Wow, I loved this book. It was so fun. The characters are enchanting and I loved Duncan the Red Squirrel and Ivanhoe the Scottish Fold kitty add a whimisical touch to this magical tale. The idea of a magic garden is fun. Fiona is actually involved in two mysteries. The murder of her godfather's attorney as well as the mystery of why she inherited Ian's property and just what is her connection to the magical garden. I would love to read the next book in the series.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

I liked this book. It's the first one in a new series and was interesting to see the world building, meeting the characters, both human and pets. Sometimes it seems that the mystery is taking the backseat to the world building.
The cast of characters was likeable and the mystery plot interesting keeping you guessing who the vilain was.
It's a cozy with some elements of paranormal.
I'm curious to see what will be in the next instalment.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley

Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower is a first book in the series.
Fiona's fiance has left her, she has lost her shop and her godfather has died. Can things be any worse? Then she finds out she has inherited his cottage in Scotland. Within moments of arriving she goes with godfather's caretaker to inspect the property and finds a dead body in the garden.It turns out to be someone she knows. It turns out that garden is not just an ordinary garden.
As the title suggest we are treated with a bit of mystery. Also many charismatic and unusual characters. Well crafted plot, magnificent description of Scotland countryside. And a very mysterious mystery to solve.
Very good first book in what I hope will turn out to be a long series.

I enjoy Amanda Flower’s books and this one was no exception, we are heading to Scotland and a magical garden.
Of course, there will be a body, and this leads to a mystery of why he ended up in the dead at the time garden. The reason the garden is dead? Well you will need to read about the magic, and I still have some questions. There is a subtle hint of romance, but will anything come from it?
This one will keep you guessing and wondering why, and all the while the town is striving to keep their beautiful coast line. Is the murder and Fiona’s coming connected? Wait for the bomb shells, they will be dropped and some I never saw coming.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Crooked Lane Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

Flowers And Foul Play is the first book in the Magic Garden Mystery.

This is another wonderful series from the Amanda Flower.

Fiona Knox’s fiance has just broken off their engagement and she has had to close her florist shop when she receives a phone call from Alastair Croft. Croft is the estate lawyer for Ian MacCallister, Fiona’s godfather and he informs her that MacCallister has passed away and has left his cottage and land to her. She has always thought of MacCallister more as an uncle rather than a godfather and remembers many vacations to visit and how much she enjoyed being there and the beautiful garden which was always referred to as a magical garden. With nothing holding her to Tennessee she heads for Bellewick, Scotland to claim her inheritance.

Upon arriving at the cottage she finds Hamish, her godfather’s caretaker, working in the garden that seems to have died off. Hamish tells her that now that she is there the garden will come back to life with her nurturing. As they are touring the garden they find the lifeless body of Croft. As the garden is kept locked and Hamish has the key to the garden he becomes the chief suspect. Fiona has known Hamish since she was a child and sets off to prove him innocent of murdering Croft.

As Fiona begins to investigate she learns that Croft was trying to sell some coastline property to a real estate developer and many of the towns residents are against the sale as it would restrict their use of the harbor. With the help of an environmentalist group and some residents of Duncreigan, she hopes to find out who took Croft’s life.

This book is a well developed and told story with an interesting cast of characters. I will be looking forward to learning more about the residents. And maybe Fiona will find a love interest in Duncreigan.

I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about the magical garden, Fiona and the residents of her new home.

At first when I started this book, I wasn't so sure that I was going to like it so I put it down for a few days. I wasn't going to go back and finish it but I did and boy am I glad. Fiona inherited the cottage and the magical garden in Scotland from her godfather who was killed in the war. At first and didn't know if she wanted to stay, but when she and Hamm is found her godfathers lawyer dead in the magical garden, well she just had to stay and solve the murder even if it meant she might die.

