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Lovely Lethal Gardens #1
Arsenic in the Azaleas
Riches to rags. … Controlling to chaos. … But murder … seriously?
After her ex-husband leaves her high and dry, former socialite Doreen Montgomery's chance at a new life comes in the form of her grandmother, Nan's, dilapidated old house in picturesque Kelowna … and the added job of caring for the animals Nan couldn’t take into assisted living with her: Thaddeus, the loquacious African gray parrot with a ripe vocabulary, and his buddy, Goliath, a monster-size cat with an equally monstrous attitude.
It’s the new start Doreen and her beloved basset hound, Mugs, desperately need. But, just as things start to look up for Doreen, Goliath the cat and Mugs the dog find a human finger in Nan’s overrun garden.
And not just a finger. Once the police start digging, the rest of the body turns up and turns out to be connected to an old unsolved crime.
With her grandmother as the prime suspect, Doreen soon finds herself stumbling over clues and getting on Corporal Mack Moreau’s last nerve, as she does her best to prove her beloved Nan innocent of murder.
After her ex-husband leaves her high and dry, former socialite Doreen Montgomery's chance at a new life comes in the form of her grandmother, Nan's, dilapidated old house in picturesque Kelowna … and the added job of caring for the animals Nan couldn’t take into assisted living with her: Thaddeus, the loquacious African gray parrot with a ripe vocabulary, and his buddy, Goliath, a monster-size cat with an equally monstrous attitude.
It’s the new start Doreen and her beloved basset hound, Mugs, desperately need. But, just as things start to look up for Doreen, Goliath the cat and Mugs the dog find a human finger in Nan’s overrun garden.
And not just a finger. Once the police start digging, the rest of the body turns up and turns out to be connected to an old unsolved crime.
With her grandmother as the prime suspect, Doreen soon finds herself stumbling over clues and getting on Corporal Mack Moreau’s last nerve, as she does her best to prove her beloved Nan innocent of murder.
284 pages, ebook
First published January 22, 2019
About the author
Dale Mayer
472 books1,580 followersDale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It's a Dog's Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).
She honors the stories that come to her - and some of them are crazy and break all the rules and cross multiple genres!
To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in print and ebook format.
To find out more about Dale and her books, visit her at http://www.dalemayer.com. Or connect with her online with Twitter at www.twitter.com/dalemayer and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author. If you like Dale Mayer's books and are interested in joining her street team, sign up here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/40238...
Books by Dale Mayer
Psychic Vision Series
Tuesday's Child
Hide'n Go Seek
Maddy's Floor
Garden of Sorrow
Knock, Knock...
Rare Find
Eyes to the Soul - fall/winter 2014
By Death Series
Touched by Death - Part 1 - Free
Touched by Death - Part 2
Touched by Death - Full book
Haunted by Death
Chilled by Death - fall/winter 2014
Second Chances...at Love Series
Second Chances - Part 1
Second Chances - Part 2
Second Chances - Full book
Novellas
It's a Dog's Life- romantic comedy
Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy
Broken Protocols #1
Broken Protocols #2
Broken Protocols #3
New adult/adul crossover Books
In Cassie's Corner
Gem Stone (a Gemma Stone mystery)
Design Series
Dangerous Designs
Deadly Designs
Darkest Designs
Family Blood Ties Series
Vampire in Denial
Vampire in Distress
Vampire in Design
Vampire in Deceit
Vampire in Defiance
Non-Fiction Books
Career Essentials: The Resume
Career Essentials: The Cover Letter
Career Essentials: The Interview
Career Essentials: 3 in 1
She honors the stories that come to her - and some of them are crazy and break all the rules and cross multiple genres!
To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in print and ebook format.
To find out more about Dale and her books, visit her at http://www.dalemayer.com. Or connect with her online with Twitter at www.twitter.com/dalemayer and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author. If you like Dale Mayer's books and are interested in joining her street team, sign up here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/40238...
Books by Dale Mayer
Psychic Vision Series
Tuesday's Child
Hide'n Go Seek
Maddy's Floor
Garden of Sorrow
Knock, Knock...
Rare Find
Eyes to the Soul - fall/winter 2014
By Death Series
Touched by Death - Part 1 - Free
Touched by Death - Part 2
Touched by Death - Full book
Haunted by Death
Chilled by Death - fall/winter 2014
Second Chances...at Love Series
Second Chances - Part 1
Second Chances - Part 2
Second Chances - Full book
Novellas
It's a Dog's Life- romantic comedy
Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy
Broken Protocols #1
Broken Protocols #2
Broken Protocols #3
New adult/adul crossover Books
In Cassie's Corner
Gem Stone (a Gemma Stone mystery)
Design Series
Dangerous Designs
Deadly Designs
Darkest Designs
Family Blood Ties Series
Vampire in Denial
Vampire in Distress
Vampire in Design
Vampire in Deceit
Vampire in Defiance
Non-Fiction Books
Career Essentials: The Resume
Career Essentials: The Cover Letter
Career Essentials: The Interview
Career Essentials: 3 in 1
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 572 reviews
March 16, 2019
This was a quirky cozy with a divorcee amateur sleuth, who finds several dead bodies under and around the home her grandmother has given her. Doreen has quite the menagerie made up of her dog Mugs, parrot Thaddeus and Goliath the cat who keep her company and add a bit of humour to the story.
