Cover Image: A Flicker of a Doubt

A Flicker of a Doubt

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Member Reviews

Fairies and mysteries are an amazing combination. And this book did not disappoint. Fiona is definitely my favorite character. The descriptions of the garden is what drew me into this book. I am a sucker for garden cozies and makes me feel like trying my green thumb. Looking forward to more in this series.

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I was not previously familiar with this series, but I really enjoyed A FLICKER OF A DOUBT.

The descriptions of fairy gardens are a pure delight.

The Carmel-by-the-Sea setting is beautiful and makes me want to visit.

There are a lot of names tossed about in the first chapter or so, but I'm sure that wouldn't be overwhelming to those who have read the earlier books. The author handles it well and helps the reader keep everyone straight.

The small town feel is charming, and the mystery is very well-plotted. On occasion, you have to suspend disbelief in terms of why certain interactions take place in a spot where Courtney can conveniently witness them. But that seems fairly typical for cozies and ultimately it didn't bother me.

The fairy aspect is different and cute, I like how Fiona has her own story arc.

The pacing is lively and keeps the reader turning the pages, and the mystery's conclusion is definitely satisfying.

This is a whimsical and charming read! I look forward to digging into the author's backlist and will be eagerly awaiting her next book.

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Princess Fuzzypants here: This is always a whimsical series complete with fairies and fairy gardens and portals. Courtney’s fairy, Fiona, is still trying to work her way back into the good graces of the Fairy Queen for a very good reason we learn in this outing. Courtney is working on a series of fairy gardens for a big charity auction where local artists will hold prime positions. One happens to be Courtney’s best friend, Meaghan’s ex. While she admires his talents she does not want him back. And another artist in town pines for Meaghan and he is very much at odds with the first artist.

Meaghan is lucky she dumped the ex. He is not a nice guy and as more and more information is revealed after he is murdered, there appears to be several suspects who have good reason to wish him ill. Things get even more complicated when the deceased’s brother, who was the prime suspect, is also murdered. It is quite a twisted tale but not nearly as twisted as the manner in which Fiona saves the day when Courtney confronts the killer. I did not want the villain to be that person but I suspected it would be. That is a sign of an engaging story. You twig to the mystery but still care about the characters enough to wish it was not correct.

Five purrs and two paws up.

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The creativity of this author to weave the fairy world into the real world is always fun, but this book is that and more. Fiona, the fairy, is really coming into her own and seeing her abilities expand and grow is fun as always. However, the mystery aspect of this book is even more intense this time. I love how realistic the characters are, but even more how well crafted the plot is. I absolutely can't wait to visit this cast of characters again soon!

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In this fourth installment of the Fairy Garden mystery series, Courtney is busy as ever in her shop and with an event. When her BFF’s no-good ex returns to town, and then ends up murdered, Courtney gets drawn into investigating.

There are quite a few new characters in this book, but all our favorites are there: Courtney, her assistant Joss, her bestie Meghan, her beau Brady, and a host of others. This story takes a turn, addressing abuse and toxic relationships. It’s handled delicately, but it brings a different angle to this mystery where the deceased has treated so many people so badly.

This was a quick and enjoyable read. I look forward to the next in series… and as always, in the meantime, it’s making me long to visit Carmel by the Sea.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

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This was the first of Daryl Wood Gerber’s Fairy Garden Mysteries that I’ve read, but I was able to follow along without too much difficulty. And now I want to read them all!

Courtney Kelly runs a shop called Open Your Imagination, where she sells fairy gardens and fairy doors and the supplies to make them. She’s also filling an order for several large fairy gardens that Violet Vickers wants to decorate for her theater foundation tea and art show.

Nicolas, her friend Meaghan’s ex-boyfriend, is back in town. He’s one of the featured artists at Violet’s show, and he manages to get into confrontations with several people in short order. The tension ramps up when Nicolas’s brother shows up demanding to know where Nicolas is and threatening to collect on the sizable debt he claims Nicolas owes him. Shortly thereafter, Ziggy, Meaghan’s business partner and friend, finds Nicolas dead outside Meaghan’s house. Courtney can’t sit idly by and not try to help. And the more she digs, the more unsavory things she learns about Nicolas and his family.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is a delightful setting for this story. It feels like the kind of place where one might find fairies. With all of the creative energy, it also sounds like a place I’d love to visit!

Courtney is a likable character. She has a jewel of a helper in her shop in Joss, and Joss’s assistance lets Courtney be there when she needs to be for her friends. Violet is a treat, too. I love that she pokes fun at herself about her excessive use of the word “lovely.”