In this first book of Flowers new series we are introduced to Fiona Knox whose life has made a turn for the worse in several different ways. You see not only did her fiance leave her for someone else but she lost a place she loved dearly, her flower shop. When a missive comes saying that her godfather has passed and left her his holdings in Scotland Fiona can't wait to get away and put things back into perspective. While checking out the grounds with the caretaker, Hamish, they find a body in the garden. Not only is finding the body shocking, but the condition that the garden is in as well. What was once a beautifully well kept place filled with blooming flowers is now a place filled with death. After the police arrive and start looking into the mans murder Fiona realizes that Hamish is their main suspect. She doesn't believe that Hamish is the killer and she needs his help in fixing whatever has gone wrong with the garden. Follow along as Fiona digs through suspects, settles in, and looks into her grandfathers past. This was such a bewitching read, it grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go until the end. I loved not only the setting but the set of characters, two and four-legged, that graced the pages. I felt an immediate connection with Fiona and can't wait to see where her story leads her to next.

Overall, Flowers and Foul Play is a charming mixture of magic and mystery. Author Amanda Flower does quite a bit of set-up as far as introducing our main character Fiona, her backstory, her relationship to Ian MacCallister (her godfather who leaves her his cottage and magical garden), the small village in which the story is set, the village cast of characters, and laying the groundwork for a young and budding romance for Fiona. That is a lot of take on while also creating an engaging mystery to be solved, but Amanda Flower managed to pull it off pretty seamlessly.

Fiona is a likeable main character. We are introduced to her at a pretty horrific moment of her life – things have gone horribly wrong for her in both her personal and professional lives. I am interested to see her grow and flourish in this new chapter of her life as I am sure she will settle into the small Scottish village life.

I am eager to get to know some of the secondary characters better, particularly Presha and Raj. I am hopeful that they will have larger roles to play in future books of this series.

Overall, the story moved at a nice pace, the mystery kept my attention from beginning to end, and there were plenty of motives and suspects. My only complaint is the amount of build-up and backstory, but it seemed to be necessary for the creation of this new series. While I am not sure if I am a perfect fan for the cozy mystery genre, I am intrigued to follow along with Fiona’s adventures in Scotland and will most likely pick up the next book in the series.

Cozy Mystery fans, fans of Death in Paradise, or fans of Nancy Drew will enjoy this new series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. (All opinions are my own)

Flowers and Foul Play is the first book in the new Magic Garden Mystery series and the first time I've read anything from author Amanda Flower. It was a delightful read that I enjoyed very much.

Fiona's life is falling apart. Her fiance left her and her flower shop went under. So she drops everything and goes to Scotland where she's recently inherited her godfather's cottage and (possibly magical) garden, Duncreigan. But upon her arrival at the estate, she stumbles across a dead body in the once magnificent gardens. Suspicion falls on Hamish the elderly caretaker, who she knows is innocent. She decides to investigate on her own and clear Hamish's name.

I was hooked from the very beginning. I love mysteries that keep me guessing until the reveal and I was definitely surprised by the culprit in this book. There were plenty of viable suspects and I never could figure out who had the biggest motive. I was shocked, but it made perfect sense.

Flowers and Foul Play is sure to delight cozy mystery fans. I'm definitely looking forward to book two, Death and Daisies.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

Fiona Knox has had a lot of sadness in her life recently. Her fiance dumped her. She was forced to close her florist business. And her much loved Uncle Ian has died. As she tries to pick up the broken pieces of her life, she learns that Uncle Ian left her his home, Duncreigan, in Scotland. Remembering wonderful visits with him there over the years, she travels to Scotland with a heavy heart, wondering if she will ever be happy again. She's greeted by the caretaker, Hamish, who tells her a story about the cottage and its magical garden. Hamish says that the garden has been dying ever since Ian MacCallister was killed in Afghanistan, but it will come back to life because she has come to Scotland to tend to it. There's a bit more going on in the garden than magic though. Hamish and Fiona find a dead man in the garden. Turns out several people in the nearby village of Bellewick might have wanted local attorney Alaistair Croft dead. But which one killed him? And how does the death tie in with Duncreigan cottage and the magic garden?

I absolutely loved this book! The story is a nice mix of magic and mystery. Fiona is a likable main character. Her life has pretty much imploded, and just when it seems things might be getting better, she finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. But she is too intelligent and resilient to give up. She decides to investigate instead! :) I love Hamish and his pet squirrel Duncan. Quirky, magical characters to go with the magical garden. The mystery kept my attention from beginning to end. The story moved at a nice pace and there were plenty of motives and suspects. All in all, a totally enjoyable, magical and entertaining cozy mystery. Great start to a new series!