I thought the animals saved the story, as Doreen was sometimes hard to take. Even with allowances made for her learning how to be a functioning member of the world after being a trophy wife, her helplessness was extreme. She's thirty-five and didn't know how to use a coffeemaker. Unless she was married off at fourteen, which it doesn't seem was the case, it didn't ring true. Worse, she never used Google to look up simple things she didn't know. New in town and need to find takeaway because you don't or can't cook? Anyone else would whip out their phone & Google that. Not Doreen. She calls her Nan who tells her about the local Chinese restaurant & where to find the paper menu. Throughout the entire story and into the second book (yes, I have it already), the gas stove in the kitchen is a mystery & she can't figure out why the burner doesn't light when she turns it on. Okay, so she doesn't know about pilot lights but she still has yet to look it up! More than her overly snippy attitude, her not using her phone or any internet for practical living solutions (she used it to look up information relating to the identified deceased) irked me and made it difficult to buy her as her age or a contemporary character at all. Kelowna isn't Yellowknife remote, so I didn't understand why she wouldn't go to her phone. Google works outside of Vancouver for general information!
I'll certainly read the next as I have to believe that Doreen gets better as she grows in ability and confidence. I like that she's interested in beginning her own gardening business. I also liked Doreen's relationship with her Nan. The hint at romance with Mack is still flat for me but I don't think he's going anywhere so I can still be sold. I do hope the next book has swifter momentum with the actual mystery now that all the set up is done. And major points for gorgeous cover art. It's what caught my eye on Amazon.
I thought the animals saved the story, as Doreen was sometimes hard to take. Even with allowances made for her learning how to be a functioning member of the world after being a trophy wife, her helplessness was extreme. She's thirty-five and didn't know how to use a coffeemaker. Unless she was married off at fourteen, which it doesn't seem was the case, it didn't ring true. Worse, she never used Google to look up simple things she didn't know. New in town and need to find takeaway because you don't or can't cook? Anyone else would whip out their phone & Google that. Not Doreen. She calls her Nan who tells her about the local Chinese restaurant & where to find the paper menu. Throughout the entire story and into the second book (yes, I have it already), the gas stove in the kitchen is a mystery & she can't figure out why the burner doesn't light when she turns it on. Okay, so she doesn't know about pilot lights but she still has yet to look it up! More than her overly snippy attitude, her not using her phone or any internet for practical living solutions (she used it to look up information relating to the identified deceased) irked me and made it difficult to buy her as her age or a contemporary character at all. Kelowna isn't Yellowknife remote, so I didn't understand why she wouldn't go to her phone. Google works outside of Vancouver for general information!
I'll certainly read the next as I have to believe that Doreen gets better as she grows in ability and confidence. I like that she's interested in beginning her own gardening business. I also liked Doreen's relationship with her Nan. The hint at romance with Mack is still flat for me but I don't think he's going anywhere so I can still be sold. I do hope the next book has swifter momentum with the actual mystery now that all the set up is done. And major points for gorgeous cover art. It's what caught my eye on Amazon.
April 29, 2019
Sorry, but this one was very poorly constructed. Silly, and often illogical, with characters suddenly responding in a different way with no discernable trigger, hackneyed descriptions, and no character worth identifying with or caring about. The grandmother, Nan, has suddenly moved into a rest home facility a five minute walk away where she can be consulted by her long time no see socialite granddaughter Doreen (but does not seem to have been consulted about obvious things). The heroine is a trophy wife who just lost everything in a bitter divorce and now must learn to fend for herself, living in what was Granny's house. She wants to try making a pretty garden but her dog finds a body. Let me summarize the menagerie: there is an obnoxious dog, a tiresome cat, and an addled talking parrot who seems to give key clues out in a cognizant timely manner, but is ignored. These would-be lovable but irritating pets form a family, suddenly loyal to Doreen, and follow her around on her treks outside. There is also a hunky sheriff who provides some sane direction but of course is infatuated with our tempestuous vixen. This reads as if it was made up as the author went along, sometimes circling back to be repetitive, never with a direction or any character construction. Not worth the effort to get through. One point for a pleasant setting in British Columbia, but not enough points to merit any other human being should try to read it.
June 13, 2019
A good start to the series, with a mystery that kept me involved enough to want to see how it ended. What irked me was the constant repetition of her situation vis a vis her yucky marriage, her yucky ex, her current downer circumstance, etc. A couple of times would have done it, followed up by a solid action plan to deal with it. I also would have wanted to see her use the internet a lot more for things she apparently couldn't handle, such as dealing with a gas stove.
Loved her relationship with her Nan, as well as her menagerie. The parrot cracked me, so like my mom's. I do plan to read the next installment to see how she blooms and succeeds. And, yes, I'm hopeful that she gets back at her ex and her slimy divorce lawyer. 3.5*
Loved her relationship with her Nan, as well as her menagerie. The parrot cracked me, so like my mom's. I do plan to read the next installment to see how she blooms and succeeds. And, yes, I'm hopeful that she gets back at her ex and her slimy divorce lawyer. 3.5*
September 4, 2020
Well.. I haven't written a bad review in a while, so might as well polish my skills or people will start to think I am nice or something :D
Erratic, repetitive, silly and inconsistent. It hurt me to read this. This was one of the most painful reads of this year. Ouch. I feel my IQ dropping just from thinking about it.