The more Courtney tries to figure out whodunnit, the more suspects she comes up with. Was it Nicolas’s brother? Any one of the several women who apparently had a thing going with him? Suspects are considered and ruled out, and then we’re back to square one. Gerber did a good job keeping me guessing as to who the real killer was.

I love the fairies! Gerber includes a lot of lore and information about different fairy types and classifications, and the fairies we meet are charming. Fiona, Courtney’s fairy, cracked me up with her efforts to figure out which humans could see her and which couldn’t. And the ending of the book left me wondering if we’ll see Fiona in the next book in the series. I hope so! (Spoiler: No, Fiona isn’t dead. Now go read the book and see what happened.)

If you like a clean cozy mystery with interesting characters, a beautiful setting, and a mystery that keeps you guessing, you need to pick up A Flicker of a Doubt. Heck, start at the beginning of the series. I give this five stars, and now I’m off to catch up on the first three!

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A Flicker of Doubt is an engaging blend of fairies, sleuthing, and friendships. Courtney and her fairy friend Fiona work to solve a murder with plenty of twists and turns in one of the better written cozy mysteries I've read so far this year (and I've read a lot of cozies, so this is saying something). The characters felt genuine and the stakes were high enough to keep me stuck to the book until I finished it. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who loves a dash of fantasy to their cozy mysteries like me.

This was a NetGalley review.

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A Flicker of a Doubt is the fourth book in the charming A fairy Garden Mystery Series. I just want to say that I think that Daryl Wood Gerber has some of the most amazing world building for cozy mysteries with this series.

Courtney Kelly is the owner of Carmel by the Sea and a believer. Making, selling and teaching people how to make their own beautiful, creative and magical fairy gardens. Courtney is a believer and knows that there are fairies around them. In A Flicker of a Doubt, Courtney is hired to create fairy gardens for the theater foundations, tea, and art show. Very soon things start to turn sour, and Courtney’s best friend is tangled up in a murder investigation. If you have read previous books in the series, you know that Courtney has a way of finding out things. Maybe a fairy way.


It seems like there is so much buildup and so much going on in the story, but yet it all falls together and creates a wonderful tale. As I said, at the beginning, the world building is fabulous, the setting is amazing, and the secondary characters truly help make the story. As entertaining us a story was it does leave readers with a few lingering questions that will surely make us want to read the next book even more. Who am I kidding? I’m not speaking for anyone else but myself. Yes, I want to know what happens to that little fairy.

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Although she tries her best, Courtney just can't stay out of murder investigations...especially when her bestie Megan's business partner is the one accused of the murder. Even with the help of her friends and fairies, Courtney might not be able to figure out whodunit before something else happens.

I enjoyed this book so much. The fairies, making fairy gardens and fairy doors, the descriptions of the beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea, the characters, the storylines, and the mysteries always make for a fun, interesting, and charming book and series.
Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the Cozy Mystery Review Crew for a paperback copy, and to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance ecopy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

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Courtney has been hired to make some fairy gardens for an upcoming event. An art show will be part of the event hosting several local talents and their creations. One of the main artists happens to be her best friends ex-boyfriend who turned out to be a jerk. Courtney is shocked when the ex is found dead not long after arguing with Meaghan. There are quite a few suspects to look at but the cops sedm to be.focusing on Meaghan. Courtney wants to help her best friend so she starts looking into things with the help.of her fairy friend Fiona. Follow along as the two delve into suspects in hopes of.coming up with the name of a killer. Will the two clear their friends name or will she end up behind bars. This is a wonderfully enchanting cozy mystery series. It brings its characters to life in a magical way. It has brought my love of fairy gardens to life. I even added fairy doors last year after reading a previous book from the series. I look forward to seeing what magic happens next!

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I think the author did an excellent job in delivering a light and entertaining cozy mystery but never hiding the darker side of the story. There's toxic relationships, abuse, violence.
The victim is not a nice guy and sometimes I wondered why so many clever women were suffering for a manipulator and abuses.
I don't to say more as it would be spoiling.
The plot is as entertaining as in the other novels, a bit more complex and I was satisfied by the solutions and the surprising twists.
Can't wait to read the next story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

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Flicker of a Doubt by Daryl Wood Gerber is another in her Fairy Garden Mystery series which I absolutely love. It is always a good thing when an author comes up with a unique setting for a mystery and Gerber has done just that: a store that specializes in fairy gardens. Not only does Open Your Imagination sell everything necessary to build a fairy garden, they also sell completed gardens, hold classes, and have tea parties. And . . . there is a fairy on the premises. Not everyone can see Fiona, though, only those who believe, leaving a great many people out. It is a happy place, so when there is a murder everyone is upset. The store in in a courtyard with other businesses and so they are all friends. Meaghan is one of Courtney’s best friends, and is part owner in the art gallery, Flair, which is across the courtyard. Right now Meghan is having a meltdown because her ex-boyfriend in texting her: he wants he back. She doesn’t want him, but she has to stay strong.

