The Scarlet Pepper (A White House Gardener Mystery, #2)

As the White House's organic gardener, Casey Calhoun is up to her elbows in dirt. But when someone starts tampering with the Presidential vegetable garden, embarrassing the First lady-and a hard-nosed investigative reporter is found dead, Casey realizes that the next thing buried in the dirt might just be her...

• ISBN10: 042524704X
• ISBN13: 9780425247044
• Publish Date: 3 April 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Penguin USA
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780425247044

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

I really liked this book - it's a nice blend of gardening, mystery, and a hint of romance. The Washington D.C./White House setting makes for a fun backdrop to the story as well. I guessed the culprit about 2/3 of the way through, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story or the characters, all of whom are well written, lively and likeable. What did detract from my enjoyment, and the reason I didn't give this book 5 stars, is the way the main character, Casey, latched on to a suspect and was just silly about it - as the reader you know she's wrong - the real killer is never suspected to early in the book, so watching her constantly accusing the wrong person adds nothing positive to the story whatsoever, is just an irritant to the reader, and makes the protagonist look stupid. I also thought the angst over family history was a tiny bit overplayed, but that was a trifle compared to the silliness of having to spend half the book reading about Casey making an idiot of herself with her false accusations.

I'll look for the next book with the hopes that Casey will have learned some restraint and objectivity in time for the next murder investigation.