The Bluebonnet Betrayal (Potting Shed Mysteries, #5)

by Marty Wingate

[Mystereity Reviews]

In The Bluebonnet Betrayal, Pru is asked by an old colleague to set up a Texas themed display at the famed Chelsea Flower Show. The display is beset by one problem after another, and just when it seems it can't get any worse, Twyla, the president of the Austin gardening society is found dead under a pile of rocks. It's up to Pru to get the garden ready for the show and to find Twyla's killer.

I just discovered this charming series not long ago. With characters you can easily relate to, vivid locations and well-drawn plots, it's a great series to sink into and enjoy. Each book can be read as a stand-alone although I would say that there's a greater effect from reading the series in order.

The Bluebonnet Betrayal was a very enjoyable read, with a plot that will keep you guessing; there were so many red herrings that I gave up trying to figure it out and just settled back to enjoy the story. You can't help but root for Pru and the rest of the gardeners to keep at it and get the display ready for the garden show.

The reason why I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I really didn't appreciate Pru's self-entitled attitude that the DCI investigating the murder should give her all his information. It's of of the more frustrating cozy cliches that I see used over and over again; that the cops should give the amateur sleuth every detail of the case. I understand the reasons why authors do it, but it just rubs me the wrong way; it's not realistic. And didn't Christopher tell Pru in one of the earlier books about how a case was lost because a detective told his wife some information?

Overall, this was a fantastic book in a very enjoyable series, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries.