Lilly Jayne is known for her fabulous gardens. It’s a matter of knowing the plants, placing art work in between, and creating an overall layout that brings it all together. Lilly’s been out of contact with many of her friends for a while. First, it was her husband Alan’s illness and then the grief over his death.
Valentine’s Day is almost here, and there are a lot of wonderful local places where you can shop for that special Valentine’s Day gift. We chatted with some of the local shops to see what they had to offer. Some of the items needed to be ordered way ahead of time so for those make a note for next year, but there are many other wonderful things you still have time to go purchase for that special Valentine!
Once upon a time…
There was a pudgy sheriff shivering in the cold as he looked out over a frozen lake. He pulled his black wool cap further down on his head and was thinking that he should have been home in bed. It was, after all, three o’clock in the morning—the morning of Valentine’s Day.
“It looks like a two-bagger today.” Tess grimaces a bit, but it isn't unexpected since Valentine's Day is only a week away. But, along with cards and packages, a few mysteries are delivered. First, BFF Bree Price, owner of the Book Boutique, is receiving Valentine's gifts anonymously “From a Friend.”
“Herr Bruck is unfortunately no more.” The Bürgermeister stood in the middle of Maria Anna’s kitchen, a nervous energy propelling his girth back and forth on his heels while his hat twirled slowly from his forefinger.
How better to mark St. Valentine’s Day than savoring the irony of perpetrating a murder on this particular holiday celebrating love and lover! Admittedly---not to everyone’s taste, as it is a rather non-traditional way to celebrate any holiday.
Taking place not long after the working vacation on a cruise depicted in A Crime of Passion Fruit, bakeshop owner Jules Capshaw is adjusting back to life running Torte and its expansion into the basement below. The Elizabethan-themed town of Ashland, Oregon, embraces the Bard as an inspiration to attract tourists, but most of the antics seem to be occurring behind-the-scenes.
Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue is celebrating Valentine’s Day and the month of February with an adoption special on senior dogs.
Seniors are defined as over six years old. The participating contestants can be found on the rescue’s website. All available for adoption senior Cairns, Cairn Mixes, and No Cairn Mixes are included.
I am, in general, not one of those people who gets sentimental over Valentine’s Day. I remind my husband every year not to get flowers for me because the cats eat them, and I get stuck cleaning up their vomit. We do not buy gifts for each other because—why? We have the things we need, and the last thing we need are more things.
This week we have reviews & giveaways of 2 food related mysteries perfect for your Valentine's Day reading-A Measure of Murder: A Sally Solari Mystery by Leslie Karst, and War and Peach: A Georgia Peach Mystery by Susan Furlong. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy both books, along with links you can use to purchase them.
