I always enjoy this author’s books and this was no exception. Well written and entertaining cozy murder mystery with quirky characters. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Magic and Mayhem by Amanda Flower is the third book in the Magic Garden Series. Set in the quaint village of Scotland, the story features yet another murder mystery at Fiona's hands, which she solves with some help from her magical inheritance and her adorable nosy nature. Not only that, she is also a grave danger of having her 300 year old legacy killed at the hands of an unknown trespasser, and at the same time battling questions of her birth and identity.
The book is a quick, refreshing and engaging read. The multiple mysteries kept me engaged and the numerous characters made the book an enjoyable read. Fiona comes across as a mature and balanced woman trying to keep her heritage alive, all the while owing up to her slightly nosy nature and trying to investigate the mystery on her own. Isla, her sister, on the other hands, is a playful and chatty character, and likeable in her own way, though I did find her a bit too immature for my taste. The mystery of Fiona's birth added more mystery to the already interesting storyline, and Fiona's maturity in dealing with the questions of her identity without spiraling was commendable. The magic garden, yellow rose, the cute Ivanhoe, and the blue eyed fox created a environment of magic and comfort.
The mystery was not a big head-scratcher, and I was a bit disappointed at the climax. I was expecting the rejuvenation of the garden to be a more mysterious and magical affair, and was disappointed that it wasn't so. There were also a few typos here and there, which probably need to be corrected before publishing.

Another installment in Amanda Flower Magic Garden Mystery.
Brought back to Scotland with Fiona, her sister Isla, and constable Craig.
Another murder in the small fishing town and a travesty in the secret garden.
I recommend reading previous books in series to understand some of the storyline.

Amanda Flower has written a wonderfully fun cozy mystery. The setting and the writing style are A plus. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

This is the 3rd in the Magic Garden Mystery series. Fiona Knox awakens from a dream in which the magic garden is dead. She rushes to the garden and all is well but she is very troubled. Fiona is working with the local merchants group to support a homecoming concert of Barley McFee a local fiddler who is world famous. When he meets Fiona she learns he was childhood friends with her Uncle Ian and he gets evasive when she asks about her Father. Fiona is putting the mums around the stage when she hears a violent argument between Barley and Kenda who is a backup fiddler in his band. She is just hoping all goes well and the village can go back to normal. Fiona’s parents are arriving from the US and she is anxious to talk to the about Uncle Ian and her birth. When they do arrive they avoid any serious conversation and when she mentions the concert she asks her Father if he knew Barley and he becomes evasive. The day of the concert arrives and all is going well. The band takes a break and Fiona is asked to go find Barley in his tour bus and unfortunately she finds him dead in a horrific way. On the way to the bus she sees the historian Carver who has been bugging Fiona about the garden and she immediately goes back to the image of the garden. After the news breaks of Barley’s death the band must stay in town and Fiona heads back to her flower shop and is besieged by some of his fans BMG’s (Barley McFee Grannies) to get flowers for the spot he was killed. She arrives home late and wakes early thinking about the garden. She runs to the garden and finds it is dying. The yellow rose coming out of the menhir has been cut. Fiona takes the rose and puts it in water and is struggling how to get the garden to come back. The press have arrived and are trying to get info about Barley’s death. Fiona’s sister Isla tells one that she found the body and that she is dating Inspector Craig. Yikes. Fiona learns from Kenda the backup fiddler that another man named Stephen saw Barley after she left to go to the stage. Fiona knows that is her Father. Now she must investigate to clear her Father’s name. There was a lot going on in this mystery and the mystery of the garden along with the murder. I really enjoy this series and the idea of the magic in the garden and what we may learn in the future about the stone. Will be interesting to see the next in this series. Anything this author writes I will read!

Such a fun cozy mystery. I really enjoyed getting to know Fiona Knox and Chief Inspector Craig, not to mention the beautiful, magical garden and the Scottish countryside.

Fantastic mystery,I really enjoyed reading this book and will definitely seek out more from this author. Highly recommended

This is the latest installment of the Magical garden series. Fiona's parents are coming to visit her and her sister, Isla, in Scotland. There is also a concert from a famous fiddle player going on in the village. Not long after he arrives, the fiddle player is found dead in his tour bus. Fiona tries to juggle the murder, her parents visit, and the mystery of her garden. I enjoyed the mystery and how it tied in with Fiona's parents visit. I liked learning more about the garden. We finally get some answers about Fiona's past with. There were a few typos that through me off a couple of times, but the story overall was good.

I love this series but this was not my favorite. The pace seemed slower than previous books and the whole the parents are here thing didn't add a lot for the story. A few characters that were constant in the other books in this one had to give their time to the "parents show up in the city" arc and the little sister, instead of just endearingly silly become rather obnoxious.
Despite the problems, it was still a fun story to read and I look for the next book already.

Fiona Knox (from Tenn.) inherited a cottage and garden in Scotland from her biological father. The garden is magical and Fiona is the keeper of the garden. The garden is damaged and the fox that hovers close by alerts Fiona to find the trespasser and culprit of the damage. The town is holding a concert for a celebrity, Barley, a fiddle player that was born in Bellewick. In the middle of the concert Barley is found dead by Fiona. Fiona is curious and solves the murder of Barley.

I love a good cozy mystery and this is one of my favorites so far! I haven’t read the first 2 books in this series but I didn’t need to. I was able to understand what happened in the last books that contributed to this story without a large retelling. The story flowed nicely, I was able to picture the setting, and the murder was a surprise! I’m finding Amanda Flower to be one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. I can’t wait to read the first two books of the series!