Courtney doesn’t mean to investigate but she is curious, and most of these people are her friends so things naturally come up on conversation. Nicolas was killed on Meghan’s front walk and the police have arrested Ziggy, Meaghan’s partner in Flair. He is innocent, but it night be hard to prove. There are so many suspects, and Nicolas was not a good guy. While this was all happening, Courtney was building ten large fairy gardens, all with the theme of “love,” and ten fairy garden centerpieces for Julia. Her father was landscaping Julia’s yard for the huge gala she was holding to raise money to support the arts. There was so much going on, Courtney could hardly keep up with her boyfriend, Brady, a nearby restaurant owner. This is an enchanting series, full of fun and happiness. The attitude of the place makes even murder seem less awful. It was a decent mystery with a full cast of character, some re-ocurring, some not. Courtney is a simple young woman, but a good one well-written by Gerber. The whole thing is nothing but fun, even with murders.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Flicker of a Doubt by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Kensington #DarylWoodGerber #FlickerOfADoubt

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Another delightful read in the Fairy Garden Mystery series. For anyone who just reads the first few lines of reviews- let me start with saying the book is a well written murder mystery with interesting colorful characters. Even if it did not contain fairies, it would still be a good book. The fairy friends are not an after thought. They are part of and enhance an already good story. If you're not into the fantasy of fairies - it's still a good book. If you are into the fantasy of fairies, then this is definitely a series for you.

This is book 4. I started the series with book 3 which I reviewed and wrote that it could be read as a standalone. I recommend having read at least one other book in the series before reading book 4, Flicker of a Doubt. The author does explain references of past events and people, but I do think with this particular book, it would be helpful to have read an earlier book in the series.

The story centers around the artists in Courtney's town of Carmel-by-the-sea. An old flame of her friend Meghan returns to Carmel for a fundraising event and to demand Meghan get back with him. Yep. Not really wooing or romancing. His hostile personality and his past, is brought to the forefront of this story. A very interesting mystery revolves around Meghan's business partner discovering a dead body in her yard. I really enjoyed the story and getting to know more about our reoccurring characters and the links they may share to new characters in this book. I won't say this was an easy solve of who done it. But if you do think you have it figured out before the last few chapters, keep going. So much more comes out about the case and those involved that you don't want to miss. I don't want to give anything away, but I was half expecting for a phone number at the end of the book to call if you are a victim of domestic abuse. It would not have been out of place. 2 thumbs up and 4 stars for another Fairy fantastic tail by Daryl Wood Gerber. Thank you #netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC of A Flicker of a Doubt.

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Courtney and Fiona, righteous fairy, return in a new adventure/mystery. Carmel-by-the-sea is a lovely setting for a fairy filled mystery series.
Courtney is busier than ever making fairy gardens and helping others make them at Open Your Imagination.
Nicholas, Meghan’s old boyfriend, returns to town and ends up dead. There are a number of good suspects and a lot of information that rises to the surface about Nicholas as the book progresses.
I’ve read all the fairy garden mysteries and this is a wonderful addition to the series. I encourage you to read A Flicker of a Doubt if you enjoy mysteries with a bit of magic.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Cozies for the opportunity to read this book.

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Always an enchanting visit to Carmel to hang out with Courtney and all her friends/family and garden fairies like Fiona. I just love Fiona! She's really learning a lot and she's come sooo far from that first book and the stuff she tried to pull! There were some cool new things Fiona found out about too.

I was never really sure whodunit until Courtney found out. I loved how Fiona was able to help, but Courtney wasn't too shabby herself as she kept the perp talking and remembered a karate move Ziggy taught her. Brady and Courtney were still in a good relationship place with really too much going on as far as the murder went to even interact a whole lot. They need to take a relaxing trip between books lol. With everything wrapped up neatly at the end, there was still somewhat of a shocker and now I'm beyond eager to see what happens next!

