel like you are there. The touch of Magic is just enough to make you picture this beautiful fairy tale garden. That's exactly it!! These novels make me feel like I am reading a beautiful, mysterious fairy tale.

I love anything Amanda Flower puts on paper.

I had both a digital copy from NetGalley and the audio version of this book. I highly recommend the audiobook, Eilidh Beaton is a fabulous narrator.

This the first series I've read of Amanda Flower. The Scottish setting was a wonderful change of pace from other series that I have read.

Fiona the keeper of the garden. She working hard figuring out what needed to be done to save the garden. Poor Fiona her parents are in town and questioning surrounding her parentage. As usually there's a murder in the village!

While there is a lot going on in this book, as the reader I have enjoyed as the characters have been growing in this wonderful series and just a little hint of paranormal!

Another excellent addition to this excellent series. Great to meet again the characters, excellent world building and storytelling.
The solid mystery kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was just so good! When I got done with it, I didn't want it to end. Fiona and Isla got the dreaded visit from their parents, but despite a murder and some family secrets coming out once and for all, it ended up being a good visit for all of them.

It was nice to get to know Fiona's parents a little bit better and some of her dad's backstory. The side story about the garden helped wrap things up once the killer was caught. I hadn't really guessed who that was. I was mainly just enjoying the story itself and watching it unfold. I absolutely loved the ending and how things turned out. If I say too much, it'll give things away that are more fun if you read them firsthand! I'm enjoying this series more and more as each new book comes out, and I think Uncle Ian was pleased with how Fi was being a responsible Keeper for the magical garden.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

A really fun magical mystery!

My only mistake was in not reading the first two in the series first and I can hardly wait to do so!

The plot was not like any book I've ever read! The characters drew me in quickly and totally! This book and series is one I will continue to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book!

Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower is the 3rd A Magic Garden Mystery. It can be read as a standalone But I recommend reading in order.

This is my favourite series by Amanda Flower, and once again I was pulled in and taken on a wonderful journey to Scotland and the magic of Duncreigan. This series also has a nice hint of the paranormal that runs throughout each story. I don't think it is overpowering and I enjoy how the garden sends Fiona visions on what she needs to solve a mystery.

The mystery was well written and carries through the entire story. There were a couple of twists and turns that I didn't see coming which added to the mystery. I was surprised at who the murderer was and why they did it.

This book had me hooked from the beginning and I finished in a couple nights. I hope there will be more books in this series because I am looking forward to seeing how things turn out for a few of the main characters.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of
this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Mums and Mayhem is book three in the A Magic Garden Mystery series by Amanda Flower. It can be read as a stand alone as Flower does a great job bringing in the previous back story.
This time a famous fiddler, Barley McFee, and his band are back in town for a concert. The village is excited and full of concert goers. Also, Fiona's parents are visiting and hoping to take her sister back to the states.
When Barley is found murdered on his tour bus, Fiona decides to stay out of this investigation but then, she finds out her father has a history with the fiddler. He goes on the list of suspects and Fiona goes into investigation mode. On top of everything on her plate, she is also dealing with her garden. Someone has broken in and has tried to destroy it.
As with all of Flower's books, you get plenty of plot twists, great characters, both main and secondary, a wonderful setting, humor, family, and a touch of romance.
This is an easy to read Cozy you will not want to put down.
I was given an ARC by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an honest review.

Fiona has only been in Scotland for seven months. She moved from Nashville after she inherited a magic garden and the ability to see the future from her godfather Ian. After opening her flower shop, Fiona is nominated to the local Merchant Society. The Society is sponsoring a homecoming concert with native son, Barley. Little do they know the concert will bring Mums and Mayhem to their little Scottish village.

Fiona is busy. She is providing the flowers for the concert, mums of course. Her parents are coming to visit—all the way from America. Barley, his band, and their manager have some loud verbal disagreements before he is found murdered. But many of the locals, including Fiona’s father, also have motives to kill Barley. Fiona uses her visions and skills to solve the crime.

I love a unique cozy mystery and this series definitely checks that box. A magical garden in a small Scottish village? Some family drama from the past? Two sweet romances for Fiona and her younger sister, Isla? Yes, please! There is the murder mystery to solve too. When everyone is a possible suspect, there are obviously a lot of red herrings for Fiona, and the reader, to wade through. Mums and Mayhem, the third in the Magic Garden Mystery series, doesn’t disappoint. 4 stars!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 Stars




A sweet touch of romance, some family drama,a bit of magic and a twisted mystery wrapped all in one. Mums and Mayhem is an entertaining read. 




Fiona Knox has more than a little going on. She’s part of the merchant Society preparing for a major concert in their little town, dealing with a dead body in her garden, someone trying to sabotage her garden and family secrets that she can’t seem to find the answer she needs. A flower shop owner who has a knack for solving mysteries and the holder of a legacy that she doesn’t quite understand. Fiona is smart, funny and just beginning to see what this new life of hers in Scotland is all about.  Yet dead bodies have a tendency to fall within her path.




