by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

If Athena Spencer thought she was the only garden shop worker with a sideline as a private detective, so she’s in for quite a surprise when she finds Abby Knight Salvare on her doorstep. Not only does Abby own Bloomers Flower Shop in New Chapel, Indiana, she and her husband Marco are partners in their own private detective agency. Despite having an alarming amount of experience in both amateur and private investigations, Abby has come to Sequoia, Michigan, seeking Athena’s help after Abby’s cousin Jillian is implicated in local murder. It was in the middle of Lake Michigan town’s fashion show that model Carly Blackburn was poisoned, and as a result of their very vocal rivalry, Jillian was quickly arrested. Needing a local connection to the bigwigs involved in the murder case, Abby proposes that she and Athena team up to conduct their own investigation and hopefully prove Jillian’s innocence.

Athena can’t help but feel intimidated by Abby and her impressive investigative skills, but Athena has built up her own reputation as the “Goddess of Green Street” following a successful murder investigation. When not delving into the odd murder case through her Greene Street Detective Agency and helping out with her family’s Spencer’s Garden Center, Athena also writes the “It’s All Greek To Me” blog written under the pseudonym the Goddess Anon. While she is able to vent and work through her feelings from living with her very involved Greek family through her blog, her oblivious family delight in reading every post with their own interpretations. As the town mayor and wealthy developers become the primary suspects in Carly’s death, Athena, her not-so-silent partner Lila Talbot, and Abby infiltrate the highest offices and attempt to discover who felt threatened by the less-than-trustworthy victim.

What is so fascinating about this fourth of the Goddess of Greene Street Mysteries is how Athena compares herself to Abby, the star of nineteen mystery books herself. Abby has established herself as an experienced and very confident private investigator, even though she too was once an amateur garden shop owner much like Athena. Fans will enjoy seeing the return of Abby, flighty Jillian, smoldering Marco, and, of course, Abby’s mother and her “unique” artistic creations. Athena’s witty, insightful blog posts entertain both readers and her family, who are unable to see themselves as topics of her musings. Athena’s sister Delphi proves to be nearly as prophetic as her namesake, even though her predictions are never as clear as one would hope. Fans of the Flower Shop mystery series will enjoy revisiting their favorite characters who have been absent for too many years, making this a charming and very entertaining new mystery featuring these smart, independent young women.

To enter to win a copy of Gone But Not For Garden, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “gone,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen February 11, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.