Doomed by Blooms was a wonderful read. I started this murder mystery on a plane ride and did not get to continue reading during my trip. But I did not stop thinking about it! The main character Josie welcomes you into her life like a friend welcoming you into her home. I felt like I was right alongside her as she worked with the police and her friends to solve the case.

I usually pride myself in calling out the bad guy way ahead of time but I couldn’t nail it down. St. John outlined all of the suspects, layering them with background and motive, in such a way that I continued to argue with myself about “whodunit” up until the final chapters.

I look forward to any more Josie Posey mysteries in the future!

Finished ✔️ Doomed by Blooms by Anna St. John and it was pretty enjoyable overall.

4 ⭐️’s
Kindle Unlimited: No

I did like this book overall and if there are more books to come, I’d probably read them. I do question why someone who is suppose to have “big city chops” as a reporter, and who was instrumental in helping solve three murders would break down, shaking and scared to death when she receives a phone call from someone telling her to back off looking into the most recent murder. It seems that someone with that knowledgeable background in crime solving would get a grey after receiving a threat like the one she did instead of getting weepy. She also had the police telling her what she needed to do to stay safe but didn’t. She’s definitely wishy-washy. I’d expect a journalist like Josie to be stronger and more the backbone.

Yes, I’d recommend this book to others.

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"Doomed by Blooms" by Anna St. John was a cute, cozy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed and want more of!

A cozy small town mystery with a fun group of characters. This is an easy read not a mind blowing mystery but this is something if you want to read a cute read that’s not too heavy with a strong plot and set of characters.

I hope there's soon another instalment in this series as I loved this one and had a lot of fun.
It's compelling and well plotted, there's a fleshed out and likeable cast of characters, and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
The author delivers an excellent novel and I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This is a cute cozy mystery that centers around four women in a small town. This story is about a retired investigative reporter who is adjusting to small town life after the death of her husband. I struggled with parts of the book and grew bored in the middle- a few parts were confusing and could have benefited from one more edit. If you like a cozy mystery that involves a quaint small town, a group of competent women with some quirky characters and murder thrown in - this may be a book for you. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've been in a habit of reading extremely dark material of late and, don't get me wrong, that's absolutely my jam. But you know what goes well with jam? Honey. No. Wait. That analogy doesn't work. But you know what DOES work? This book. Which is sweet. Like the aforementioned honey.

This is a delightful, breezy cosy mystery with fun and captivating characters. Great to see a 50+ woman protagonist (Hollywood, pay attention, it can be done) and especially one as entertaining as Josie. There's plenty to love here including her friends the Mahjong Mavens and the town in which the story's set.

This is a fun, short read that will make you smile and probably rub your feet if you ask it nicely.

3.5 stars*** I found myself drifting away from the story more often than not, but that is more likely because this genre is not usually my go-to. A sweet, uplifting little story that was definitely unique. The cover did not lead me to expect a murder mystery. I would recommend to a friend.

A warm walk in the sun. Charming, heartwarming, and page-turning in equal measure, Anna St. John’s Doomed by Blooms is sure to please any fan of cozy mysteries.

Who couldn’t love a main character named Josephina Posey (Josie Posey, to her friends), especially one so brave, resourceful, and delightful, or one with so lovable a sidekick as Moe the sheepdog? Fresh from life as a crime reporter in the big city, Josie has settled into small-town existence quite nicely, a feat owing no small debt to her fearless friends, the Mahjong Mavens, who stick to her side almost as closely as her canine pal. Although Josie enjoys quieter days compared to her time spent chasing urban serial killers, her life in English Village, Kansas is shaken up by the death of Bob Hamilton, the husband of the ballet dancer Josie just interviewed that very morning. And Josie has the best intentions—as well as a good working relationship with the police chief—but she can’t help but wade knee-deep into the investigation herself. It is, after all, where she excels. Even when threats confront her via anonymous phone calls and late-night “gifts,” Josie and her Mavens move in tandem with—and sometimes in opposition to—the English Village police, until the perpetrator of the murder is finally unraveled.

An endearing and supremely entertaining first entry into what is sure to be a marvelous mystery series, Doomed by Blooms has everything a cozy mystery fan could want: a small town where everyone seems to know one another; a cast of colorful characters, including a host of suspects who all act suspiciously; a charming setting which you wouldn’t mind living in yourself; an endearing romance; small-town festivities and events; and splashes of details like homemade recipes, Mahjong, music, and doggy outings.

The plot is a whodunit at its core, but St. John wraps everything with such an alluring locale, and with such charismatic details, that you can’t help but be swept away by all the happenings—eager, as Josie is, to find out who the killer is.

And I, for one, look forward to seeing what adventures Ms. Posey gets up to in the next installment.