As the mystery unfolds this one hits a little too close to home as the family secrets unfold and answers Fiona has been waiting for our revealed.  The characters drive the story with their charm,  personality and charisma making it very difficult for the reader to guess who done it on this one.  Author Amanda Flower adds just enough of a magical touch to keep the story very interesting without making it a full-blown paranormal. The magical garden series is quite magical and this latest installment of Mums and Mayhem it’s a wonderful addition to this cute and sweet series.

Well fiddle-dee-dee, Fiona's parents and Stephan Knox are on holiday in Scotland to visit Fiona and her sister, Isla just in time to see Barley McFee and his legendary fiddling put on a show in his former hometown of Bellewick. Turns out that the famed performer not only knew Fiona's "Uncle" Ian but also her dad, Stephan. Who could have killed the small in stature but big on talent artist? There is the obvious suspect, Fiona's dad, Stehphan, as there is something to that story that no one is sharing and Fiona knows that it is a key to the mystery of her family tree. She has so much on her mind, with the condition of the garden, it is absolutely heart wrenching what happens to the garden, but more so is the fact that Stephan Knox is suspect #1, although DA Craig is doing his best to be a great officer of the law and a great boyfriend at the same time. Closely behind Mr. Knox, is Barley's manager and band members, plus the crazy Barnie McFee Grannies. While reading the story I came to the conclussion that some tea and a nice chia scone like Presha would have at Presha's Teas would be the perfect pairing.

Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower is the 3rd A Magic Garden Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you have not delved into Flowers and Foul Play or Death and Daisies. Fiona Knox is the Keeper of a magical garden at Duncreigan in Bellewick, Scotland. She also recently opened her flower shop, Climbing Rose. Fiona is a smart, friendly, and caring woman who has embraced her new life in Bellewick. She enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Chief Inspector Neil Craig when not at her shop or working in her garden. Of course, Fiona’s sister, Isla is still in town. She is the flighty sort who acts before she thinks. Isla has fallen in love with Seth MacGregor who has dropped out of medical school and has a gambling problem (every mother’s dream). I believe he changes jobs more often than his socks. Isla’s talkativeness gets Fiona into more than one jam. Mums and Mayhem is a delightful book to read. Great characters, a charming town, and a murder. Barley McFee, a famous fiddler, is performing his Coming Home Concert. This is a big event for their small town. When Barley fails to return from a break, Fiona volunteers to track him down. She soon regrets it when she finds Barley choked to death in his tour bus. I am sure that Fiona would have been digging into the mystery anyway, but when her father becomes a suspect, it is a given. I like that Fiona passes information onto Neil (no holding back). The whodunit was not a challenge to solve, but I still enjoyed following the investigation. There were several viable suspects, good clues, and a red herring. There is good action plus some suspenseful moments. Mums and Mayhem is a busy book. The concert, the parent’s arriving in town, a murder, and then trouble with Fiona’s magical garden. Someone breaks into her garden and cuts the yellow rose blooming on the menhir. This breaks the magical bond and causes the flora to wither and die. Fiona needs to restore the magic to the garden, or it could be gone forever. Hopefully, the little blue-eyed fox can help her out. I liked the humor throughout the book. I laughed out loud on several occasions. The story is well-written, and it has swift pacing. Mums and Mayhem was over way too quickly. I am eager for the next A Magic Garden Mystery. Mums and Mayhem is an enchanting tale with a fine fiddler, elderly enthusiasts, apprehensive parents, a forceful reporter, a friendly fox, a spontaneous sister, and a macabre murder.

Fiona Knox is enjoying her life in Scotland. She has a wonderful cottage and a magical garden, a florist shop, and a great boyfriend. But things go bad when famous fiddle player Barley McFee arrives in Bellewick for his homecoming concert. Fiona is on the committee to help put on the concert, but it's hard work, and she has other problems to deal with.

Her parents have arrived in Scotland to visit Fiona and her sister, Isla, and to discuss family secrets. But Barley is found dead in his trailer during the concert's intermission, and his death is soon tied to Fiona's father, Fiona discovers there are more secrets surrounding her family than she realized.

Fiona's boyfriend, Neil Craig, Chief Inspector of the County Aberdeen Police, is not happy when Fiona starts working to clear her father's name. While she is busy with that, Fiona learns someone has broken into her magical garden and cut the centuries-old climbing rose--the source of the garden's magic--from the standing stone.

The stakes are higher than ever and Fiona could lose all that she's grown unless she's able to dispel this terrible curse and dig up the truth--fast.

Every time I read a book in this series I think, this is the best one yet, and I'm saying that about this one, too. The plot in this book is great, and t he characters are perfectly crafted. The way Ms. Flower interweaves the mystery and the garden and family business kept me turning the pages deep into the night. Then I would go back and reread some parts just because it caught my attention and made me want to read it again.