Erratic, repetitive, silly and inconsistent. It hurt me to read this. This was one of the most painful reads of this year. Ouch. I feel my IQ dropping just from thinking about it.
September 10, 2020
Oh. My. Goodness. I absolutely LOVED this book! The MC, Doreen Montgomery, is a soon-to-be-divorcee. 35 years old and an ex-socialite, she is now sans money because her ex-husband had an affair with a woman who ended up being Doreen's attorney for her divorce, so let's just say she got royally screwed!
Just hours, or even less, after she gets to her Nana's house, the cat, Goliath, found a bone and her basset hound, Mugs, snatched it away. As Doreen goes to scold Mugs she realizes they've come home with a human bone. Thus begins the mystery of this fun book with the most wonderful characters! My favorite character has to be Thaddeus, a loquacious African grey parrot who not only has an extensive vocabulary, but he has a habit of saying everything twice: "Murder in the garden. Murder in the garden." I loved that bird!
Doreen doesn't just discover one body, but for some reason at the most suspicious times, she discovers more. Her Nana is the #1 suspect though, so she sets out to prove her grandma's innocence, thus interfering with Corporal Mack Moreau's investigation.
It's just a FUN, funny, easy mystery to read.
UPDATE: Re-read
I still love this one. I think there are times for fun, funny, silly, and at times ridiculous story lines. I love mystery in all forms and this one was just too fun to read.
I still love Goliath and Mugs and their "sibling rivalry." I just adore them both, even though I'm not a cat lover. And I can't leave off Thaddeus who can't keep his mouth shut. LOL I just love books with fun animals who add something that humans just can't.
Just hours, or even less, after she gets to her Nana's house, the cat, Goliath, found a bone and her basset hound, Mugs, snatched it away. As Doreen goes to scold Mugs she realizes they've come home with a human bone. Thus begins the mystery of this fun book with the most wonderful characters! My favorite character has to be Thaddeus, a loquacious African grey parrot who not only has an extensive vocabulary, but he has a habit of saying everything twice: "Murder in the garden. Murder in the garden." I loved that bird!
Doreen doesn't just discover one body, but for some reason at the most suspicious times, she discovers more. Her Nana is the #1 suspect though, so she sets out to prove her grandma's innocence, thus interfering with Corporal Mack Moreau's investigation.
It's just a FUN, funny, easy mystery to read.
UPDATE: Re-read
I still love this one. I think there are times for fun, funny, silly, and at times ridiculous story lines. I love mystery in all forms and this one was just too fun to read.
I still love Goliath and Mugs and their "sibling rivalry." I just adore them both, even though I'm not a cat lover. And I can't leave off Thaddeus who can't keep his mouth shut. LOL I just love books with fun animals who add something that humans just can't.
Want to read
April 9, 2019🎁 FREE on iBooks today (4/9/2019)! 🎁
Blurb:
Riches to rags. … Controlling to chaos. … But murder … seriously?
After her ex-husband leaves her high and dry, former socialite Doreen Montgomery's chance at a new life comes in the form of her grandmother, Nan's, dilapidated old house in picturesque Kelowna … and the added job of caring for the animals Nan couldn’t take into assisted living with her: Thaddeus, the loquacious African gray parrot with a ripe vocabulary, and his buddy, Goliath, a monster-size cat with an equally monstrous attitude.
It’s the new start Doreen and her beloved basset hound, Mugs, desperately need. But, just as things start to look up for Doreen, Goliath the cat and Mugs the dog find a human finger in Nan’s overrun garden.
And not just a finger. Once the police start digging, the rest of the body turns up and turns out to be connected to an old unsolved crime.
With her grandmother as the prime suspect, Doreen soon finds herself stumbling over clues and getting on Corporal Mack Moreau’s last nerve, as she does her best to prove her beloved Nan innocent of murder.
Blurb:
Riches to rags. … Controlling to chaos. … But murder … seriously?
After her ex-husband leaves her high and dry, former socialite Doreen Montgomery's chance at a new life comes in the form of her grandmother, Nan's, dilapidated old house in picturesque Kelowna … and the added job of caring for the animals Nan couldn’t take into assisted living with her: Thaddeus, the loquacious African gray parrot with a ripe vocabulary, and his buddy, Goliath, a monster-size cat with an equally monstrous attitude.
It’s the new start Doreen and her beloved basset hound, Mugs, desperately need. But, just as things start to look up for Doreen, Goliath the cat and Mugs the dog find a human finger in Nan’s overrun garden.
And not just a finger. Once the police start digging, the rest of the body turns up and turns out to be connected to an old unsolved crime.
With her grandmother as the prime suspect, Doreen soon finds herself stumbling over clues and getting on Corporal Mack Moreau’s last nerve, as she does her best to prove her beloved Nan innocent of murder.