Josie Posey gets an assignment to interview former Prima Ballerina Beth Hamilton, for the local paper the Kansas City Star. It is her first interview since she retired to the small town of English Village and she is full of angst, which she considers ridiculous, as she was a much lauded big-city Crime Reporter.
The interview goes well with Beth’s husband Robert sitting on the sidelines, watching every move, listening to every word spoken. And so the scene is set for a lovely, warm-hearted cosy murder from Anna St John, Doomed By Blooms, as only hours later, Robert is found dead in the garden, face down in a bed of Naked Ladies.
As Josie has recorded the interview as well as taken notes she is asked by the Police Chief to come in and go through the interview in search of possible clues. This is all Josie needs to set out to discover, if possible, who has committed the murder.
She enlists the help of a group of friends, the Mahjong Mavens who love nothing better, after Mah-jong, than solving puzzles.
Set in the lovely old Cotswold Style town of English Village, we meet her beloved English Sheep dog Moe, her Mahjong Maven friends, Sharon, Nellie and Kate, Police Chief Marshall and a possible love interest in Harvey, the Blacksmith.
St John sets the stage well as she presents with protagonist Josey Posey, a gentle view of a lady settling into a new life after having been recently widowed, still relatively new to the community, feeling her way from a crime perspective and trying her best not to get too involved, in what has now turned the Hamilton household into a Crime scene.
The plot line is one that is familiar to cosy Murder readers, but the ‘who did it’ has been well disguised within the range of very possible suspects and the everyday life in a small community.
Doomed by Blooms is the first book in a new series from Anna St John and the next book is one to be looked forward to reading.

Doomed By Blooms is the first book in a brand new cozy mystery series by Anna St. John. It is about a former big city crime reporter, who after the death of her husband decided to retire to a quiet small town. When a murder takes place she quickly goes back to her roots to piece together who the culprit is with the help of her fellow mahjong mavens, in order to make sure the police catch the right person. Will Josie find out who is responsible before it is too late? Read Doomed By Blooms to find out.
This was a fast and enjoyable mystery and I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a quick cozy mystery with a middle aged main character.

This was a very cute, cozy mystery. I enjoyed the story a good bit, but I felt like I was starting in the middle of the book or at least the middle of the series. The author would frequently talk about things that I assumed happened in another book, and it felt like we should already know about each of the characters. It was a very short book so the author had plenty of time to do a little more character development.

Josie Posey is delightful in this adorable cozy mystery. Josie’s friendships within the Mahjong Mavens, her red Volkswagen convertible named Piper, her Old English sheepdog Moe, and her cottage in English Village, in Sunflower County, Kansas are the charming details that make this a sweet read. However, not everything is sweet as pie in this cozy village, because woven into all the charm is a cleverly-crafted murder mystery.

When Betty Hamilton’s husband is found dead in a field of flowers at their home, Josie takes it upon herself to assist Chief Marshall in digging up the truth.

Designed to keep the reader guessing, Doomed by Blooms is a fabulous start to the series, and I cannot wait to read more Josie Posey Mysteries.

This was a great little cozy featuring a middle aged female sleuth. One of the messages that I liked the most was that the fifties are not the end of usefulness and that there are plenty of things women can still do. Josie is nosy as she states in the book, but she does get the murder of the ballerina's husband solved. It is a light read, one that is nice for a lazy weekend. I will look for the next book.

Middle-aged can be a great adventure! Murder, romance and lots more... No need to be bored. Reading this one has been an experience. You absolutely have to read it! Adventure awaits...

This was so good. I can't wait to see what else the Majaong Mavens get into. This was absolutely perfect and what I needed.
I just reviewed Doomed By Blooms by Anna St. John. #DoomedByBlooms #NetGalley
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The Unofficial Josie..
Is it possible for Josie Parker, retired crime reporter, to really properly retire? Probably not and, so, Josie turns unofficial crime solver along with a small group of local friends. When a ballerina’s husband is found murdered, that same ballerina that Josie herself interviewed, she absolutely must get involved - and bring her friends along for the ride. Engaging, sassy cosy mystery with a likeable and well drawn cast and a fun and frothy storyline.

Just what a cozy should be. A heroine who is a cute loveable character, a good mystery and fun to read. Josie Posey, a crime reporter from a big city has retired to the middle of America in a small town. When asked to interview a former NYC prima ballerina, Josie gets more than an interview. The next day the ballerinas husband is found dead in their beautiful field of blooms. Now Josie and her gang must find the killer. A cute fun cozy. Great characters. Good story. Flows at a great pace. Thanks#netgalley and#LevelBestBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

A delightful cozy mystery! The excitement begins early in the book when Josie, a former Kansas City crime reporter who retired to a charming English-style town, does her first human interest story for the local paper. Who would ever imagine a puff piece about a ballerina would lead Josie to a murder investigation?

When the ballerina’s husband, Bob, is poisoned, Josie and her mahjong-playing friends (old biddies, as Chief Marshall calls them) involve themselves in the case, the Chief warns them to stay out of it. So naturally, Josie puts on her crime reporter cap and plays amateur sleuth, putting herself in danger.

Josie and her friends volunteer to help hardware owner Harvey, whose hobby is to turn metal to art, with his booth for the Summer’s End Festival, while keeping their eyes open for clues to the identity of Bob’s murderer.

I enjoyed all aspects of this book, from the solving of Bob’s murder to the flirtation between Josie and Harvey, the Mahjong Mavens’ friendship, and the lovely community of English Village. Author Anna St. John has created an appealing older sleuth with endearing touches such as Piper, her red VW convertible, and her English sheepdog, Moe.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries set in pleasant little towns, add this book to your list. A fun, easy read! I look forward to more of Josie Posey’s adventures!

I appreciate a "cozy" mystery - more focused on the whodunit than the crime scene splatter- and Doomed by Blooms was a nice easy read. However, I didn't find the writing to my liking. Maybe it was the authors insistence that the protagonist and her friends were "old" when they're really only a few years older than I am? Maybe it was that the prose was more "tell" than "show"? In the end I was more interested in Josie's sweet dog Moe and her slow build romance with Harvey.