Oak and Dagger by

Oak and Dagger (A White House Gardener Mystery, #3)

When it comes to gardening, Cassandra “Casey” Calhoun isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. But when it comes to murder, she’s not the kind of gal to let any killer get away clean...

Despite cooler fall temperatures in Washington, D.C., tempers flare at the White House when important historical documents go missing from the curator’s office and the gardeners are blamed. As if that isn’t bad enough, Casey has started receiving death threats, the president’s pooch is digging unsightly holes all over the South Lawn, and the curator has been found dead. All evidence for the murder points to Gordon Sims, the chief gardener. His fingerprints are on the murder weapon, and witnesses saw him arguing with the curator shortly before her death.

With the help of Special Agent Jack Turner, her reluctant sidekick and new flame, Casey works to clear Gordon’s name. Along the way she finds herself in a deadly race against time to discover if there’s a link between the stolen papers, the dog’s holes in the South Lawn, and a rumored two-hundred-year-old treasure—before the killer strikes again...

Reviewed by MurderByDeath on

5 of 5 stars

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Excellent read! Fast paced, interesting and with very little 'filler' in the form of internal dialogue or constant review of suspects - this was handled really gracefully with a paragraph here and there throughout the story. I absolutely loved the ending of this book and the plot wrap-up. Ms. James did an excellent job of letting you think you knew the killer only to keep throwing things topsy turvy. And the climax of the "hidden treasure" part of the plot - well, I just thought it was to coolest ending!

With the exception of Lorenzo who is the "jackass" character in this series that's becoming a bit of a cliche in cozies lately, I love these characters, they are likeable, engaging and I find myself wanting to know what comes next for each of them. What could be a cheesy and emotionally manipulative storyline concerning Casey's past is beautifully written - she's got baggage, but she's not a whiny victim. The revelation of secrets kept for ages was sort of predictable, but interesting nevertheless. I love the dynamic between Casey and Jack - lots of potential there and lots of sparks. The addition of his brothers to the cast of characters made for a very light moment in the book - I hope to see a bit more of their comedy relief in future books.

Overall, I can see this being a book I'll pick up again and again - I just genuinely enjoyed 99% of this book cover-to-cover. If you like gardening and cozies, I recommend you give this series a spin.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 12 April, 2013: Finished reading
  • 12 April, 2013: Reviewed