February 13, 2019
The covers are eye-catching and after reading the promo, I was hooked however the covers are busy. The tale is a fun relaxing, and humorous read. The main characters are fully developed that include Doreen Montgomery, a discarded trophy wife, and her basket hound Mugs. For added humor, there are the fur babies, Thaddeus, an African Grey Parrot and Goliath, a Maine Coon all on the cover along with the plant featured in the story. We add RMP Corporal Mack Moreau for a romantic relationship it a neat series. Three books are out and 3 more are in the works..
After Doreen's has told her husband wanted a divorce and because her lawyer's trickery she ends up broke and accepted the offer of her Nan, Grandmother's house and two pets in Kelowna, BC. She moved into the house and Goliath brings a severed finger inside and Mugs chased Goliath for the treasure. Entered Mack Moreau and both become involved with learning from where the finger came. The fur friends are involved with the ending. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book.
After Doreen's has told her husband wanted a divorce and because her lawyer's trickery she ends up broke and accepted the offer of her Nan, Grandmother's house and two pets in Kelowna, BC. She moved into the house and Goliath brings a severed finger inside and Mugs chased Goliath for the treasure. Entered Mack Moreau and both become involved with learning from where the finger came. The fur friends are involved with the ending. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book.
June 7, 2019
Doreen Montgomery, recently divorced, arrives in a quaint Canadian village to care for her grandmother's home and pets, only to find a human finger bone in the garden. The police discover the corresponding body and Doreen's grandmother, now in a local assisted living facility, is the prime suspect in the murder.
Mayer gives us a fully-fleshed out, relatable main character and surrounds her with quirky secondary characters and three charming pets. There are plenty of twists and turns in this whimsical, fast-paced story.
Mayer gives us a fully-fleshed out, relatable main character and surrounds her with quirky secondary characters and three charming pets. There are plenty of twists and turns in this whimsical, fast-paced story.
March 11, 2019
Quirky new cosy mystery series. Yet I have to mention that I cannot believe that people can be as inept as Doreen. There is such a thing as the internet and google or youtube :-)
May 13, 2019
Arsenic in the Azaleas, Lovely Lethal Gardens #1
by Dale Mayer
I wanted to like this first-in-the-series book, and I suppose I did like it, but I did not love it.
The editing and proofing were excellent. The pacing was good, with lots of action that flowed well. The characters were definitively drawn, and I was very fond of Mugs, Goliath, and Thaddeus. There was no cliffhanger ending. There was plenty of humor in the writing. So why didn't I like it better?
It's difficult to fall in love with a series where you don't particularly like the main character. At first, as I'd never read any of this author's work before, I thought Dale Mayer must be a man to craft such a bitchy female main character, but a quick internet search proved that incorrect -- Dale Mayer is a woman. So, I have to assume that she intended the main character to come across as bitchy, privileged, self-pitying, and inefficient in things everyone, not just women, should know how to do. Through the book the author tries to either lessen those traits and make the character seem more independent, but doesn't succeed and, while the character does soften some, she remains suspicious for no real reason, feels sorry for herself and/or has to keep reminding herself of how lucky she is to have what she has. And what man or woman, who discovers that her/his divorce attorney is the paramour of his/her spouse, wouldn't go directly to either the state bar association or to another attorney with the facts of the case, including that the attorney lied to her, encouraged her to sign paperwork not in her best interests, etc.? Ignorance of the law is no excuse is not just a saying, but words to live by. Just as you should always get a second opinion on big health issues, you should always get a second opinion on big law issues (believe me, I worked in a law office for 4 decades -- always be alert and cautious).
Besides that, the book seemed more a romcom than a mystery. Bleh.
In any event, I never did warm up to Doreen or ever feel sorry for her or particularly wish her well. So, Lovely Lethal Gardens, will not be a series I pursue.
by Dale Mayer
I wanted to like this first-in-the-series book, and I suppose I did like it, but I did not love it.
The editing and proofing were excellent. The pacing was good, with lots of action that flowed well. The characters were definitively drawn, and I was very fond of Mugs, Goliath, and Thaddeus. There was no cliffhanger ending. There was plenty of humor in the writing. So why didn't I like it better?
It's difficult to fall in love with a series where you don't particularly like the main character. At first, as I'd never read any of this author's work before, I thought Dale Mayer must be a man to craft such a bitchy female main character, but a quick internet search proved that incorrect -- Dale Mayer is a woman. So, I have to assume that she intended the main character to come across as bitchy, privileged, self-pitying, and inefficient in things everyone, not just women, should know how to do. Through the book the author tries to either lessen those traits and make the character seem more independent, but doesn't succeed and, while the character does soften some, she remains suspicious for no real reason, feels sorry for herself and/or has to keep reminding herself of how lucky she is to have what she has. And what man or woman, who discovers that her/his divorce attorney is the paramour of his/her spouse, wouldn't go directly to either the state bar association or to another attorney with the facts of the case, including that the attorney lied to her, encouraged her to sign paperwork not in her best interests, etc.? Ignorance of the law is no excuse is not just a saying, but words to live by. Just as you should always get a second opinion on big health issues, you should always get a second opinion on big law issues (believe me, I worked in a law office for 4 decades -- always be alert and cautious).
Besides that, the book seemed more a romcom than a mystery. Bleh.
In any event, I never did warm up to Doreen or ever feel sorry for her or particularly wish her well. So, Lovely Lethal Gardens, will not be a series I pursue.