Amanda Flower's books never fail to entertain me. She writes several cozy series including the Magical Bookshop and the Living History Museum series.

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

I read Amanda Flower's May release Flowers and Foul Play last week and I loved this new first in series! Set in Scotland and with a magical twist this is story that I found very easy to get into and a main character that was easy to like.
In the book Fiona's life has come to a cross roads and though she is reluctant to slam the door and move on, all signs point to her ever happiness being found in Scotland. Her Godfather has left her a rather muddled mystery and magical garden, ancient grounds keeper and a secret. This book features a small town in Scotland with a tea shop that I feel like I could move right into. Amanda Flowers has a fan in me with this new Magical Garden Mystery and series.

Duncreigan, the property Fiona inherited is a great setting and key to the story. The magical garden reminded me of The Secret Garden in the classic novel. The closest town and its people plus with the imposing cliffs complete the half magical and half secretive atmosphere.

The plot is wonderfully layered and kept my interest. The killer reveal is my favorite - nice and tense. The wrapup was complete and leaves it open for the next adventure. The story telling is smooth and light. I enjoyed Fiona, who comes across as genuine and vulnerable yet strong. I love the magical touches. I appreciate that the potential romance may be a slow burn from early indications.

Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.

Flowers and Foul Play is the first in a new series by Amanda Flower.
The premise of the story is simple, Fiona has lost her Godfather and learns she is the keeper of a magical garden.
Normally when I pick up a book by this author, I'm deep in the mystery and enjoying every but of it.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen this time.
I kept waiting for that moment that the story grabbed my attention, but it just didn't work out.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

A charming and delightful cozy mystery. Not a fan of the magical and mystical part of the tale. I should have realized from the Magic Garden Mystery that there would be some of that included. The murder mystery, Scotland location, Scottish Fold cat, and a hint of romance made me eagerly turn the pages. I will give the next one in the series a chance. Lots of potential for the characters included as well as those back in Tennessee.

This is a great new cozy mystery series by Amanda Flower one of my favorite cozy authors.
Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower is the first book in the new series A Magic Garden Mystery. I've read all of her other books and loved her writing and stories. This series has a touch of the paranormal genre and is a fun exciting cozy debut to a promising new series.
Fiona Knox is having a hard time after loosing her fiancé and her beloved flower shop in Tennessee. Her fiance took off with another woman and she is heartbroken over losing her business. When she finds out her godfather had left her his estate in Scotland she decides to go to see the estate and take a well needed vacation.
Right after her arrival to her new cottage and garden, before she can settle in she stumbles upon a dead body at the property. It is her godfathers attorney who has met his demise in her magical garden. When Chief Inspector Neil Craig arrives at the scene, she realizes she just may be the number one suspect . She has to clear her name so she decides to do some investigating of her own. This leads her into danger as she is close to solving the case. As she works the case she begins to make friends with the locals and earn their trust. A touch of magic is involved and some Scottish superstition.
I really enjoyed Flowers and Foul Play and can't wait for book 2 in the series to be released! . This is a great cozy series debut and a very well crafted story. by this talented author. I loved the location of Scotland, the community and the fun mystery which I never guessed ! I look forward to further adventures by Fiona in Scotland for many books to come. The author has given her readers much to look forward to . Thank you to the publisher for the ARC which did not influence my personal review.

Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower is the first book in the new cozy A Magic Garden Mystery series. As the series title suggests there is a touch of magic involved in the story this time giving this cozy mystery series a touch of fantasy.

Fiona Knox got a call from a lawyer in Scotland informing her that her godfather had passed and she would be inheriting his estate. At the time Fiona wasn’t at a place in her life to take off to another country but within days of receiving the call her fiancé ran off with the cake decorator and her flower shop went out of business so what better to do than hop on the next flight to Scotland.

After Fiona arrives in Scotland she meets with her godfather’s elderly caretaker Hamish MacGregor to inspect the property but when checking out her godfather’s magical garden the two stumble upon the dead body of the lawyer of the estate. Unfortunately when the police become involved they seem to aim their investigation straight at Hamish so Fiona feels she needs to find more suspects to divert their suspicions.