Fiona is a softy at heart with a nosy exterior but she means good, she reminds me of someone very close. Anyhow the juice of this book happened in the middle thereby, taking this book from meh, as my son loves to say, to it’s alright now. The characters are cool except that Claver guy I think Fiona was too easy on him after what he did. Like I said she is a softy, I would have let him have it, in jail that is. Craig seems to be the right mix for Fiona who is gun shy from her previous broken relationship but her heart is deeply entwined with Craigs, that’s for sure. This cozy mystery had the right blend of romance and mayhem, it was just right.

Which is worse? A visit from your parents who desperately want you and/or your sister to move back home and who have kept the secret of your birthfather from you your whole life or being embroiled in another murder investigation? Actually, worse is having both happen at the same time and toss in that someone has vandalized your not so secret magic garden! I absolutely love this series and this book is by far the best yet! Yes, I say that after each book, but I really do mean it each time! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book! Great characters that you connect with and wish they could be your actual friends as well as a charming setting make you hope the next book will come quickly. Although the multi-layered plotting may be the actual meat of the book and keeps you entertained and wanting more, the characters will charm you and keep you wanting more, more, more!!!

A charming cozy mystery. I found the book to be fun, interesting and we'll written. The action of the book starts close to the beginning, the book becomes more enjoyable as the plot twists and turns. The characters are relatable and I enjoyed getting to know them as story went on. Fiona the main character lives a complicated but enjoyable life doing what she loves. The characters are well developed and a bit quriky. I also enjoyed not being able to figure out the plot within the first few chapters, Amanda Flowers kept me guessing until the end. If you enjoy cozy mysterys that are well written and thought out you will enjoy Mums and Mayhem

Mums and Mayhem was a delight to read. I thoroughly enjoyed being back in Fiona's world, in Scotland. In this installment, Fiona has much on her mind. A famous, acclaimed musician from Bellewick returns for a homecoming concert and is murdered. Fiona's family is visiting, and it soon becomes apparent that her parents have ties to this murdered man. As the secrets begin to be revealed, Fiona realizes that it is up to her to clear suspicion that her father might be the murderer. To add to her worries, the magic garden is dying and Fiona doesn't know what to do to help it recover.

I really enjoyed the back drop of the small Scottish village, the magic garden, and Fiona and her friends and family. This is a charming series, and I enjoyed the storyline and mystery in this one. I was given a copy of the book by the publisher and this is my honest review.

The Magic Garden series is a favorite of mine, and this book certainly did not disappoint.

The previous book left a lot of questions about Fiona and her family. This book answered those as well as presenting an absorbing mystery. The murder of Barley McFee was never clear cut for me, and I think I was convinced that every suspect had done it at one point or another (except for Fiona's father, of course). But I didn't have the solution figured out until the end, which is always the most satisfying kind of mystery. The situation in the garden wasn't a great concern for me because I have complete faith in Fiona as the keeper. Isla continues to irritate... maybe because she reminds so much of my drama-queen students. But seeing the relationship between Fiona and Craig continue to develop is wonderful, and I look forward to continuing the story of Duncreigan in the future.

Barley McFee a world-famous fiddle player has arrived in town for a homecoming concert. While Fiona is helping to prepare for the concert, her parents arrive in town to visit Fiona and her sister. Fiona’s parents seem to have more secrets for Fiona to get to the bottom of but before they can talk, Barley McFee is found dead. Fiona’s father is somehow connected to Barley. Can Fiona clear her father and find out what her parents have been hiding from her?

Mums and Mayhem is the 3rd book in the series and in my opinion the best one so far. In this book, we learn more about our protagonist and the real reason she inherited the garden. The characters are realistic and for the most likable. The mystery was well-written. The plot moves at a fast pace with several twists and turns along the way to the big reveal. I was surprised at who the murderer was and why they did it. I recommend this to cozy mystery lovers especially if you enjoy a touch of supernatural.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced by anyone.

This is the third book in the Magic Garden series. I've read them all and they get better and better with each book. I think this is one of the better cozy mystery series out there.
They're set in Bellewick, Scotland, where Fiona Knox has inherited a garden that she discovers is magical. In this book, Fi's parents and her sister are coming to visit and a famous fiddler has come back to perform in Bellewick, his hometown.
When he turns up murdered, Fi gets involved against the wishes of her new boyfriend Neil, the chief inspector.

Great plot and fun and charming characters make this a 4 1/2 star read.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower is the third book in her Magic Garden series which is set in the small Aberdeenshire community of Bellewick.

This was an engaging mystery with a few twists and turns and a smoothly paced plot that kept me turning the pages. Ms. Flower introduced us to Fiona and Isla's parents in this one and Fiona's mysterious past was finally explained. I confess that Isla's is a trial for me while reading. She's "over the top" about everything in life and decidedly self-centered. Fiona is smart and dedicated but I was disappointed in her change of heart about the character that vandalized the garden. The reveal regarding the murder was sad but satisfying. I loved the epilogue regarding the garden party and the fox. Perfect!

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

This is the third in the series, and picks up shortly after the bombshell from the last book. Now that the secret on her parentage is out, her parents are coming to visit and see both their girls. With Isla now having moved in with Seth, the cottage is less crowded, but her life is about to be busy again.

I loved how the investigation into who the murderer was dovetailed with her family's past, and the past of the town. The victim, a local celebrity (Barley McFee), who knew uncle Ian and her parents personally. This book was all about family, so even though her relationship with her family was a bit of a mess, it played well with the messy families throughout the plot. And although the families had remarkably different outcomes, the town as a whole was able to come together as well, and solve the mystery together.