June 11, 2019
Started out okay, but I lost interest fast. Found myself skimming through some of the book.
March 9, 2020
Excellent
A great new to me Cozy Mystery series. A plethora of excellent characters including three pets with full personalities that help find the bodies and solve the mysteries!
A great new to me Cozy Mystery series. A plethora of excellent characters including three pets with full personalities that help find the bodies and solve the mysteries!
May 26, 2021
Just perfect! Pity the rest of the books are priced outside of my budget. ☹
Read
June 4, 2019Doreen the ex-trophy wife has nowhere to go and little money to live on, so she ends up moving into her Nan’s house.
***
I stalled at writing the summary; it’s just so silly.
Her husband was having an affair with her lawyer and she signed off on everything and was left with nothing. [Report her to the Bar Association, you stupid cow. Get it undone. It’s YOUR money.]
And why would her Nan move out weeks/months before Doreen arrived? Long enough for weeds to reach waist height in the yard? And she left her beloved pets behind, a grey parrot and a Maine coon cat, to fend for themselves? Their food is in the house but who the heck has been feeding them?
BUT Nan’s a five minute walk away in a retirement home… not that Doreen bothered to visit her first.
And none of it makes ANY sense.
Doreen is so stupid she’s really irritating.
Mack, the detective she’s been eyeing off has to make his own coffee even though she prides herself as being a great hostess because she doesn’t know how to open the coffeemaker.
A socialite… who doesn’t know what espresso is??? [and editing - quietly calm is redundant]
Her dog chews on a human finger so she calls the cops.
Duh… the parrot is smarter than she is.
And the cop has to point out to her that her Nan has moved out to give her the house.
That’s it. I’m done.
Did not finish at 25%
***
I stalled at writing the summary; it’s just so silly.
Her husband was having an affair with her lawyer and she signed off on everything and was left with nothing. [Report her to the Bar Association, you stupid cow. Get it undone. It’s YOUR money.]
And why would her Nan move out weeks/months before Doreen arrived? Long enough for weeds to reach waist height in the yard? And she left her beloved pets behind, a grey parrot and a Maine coon cat, to fend for themselves? Their food is in the house but who the heck has been feeding them?
BUT Nan’s a five minute walk away in a retirement home… not that Doreen bothered to visit her first.
And none of it makes ANY sense.
Doreen is so stupid she’s really irritating.
Mack, the detective she’s been eyeing off has to make his own coffee even though she prides herself as being a great hostess because she doesn’t know how to open the coffeemaker.
And she didn’t even know it had been coffee. She walked over and studied the bag. “Nothing on it says coffee.” She felt his stare of surprise.
He quietly said in a calm voice, “It says espresso.”
She nodded. “I read that. I didn’t realize that was the same kind of coffee one could use to make coffee in a coffeemaker.”(p. 61).
A socialite… who doesn’t know what espresso is??? [and editing - quietly calm is redundant]
Her dog chews on a human finger so she calls the cops.
Mack cleared his throat beside her. “We’ll be here every day until we have searched the whole place.”
She stared at him. “Why?”
“Because a dead body was found on your property.” (p. 70).
Duh… the parrot is smarter than she is.
And the cop has to point out to her that her Nan has moved out to give her the house.
That’s it. I’m done.
Did not finish at 25%
June 15, 2020
Last month I read a few cozies that were not exactly what I had hoped I would get out of the genre. I started reading them for small-town feels and quirky, lovable, real characters. I'm afraid to say the few I read in May didn't exactly fit those vibes. So I was a little bit wary when I first started reading Arsenic in the Azaleas.
I'm happy to report this novel was the new look at the genre that I needed this month. I loved Doreen as a character. She was cute, funny, and relatable, and she had true motivation and appreciation for everything she did in the novel.
Arsenic in the Azaleas starts off with the main character, Doreen, moving to her grandmother's house in her small Canadian town after a toxic marriage ends in an ugly divorce. Just after moving in, she discovers a dead body on her porch.
As in a lot of cozy mysteries, she tries to look at the case and figure the culprit out for herself, but she doesn't do this in a reckless or dangerous way, in contrast to a lot of cozy mystery heroines. She knows when to step back and let the police handle their job, but she can't help being in the wrong place at the wrong time, nor can she stop herself from finding interesting clues while cleaning out the old house she's inherited.
One thing that made this novel infinitely better was the three pets. There was Goliath, the cat she inherited with the house, who has a love-hate relationship with her Bassett hound Mugs. Mugs is the one who actually discovers most of the disturbing evidence, and insists on Doreen knowing about it. And then there's Thaddeus, the talking African Gray parrot who always says everything twice, starting with "Body in the garden. Body in the garden." He was easily my favorite, and he was great comic relief when the crime was at its worst.
I also hate to say it, with everything that's going on with the police violence in the real world, but the officer Mack was another one of my favorite characters. Although he chastised Doreen often for her involvement, he seemed to not really mind, and they work well together. I kept seeing him as Hopper from Stranger Things. Also, and again I feel bad for saying this with the current climate, but I really hope Doreen is on the force by the end of the series.