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

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A Flicker of a Doubt is the 4th book in the Fairy Garden Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone but in order to get the full feel of the world and character growth it’s best to start with book 1 (A Sprinkling of Murder).

Courtney Kelly has been asked to is make fairy gardens for an art event Violet is hosting. While talking with Violet she finds out that one of the featured artists just so happens to be her best friend Meghan’s ex boyfriend Nick. One afternoon things get a little crazy between Nick and another artist and Nick is found dead on Meghan’s lawn.
Courtney and her fairy friends are set on solving the case.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and I really loved this installment of it. Just like the previous books it is fun and whimsical. The town is super cute and all I want to do is go to Courtney’s store Open Your Imagination and make fairy gardens.

The murder plot was well thought out and interesting. I also love how there is a central storyline going on with Courtney’s store. You get to see what it’s like to be at her store how she has fairy garden classes and you get to meet some of her customers. There is also a continued story about Courtney’s fairy Fiona and I’m excited to see what happens with her next.
The end of the book has recipes from a few of the characters in the book. I thought it was a cute idea.

Thank you #Netgalley and #kensingtoncozies for the e-arc

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This is the fourth book in Daryl Wood Gerber’s Fairy Garden Mystery series. Each installment contains a complete mystery and can function well as a standalone story, but, as with any series, my personal preference is to start at the beginning. This is such an imaginative, whimsical series! Who doesn’t need to occasionally escape into a world where fairies are real? Fairies, magic, friendship, food, a touch of romance and, lets’s not forget, a murder or two! What’s not to love! After you’ve solved the mystery, there’s the bonus of recipes at the end of the book. Each recipe is shared by one of the characters and gives a little background on why that recipe is special to them. A very nice personal touch!

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A Flicker of a Doubt is book #4 in the lovely Fairy Garden Mystery series by Daryl Wood Gerber. I enjoy escaping my daily cares by leaping into the magical realism of this series. Ms. Gerber has created wonderful characters and a plethora of information on fairies in addition to the mystery storyline. I've enjoyed learning how to make fairy gardens and the gardening descriptions included in the book, as well. Courtney and Meaghan are caught in the middle of two feuding artists---one being Meaghan's Ex--- while setting up for an event. Fiona is flitting about, sprinkling her dust, and Violet has planned for Courtney's dad to work in her garden---what could go wrong? The mystery is a tangled one with much misdirection on the trail to discovering the killer. I do suggest reading these in order for the full enjoyment of the characters and their growth.
Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Cozies, and Daryl Wood Gerber for allowing me an EARC to read and provide an honest review.
#AFlickerofaDoubt #NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #DarylWoodGerber
#FairyGardenMystery

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Courtney Kelly owns a fairy gardening business, creating delightful fairy gardens while she communicates with some real live fairies. When her best friend, Meaghan's, ex-boyfriend is killed, Courtney works to solve the mystery. She is helped by her little fairy friend Fiona.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries. I have seen fairy gardens and find them charming, and the idea of fairies being actual characters in this book was intriguing to me. I have not read the previous books in this series but had no problem enjoying A Flicker of a Doubt as a standalone mystery. (That said, I now do want to read the rest of the series!)

This is such a unique cozy mystery. I really liked Courtney and especially her fairy friends, who brought an element of whimsey to this mystery.

A Flicker of a Doubt is an intriguing mystery with a number of viable suspects, and I enjoyed following along as Courtney worked to solve the mystery. I enjoyed the art world setting.

A small note, but I really loved the little fairy quotes and lines of poetry that started each chapter. They added a lot to the book for me!

This was a fun read and a real change of pace for me. I recommend A Flicker of a Doubt for fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone who is intrigued by fairy gardens or who likes whimsical elements in storytelling.

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This delightful series never disappoints me. I know I can be in a funk and stressed out but that will vanish when I enter the fairy world created by Daryl Wood Gerber. Courtney and her fairy, Fiona are wonderful characters living in one of my favorite places, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA. She owns Your Imagination Fairy Garden Shop, a magical place, indeed. She is also good at unmasking the occasional killer.
Courtney is hired to make fairy gardens for an art foundation fund raiser but things turn ugly when her best friend, Meaghan's ex-boyfriend turns out to be involved with the event. He is the last person she ever wanted to see but, when he is found murdered some are asking if she had a motive and the means. Friends support friends and Courtney sets out to investigate with some help from Fiona.
Each entry in this series is well constructed with a mystery sprinkled with a few red herrings to keep the reader guessing to the end.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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