When I saw this as a Read Now on Netgalley, I eagerly snatched it up! In Mums and Mayhem, Fi has her hands full. Not only is she helping out with a homecoming concert put on by a superstar musician to the small village of Bellewick, but her parents are also in town to visit (and to guilt the girls into returning to run the family farm) and to cap it all off, someone killed the magic garden she's been tasked with keeping!

I really enjoyed the main mystery, who killed superstar fiddler Barley. Plenty of people were angry with Barley but who was angry enough to kill him? Fingers were pointed all in all directions and even Fiona's father is a suspect! In the end, the true killer was a surprise and the exciting ending made for a real page turner.

But it was the magic garden was what sucked me into this series from the beginning; I've been under the spell of magic gardens ever since I read The Secret Garden at the age of 9. It was with a sense of dread when Fiona discovered the garden dying. How could this happen? Who would do such a thing? It wasn't hard to figure out, but the why was was a head scratcher and I wondered why Fiona hadn't noticed the tell tale clue. The reasons for the vandalism were unnecessary. Although there was no legal recourse, I would've asked a few of the old salty dogs at the shipyard to handle the situation for me.

It was good to see Fiona and her parents settle a few issues and come to an understanding. But I have to say, Isla is an annoying woman who acts like a bratty 8 year old and the more annoying she gets, the more Fiona (and her parents) seem to shrug it off. I don't get it. Go home, Isla. Marry a farmer. Go be a problem somewhere else.

Overall, a solid mystery and a very enjoyable read

My first exposure to this author and i really enjoyed the book. So many things happen in this book- someone vandalizes Fiona's magic garden and it starts dying. A famous fiddler gets killed and her father who claims that he doesn't know him is one of the suspects. And she finally finds out her family history- all the while looking for the murderer. The books kept me guessing to the very end. A very enjoyable read!

Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower is the third in The Magical Garden mystery series. This was the first book that I read in this series, but I was easily able to follow along and enjoy this immensely. I enjoyed it so much, that I have already begun to read the first and second books to catch up.

I like Fiona and also the romance and chemistry between her and the Chief Inspector Craig. I think they work well together and I enjoy their interplay. I enjoyed all of the cast of characters and feel that they really add to the whole quality of the book.

I enjoyed the mystery and of course I love the setting and honestly, I love anything to do with Scotland.

A delight to read and I am looking forward to book number four.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Another book has bloomed in the Magic Garden Mystery series by Amanda Flower.
Mums and Mayhem is book # 3 in this fun series, set in Scotland.
Upon receiving an inheritance from her Uncle Ian, Fiona Knox has had her share of troubles. It seems Fiona has a knack for finding dead bodies, and this time it's famous hometown fiddler Barley McFee.

When Fiona's father is somehow linked to the victim, she has no choice but to insert herself into her boyfriend's investigation. Before long, secrets are revealed and the truth leads to the murderer.

I found myself immersed in the story and anxious to get to the end, so I could see if I was right. I wasn't, Amanda had me stumped.
I look forward to seeing what is next for Fiona and her family.
#MumsandMayhem #NetGalley

Posted on Goodreads: "I read this book courtesy of NetGalley.
Fiona has a vision that something is wrong with the magical garden and everything has died. She hastily checks and finds that a vandal has cut the yellow rose away from the menhir and the entire garden is now dead. One yellow rose lies on the ground and Fiona picks it up, takes it home, and puts it in water. She continues to fret about the garden as she helps the villagers set up for a big concert and awaits her parents' visit from the United States. Before she knows it Fiona is involved in another murder investigation and still trying to figure out how to save the garden.
This is the third book in the delightful "A Magic Garden Mystery" series and is just as entertaining and engaging as the first two books. The American in Scotland theme is continued along with Fiona's romance with Chief Inspector Craig. Fiona's mysterious beginnings are revealed along with some surprises about her parents. This cozy mystery is a fast, entertaining read that should appeal to gardeners, fans of magical realism and fans of cozy mysteries. Fans will be clamoring for book #4."

I enjoyed the characters in this book. I really liked the side characters the best, the old seamen, the pub owner and his sister and so on. The mystery was interesting although I thought it was a bit obvious that the killer had to be one of the band. I liked how Fiona grafted the flower back to the plant and the garden came back to life. #MumsandMayhem #NetGalley