Speaking of the series, I definitely want to get my hands on the next book. I really want to see what Doreen and her hilarious animal family do next. And, I'm really rooting for a relationship between her and Mack. I will definitely look to see where I can find Bones in the Begonias at a low price. This was good and laugh-out-loud hilarious at a time when I needed something to put a smile on my face.
I'm happy to report this novel was the new look at the genre that I needed this month. I loved Doreen as a character. She was cute, funny, and relatable, and she had true motivation and appreciation for everything she did in the novel.
Arsenic in the Azaleas starts off with the main character, Doreen, moving to her grandmother's house in her small Canadian town after a toxic marriage ends in an ugly divorce. Just after moving in, she discovers a dead body on her porch.
As in a lot of cozy mysteries, she tries to look at the case and figure the culprit out for herself, but she doesn't do this in a reckless or dangerous way, in contrast to a lot of cozy mystery heroines. She knows when to step back and let the police handle their job, but she can't help being in the wrong place at the wrong time, nor can she stop herself from finding interesting clues while cleaning out the old house she's inherited.
One thing that made this novel infinitely better was the three pets. There was Goliath, the cat she inherited with the house, who has a love-hate relationship with her Bassett hound Mugs. Mugs is the one who actually discovers most of the disturbing evidence, and insists on Doreen knowing about it. And then there's Thaddeus, the talking African Gray parrot who always says everything twice, starting with "Body in the garden. Body in the garden." He was easily my favorite, and he was great comic relief when the crime was at its worst.
I also hate to say it, with everything that's going on with the police violence in the real world, but the officer Mack was another one of my favorite characters. Although he chastised Doreen often for her involvement, he seemed to not really mind, and they work well together. I kept seeing him as Hopper from Stranger Things. Also, and again I feel bad for saying this with the current climate, but I really hope Doreen is on the force by the end of the series.
Speaking of the series, I definitely want to get my hands on the next book. I really want to see what Doreen and her hilarious animal family do next. And, I'm really rooting for a relationship between her and Mack. I will definitely look to see where I can find Bones in the Begonias at a low price. This was good and laugh-out-loud hilarious at a time when I needed something to put a smile on my face.
February 10, 2020
Good story
I'm going to date this book 3.5 stars. It was a fun cozy story. Between the animals and the bodies turning up, Doreen wasn't expecting all the fun that came with living in her grandmothers house. Even grandma was a funny character. But yeah I was being sarcasm i said Doreen was having fun but she did turn out to be in the wrong place every time and the neighbors didn't think very highly of her. New girl moves in and bodies turn up. Yeah I wouldn't want to become too friendly. Hahahaha
I'm going to date this book 3.5 stars. It was a fun cozy story. Between the animals and the bodies turning up, Doreen wasn't expecting all the fun that came with living in her grandmothers house. Even grandma was a funny character. But yeah I was being sarcasm i said Doreen was having fun but she did turn out to be in the wrong place every time and the neighbors didn't think very highly of her. New girl moves in and bodies turn up. Yeah I wouldn't want to become too friendly. Hahahaha
May 15, 2021
4 1/2 stars. I really liked this it had the right blend of humor to lighten the tragedy. Doreen a thirtyfive year old going through a divorce was a rich trophy wife now broke living in her grandmothers' broken down house. Pet lovers will enjoy her per trio: Mugford "mugs" the Basset Hound, Goliath the Maine cat and Thaddeus the African grey parrot. From the day she moves in a dead body is discovered in her yard. Fast paced, fun mixture of characters. A keeper. ...more
5/15/21 second time reading this and still love it. I wish to add that the lady needs a microwave oven.
5/15/21 second time reading this and still love it. I wish to add that the lady needs a microwave oven.
May 11, 2020
Doreen has moved into her grandmother's house and added ownership of Nan's cat and bird to her dog, creating a crowd in the house. Doreen's first day blows up with the discovery of a body in the back yard.
This is a fun cozy mystery with the requisite handsome detective, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The characters are likable, the mystery interesting and animals adorable. I found the characters a little simplistic but still fun. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
This is a fun cozy mystery with the requisite handsome detective, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The characters are likable, the mystery interesting and animals adorable. I found the characters a little simplistic but still fun. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
April 13, 2020
Doreen leaves a life of luxury and no responsibilities due to a douche of a husband and heads for a fresh start. Little did she know moving into Nan's fully furnished, cluttered, antiquated home would lead to an interesting first week of murder and mayhem. Along with the house, she gets murder, mayhem, a hunky detective, a menagerie of unique critters, and a new look on life.
From the minute I started reading, I could not put this book down. Loved it! I was hooked from page 1. I think I may have found my next series to read. Bravo to Dale Mayer for an outstanding story!
From the minute I started reading, I could not put this book down. Loved it! I was hooked from page 1. I think I may have found my next series to read. Bravo to Dale Mayer for an outstanding story!
January 28, 2019
A real life heroine who isn't perfect, whose family consists of a spirited grandmother, a lovable dog, huge cat and a smart parrot...and I loved them all!
When former rich wife Doreen finds herself divorced and broke, she takes her grandmother Nan's offer to live in her home since Nan is moving to a nearby retirement community. Doreen and Mugs, her much loved dog, get more than she planned when she inherits Goliath the cat and Thaddeus the parrot and a body in the front yard!
Doreen is a complicated and sometimes not so likable heroine, but you grow to love her as she tries to make a new life. I think that's why I like her - she's always trying! Add in a handsome detective, Doreen's talent as a gardener (which gets her into trouble), nosy & quirky neighbors, a grandmother who runs betting pools and a neighborhood full of mystery and you have the beginning of a fun new series! I've already started reading the second book, Bones in the Begonias and can't wait to see what Doreen and the crew find next!
When former rich wife Doreen finds herself divorced and broke, she takes her grandmother Nan's offer to live in her home since Nan is moving to a nearby retirement community. Doreen and Mugs, her much loved dog, get more than she planned when she inherits Goliath the cat and Thaddeus the parrot and a body in the front yard!
Doreen is a complicated and sometimes not so likable heroine, but you grow to love her as she tries to make a new life. I think that's why I like her - she's always trying! Add in a handsome detective, Doreen's talent as a gardener (which gets her into trouble), nosy & quirky neighbors, a grandmother who runs betting pools and a neighborhood full of mystery and you have the beginning of a fun new series! I've already started reading the second book, Bones in the Begonias and can't wait to see what Doreen and the crew find next!
January 28, 2019
This is the first book in the Lovely Lethal Gardens series. When I first read about this book, I wasn’t very interested in reading it. I don’t really like the amateur sleuth genre. Since I love Dale Mayer’s other series I decided to give it a chance and I’m glad I did. Doreen was a trophy wife that never had to do anything for herself. After her separation, she needs to learn how to take care of herself. She moves into her grandmother’s house and finds that she has a cat and parrot in addition to her dog. The animals provide humor, while the dog finds dead bodies, the parrot is always talking with lines that make you think he isn’t just mimicking what he hears. Doreen starts clearing out some of the clutter in the house and turns up clues to the murders. While driving Mack the RCMP investigator crazy, she actually helps to solve the murder or as it turns out 3 murders. This is another hit series and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 22, 2019
I found this book to be surprisingly fun, suspenseful and highly entertaining. A murder mystery read that is heavily spiced with humor will leave you chuckling as you try to figure out this whodunnit. I loved Doreen. I thought she was a charming combination of sassy and clueless. This left you either cheering her on or smacking your forehead at her many "Duh Moments". Her interactions with poor Corporal Mack Moreau will leave you in stiches and sending him your sympathies. I think I feel a spark of chemistry there and hope it develops over the series. The addition of the scene stealing Mugs, Goliath and Thaddeus is truly the icing on the cake! A great book and a wonderful start to this series that will leave you eager for the next book. I'm freely posting a frank review.
July 26, 2022
Arsenic in the Azaleas was a pretty fun book to jump into. Not sure why it was never truly on my radar until recently but I'm sort of pissed about that. In this, you will meet Doreen Montgomery. She is just about to be divorced at the ripe age of 35. Her life hasn't been all rainbows and sunshine since she lost a lot of money to her horrible ex-husband.
You'd think once she reached her Nana's house that everything would sort of start to feel a bit normal in her life. Yeah, no, you'd be dead wrong. Mostly because Goliath, the cat, and Mugs, the dog, find a bone and basically play keep away with it. Of course, it doesn't take her long to realize it's a human skeleton bone and start to slightly freak out.
Okay, it was mostly me freaking out because she's holding a piece of human bone here people! Anyhoo, back to the book, this is when her crime solving mystery tingles start to happen and she dives into detective mode. Was she ever one before? No, not really but I was going along with it anyways.
When the bodies keep piling up, though, it's hard to not see who the number one suspect was going to be. It was super obvious that her Nana was suspect number one, but I didn't think she did it. I also really enjoyed her relationship with police officer Mack. Especially when he chastised her every now and then.
In the end, I'm kind of excited to jump into the sequel. Mostly for the animals but I wouldn't mind more of Mack either.
You'd think once she reached her Nana's house that everything would sort of start to feel a bit normal in her life. Yeah, no, you'd be dead wrong. Mostly because Goliath, the cat, and Mugs, the dog, find a bone and basically play keep away with it. Of course, it doesn't take her long to realize it's a human skeleton bone and start to slightly freak out.
Okay, it was mostly me freaking out because she's holding a piece of human bone here people! Anyhoo, back to the book, this is when her crime solving mystery tingles start to happen and she dives into detective mode. Was she ever one before? No, not really but I was going along with it anyways.
When the bodies keep piling up, though, it's hard to not see who the number one suspect was going to be. It was super obvious that her Nana was suspect number one, but I didn't think she did it. I also really enjoyed her relationship with police officer Mack. Especially when he chastised her every now and then.
In the end, I'm kind of excited to jump into the sequel. Mostly for the animals but I wouldn't mind more of Mack either.
April 27, 2021
I really loved the characters and especially loved the animals: basset hound, Maine coon cat, and feisty parrot! The story is interesting and enjoyable and would love to read more by this author.
February 8, 2021
This is a rant and purely for my records and benefit, so feel free to skip.
Pros: It’s not the worst book I’ve ever read. Maybe.