There are plenty of suspects, and how Fiona gets to the end is magical to read.

I love this series. It will be one I want to read over and over.

I read a digital copy of this book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

This is a story by one of my favorite mystery writers. I always know to expect a good time reading one of her books and I wasn’t disappointed in this one.

It is the first book I have read in this series and, I believe, it would be better to read the first two books before reading this one. There was a lot of history that took some time to get up to speed on.

The books seems to pivot away from the previous plot line. However, the author did provide information enough for me to understand a bit of what had gone on before.

Fiona (Fi) owns a flower shop in town. She is also an American who has inherited a magical garden. She gets visions and dreams of the future in order to help the garden survive.

A celebrity is murdered and a relative of Fi’s comes under suspicion. She works to clear his name and to discover who the murderer actually is.

There is a lot of progress in personal relationships, with Fi, her sister, mother and father coming to grips with the events of the past.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

5 Stars: 5/5 Star Rating

Fiona seems to find herself constantly among two things, flowers and murder. Once again, she is busy providing the mums for the town's concert for Barley McFee and then finds herself discovering him DEAD! She also can't resist poking about and helping to solve these same crimes, much to the dismay of her boyfriend, the Chief Inspector of the County, Neil Craig. Fiona will find this murder far to close to those she loves. Will she solve this one in time to save her loved one from a life of doom? or is she too late?

I love reading about Fiona and especially about Scotland and the magic garden there. I feel like I am actually visiting in Scotland from Amanda Flower's vivid descriptions. It's as if I have taken my own personal little vacation, via this book.

I received a digital ARC of this book from netgalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

it's good to be back in Bellewick, Scotland. I enjoy spending time with Fiona, a transplanted Yank from Nashville, Tennessee. She owns a lovely flower shop and is the caretaker of a magical garden. Over the course of her new residency she has become enmeshed is more than one murder investigation - much to the dismay of her boyfriend, Neil Craig who is Chief Inspector of the Aberdeen police.
Now, as a local merchant, Fiona is involved in putting on a homecoming concert featuring Barley McFee, world famous fiddler. Too bad his return rubs many the wrong way and tensions start to mount. Somebody has reached the breaking point and, when Fiona goes searching for him at the intermission, she finds him dead in his trailer. While that seems to be her only connection to the case, she soon finds that her parents, visiting from the US, are hiding secrets that start the police looking at her father as a possible suspect. Fiona's life becomes even more complicated when her parents make it clear that they want Fiona and her sister, Isla, to return with them so they can run the family farm. As Fiona has put down roots and is the caretaker of the magical garden, she has no intention of returning with them. She finds that the garden has been vandalized and is dying - how will she manage to save it? And what secrets are her parents keeping from her? Unmasking the killer and finding answers to those secrets make for a very good mystery.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars
MUMS AND MAYHEM, the third entry in the Magic Garden Mystery series, is charming with its Scottish setting, endearing characters, and complex murder mystery.

Protagonist Fiona Knox finds her plate overflowing when her parents come to visit from Nashville, a superstar fiddler is murdered, and the garden she inherited from her godfather is vandalized and dying. The village is abuzz with excitement because now-famous local boy Barley McFee is putting on a homecoming concert. However, when Fiona finds Barley murdered during the concert’s intermission, it quickly becomes apparent that Barley is not so beloved after all; it seems there are plenty of people who would not mind if he kicked the bucket. Of course, Fiona is interested in finding the killer since she discovered the body, but investigating jumps into high gear when her own father becomes one of the police’s suspects.

I adore this series. The magic garden brings the smallest touch of the metaphysical, but I would not classify these books as paranormal cozies. The Scottish village setting is pretty unique in the cozy mystery world, and it is fresh and inviting. I love all of the village's supporting characters, including some that are cranky in the best way possible. I like Fiona a lot though she is a bit of a worry wart. She is curious without being outright nosy and thoughtful with her actions and words. I enjoy how she works out a way to restore her garden. It is nice to get to know Fiona’s parents a bit, and I appreciate that they and Fiona have cleared the air about the circumstances of her birth. Craig makes a nice romantic interest for Fiona, and I like that the romance takes a backseat to the mystery. I do not, however, like Fiona’s sister Isla at all. She is immaturely impulsive, often bratty, and just plain annoying.

The mystery within these pages is well thought out and executed. There is much going on in the tale, but all of the threads come together in one way or another to make a cohesive, compelling read. There are plenty of clues sprinkled throughout the story, but I was still a bit surprised by the killer’s identity. The pace of the book is nice and steady with the suspense and danger ratcheting up to quite a climactic resolution.

MUMS AND MAYHEM is delightful, and I cannot wait to read the next adventure featuring Fiona and her family, friends, and neighbors. Highly recommended.

I received an ARC of this title through NetGalley from Crooked Lane Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts and opinions here.