Amanda Flower has written numerous books in her career as an author but I’ve only been able to pick up a couple of different series now myself and what I’ve found that stands out the most to me is her creative settings. Flowers and Foul Play is no different with taking readers over to Scotland and then throwing in the touch of magic was an added bonus giving another interesting layer to the setting. This opening mystery was also another solid addition to the author’s work, there’s interesting characters to go along with the wonderful setting and I’ll certainly be interested to see where the story goes from here.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower is the 1st book in A Magic Garden Mystery series, and I loved iaance ran off with the cake decorator and the florist closed because a big chair ran them out of business. When her Godfather Ian MacCallister dies and leaves her his cottage in Edinburgh, Scotland what does she have to lose. Unfortunately when Fiona gets to the cottage, there is a dead body in the garden, and she must find the real killer and save Ian long time caretaker Hamish. What a great magical book, I can't wait for the next book to come out. There are twists and turns around every corner. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. If you love fun cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book.

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

Fiona Knox had just received word that she had inherited her godfather’s cottage in Scotland. Since her fiancé left her for the cake decorator and her flower shop went out of business, she was free to do as she wished. Fiona took the next flight to Scotland. She no sooner landed in Scotland, rented a car, and drove to County Aberdeen, when she finds a dead body in the garden. His name was Alastair Croft. Hamish, the caretaker of her cottage was there when it happened.. Chief Inspector Craig suspected him of Alastair’s murder while the town was upset with Alastair because he was planning a large sale of coastline which bordered their town to a developer. Fiona had to prove who the real murderer was. Flowers and Foul Play was a fast moving story, with lots of side adventures. I enjoyed reading about Scotland’s lush landscapes. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me an advanced review copy of the book.

Fiona has come to Scotland to settle her inheritance. Her god-father has left her his property and all he owned. Included on the property is a magical garden. Fiona has visited Scotland in the past when she was a child and most recently a few years ago.

The loss of her god-father has hurt her because she cared so much for him. But, at the same time, it comes at a perfect time. Her business, a flower shop, has failed and her fiancee has left her. Being able to get away from her losses is a perfect way for her to take a deep breath and re-evaluate her future.

The day of her arrival Fiona and the caretaker, Hamish, discover a dead body in the walled garden. It is the attorney, Alastair, who contacted Fiona to tell her about her inheritance.

When the police come to investigate, Hamish becomes a prime suspect. There are many more suspects in the village. The attorney was involved in a business deal that was very unpopular. Most villagers were very angry at Alastair.

For me, this story had some issues.

I enjoyed meeting the villagers and getting to know different personalities. Since this is first in a series, it is easy to see that the villagers will present good entertainment in the future. There are many interesting and unusual members of the community.

The plot was well done, and the suspects and motives were varied enough to hold my interest. It was not too difficult to determine the villains but the journey to a conclusion was entertaining.

I had an issue with Fiona. It is extremely unbelievable that a small Scottish village would be populated by people who would automatically bare their souls to an American stranger. She goes from person to person asking questions which were insulting and everyone answered her. For me, that was really too over the top.

It was easier for me to accept the magical garden than it was to accept the ugly American personality of Fiona.

This is a well written story. I am certain the future books in the series will be equally well written. Ms Flowers is a talented author who has created several successful series.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

Flowers and Foul Play is a fascinating story that takes you on an adventure in a small village in Scotland.

Fiona and the whole cast in Scotland are very likable characters especially inspector Neil, which I hope to read more of incoming books, the settings are very detailed in the story and I loved the touch of magic and the fact that I was never able to guess the killer, but I did have a few issues with the story that I hope some will be explained in coming books.


The setting is in Scotland but yet every character in Scotland seemed to talk in American language, I felt like if there were more notes of the Scottish slang it would have given it a more Scotland feel, as it is now there wasn’t enough aye, eh, naw here and there to make me believe it was in Scotland.



I liked the idea of Fiona owning a flower shop, but I had an issue when she sees the garden, it was liked it never mattered to her, someone that has a passion for flowers would show emotion when flowers are dying or even coming to life.

I also felt like a few things were left untold. You never truly find why Fiona is tied to the stone and its magic and how it all works.

Even with the issues I had, the story kept me enthralled to the end and I cannot wait for book two.