Cons: Where to start..(or stop) The characters are caricatures and have no consistency within the story, repeatedly saying and doing things that make no sense in context. They’re alternately inexplicably snarky, angry, reasonable. Our heroine is an idiot:
“She still didn’t understand the mystery of grocery stores. She understood that fresh food was supposed to be on the outside perimeter, and the food she was to avoid was on the inside of the store. Why would they sell food you were supposed to avoid? And why put it in the middle of the store? Exactly where everyone was going?”
Seriously??
The author repeatedly uses words incorrectly. Editor, please??
“The thought of wearing them (her designer clothes) here was highly unlikely.” No, no, no! The thought was not highly unlikely… The possibility was highly unlikely. Incorrect use of “unlikely .”
“Feeling much more endearing towards her neighbors…” No, no, no! Incorrect use of “endearing.”
“Surprise lighting his taciturn face.” (Definition of taciturn: reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.) How can a face be taciturn?? It can’t! Stupid. Incorrect use of “taciturn.”
Honestly, I could rant on. Up until the last chapter and Epilogue, I was comparing listening to this to eating airline food..no pleasure, no nutritional value, but you’re bored and it’s in front of you, and it’s not actually making you throw up. The last chapter and Epilogue moved it from a 2 to a 1.
The narrator wasn’t good. I dislike perky, but even worse, the main character’s voice sometimes veered into baby-doll..Yuck.
Pros: It’s not the worst book I’ve ever read. Maybe.
Cons: Where to start..(or stop) The characters are caricatures and have no consistency within the story, repeatedly saying and doing things that make no sense in context. They’re alternately inexplicably snarky, angry, reasonable. Our heroine is an idiot:
“She still didn’t understand the mystery of grocery stores. She understood that fresh food was supposed to be on the outside perimeter, and the food she was to avoid was on the inside of the store. Why would they sell food you were supposed to avoid? And why put it in the middle of the store? Exactly where everyone was going?”
Seriously??
The author repeatedly uses words incorrectly. Editor, please??
“The thought of wearing them (her designer clothes) here was highly unlikely.” No, no, no! The thought was not highly unlikely… The possibility was highly unlikely. Incorrect use of “unlikely .”
“Feeling much more endearing towards her neighbors…” No, no, no! Incorrect use of “endearing.”
“Surprise lighting his taciturn face.” (Definition of taciturn: reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.) How can a face be taciturn?? It can’t! Stupid. Incorrect use of “taciturn.”
Honestly, I could rant on. Up until the last chapter and Epilogue, I was comparing listening to this to eating airline food..no pleasure, no nutritional value, but you’re bored and it’s in front of you, and it’s not actually making you throw up. The last chapter and Epilogue moved it from a 2 to a 1.
The narrator wasn’t good. I dislike perky, but even worse, the main character’s voice sometimes veered into baby-doll..Yuck.
April 19, 2021
Pleasant read
Humorous and engaging plot with interesting characters. Liked the characters but loved the animals. Hoping to read more from this series.
Listened 🎧 to audio and reading by Vanessa Moyen was quite enjoyable and easily understood. 4/21/21
Humorous and engaging plot with interesting characters. Liked the characters but loved the animals. Hoping to read more from this series.
Listened 🎧 to audio and reading by Vanessa Moyen was quite enjoyable and easily understood. 4/21/21
December 18, 2023
Oh Doreen I adore you! Lol
Her new life. Her sleuthing and her trying to cook. Also most of all her bird and hound and her cat. All wonderful and made me laugh.
Never trust a pot of tea. ☕️
Her new life. Her sleuthing and her trying to cook. Also most of all her bird and hound and her cat. All wonderful and made me laugh.
Never trust a pot of tea. ☕️
April 29, 2019
I really liked the characters and look forward to reading the rest of this series.
December 29, 2022
This is my first cozy mystery featuring flowers (and gardening in general). I love nature and used to spend a lot of time in the garden. It also has one of my favorite tropes - riches to rags, specifically when a woman moves to a countryside or a small town because of some money issues.
Doreen is a lovely lady on her 30th with a dog. When she comes to her grandmother’s house, she meets more pets, a sassy cat Goliath and an adorable parrot Thaddeus. A great idea to not only feature gardening, but also pets, they always add more coziness to the mystery.
The mystery is also an interesting one, old unresolved cases are the best when it comes to unraveling secrets, unexpected twists and turns, though I enjoyed the beginning of the book the most, especially when two policemen arrived.
Overall a great solid start to another interesting series.
Doreen is a lovely lady on her 30th with a dog. When she comes to her grandmother’s house, she meets more pets, a sassy cat Goliath and an adorable parrot Thaddeus. A great idea to not only feature gardening, but also pets, they always add more coziness to the mystery.
The mystery is also an interesting one, old unresolved cases are the best when it comes to unraveling secrets, unexpected twists and turns, though I enjoyed the beginning of the book the most, especially when two policemen arrived.
Overall a great solid start to another interesting series.
April 22, 2020
A quirky start to a new series. Decent but there were a few issues for me. The bird was irritating as all get out. Doreen's obsession with how horrid her life was now although it sounded like her prior life wasn't all that great, even with all of her hubby's money. The fact that she refused to ask someone how to use ANYTHING! The mystery was fairly solid, if I hadn't gotten caught up in the irritations. We'll see if I go any further with the series.
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