Floral Depravity by Beverly Allen

Flowers have always spoken to my heart. I love the beauty of the blooms, and the symbolism behind them. I was tickled the see that there was a cozy series that was based in flower shop. Floral Depravity by Beverly Allen is the third part in the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery series. 

From the back of the book:

In the latest Bridal Bouquet Shop mystery, florist Audrey Bloom creates an arrangement for a one-of-a-kind wedding, but ends up pruning a one-of-a-kind criminal…

As the co-owner of the Rose in Bloom Flower Shop, Audrey knows how to put together unique wedding bouquets, but this one takes the cake. The daughter of a local historian is getting married in a medieval-themed, hand-fasting ceremony, and Audrey is responsible for providing period-accurate blooms. 

But making sure she gets her roses right turns out to be the least of Audrey’s problems. Shortly after the vows are exchanged, the father of the groom suddenly drops dead. When Audrey discovers the man’s death stems from monkshood poisoning, it’s a clear-cut case of murder. Now, faced with a suspect list that rivals the guest list, Audrey needs to root out the toxic killer… 

My thoughts:

I was instantly drawn in to this multi-layer story. I enjoyed reading as the characters developed and their relationships evolved amid the mystery solving. Speaking of mystery solving, wow, there were a lot of suspects all with good reasons to want the groom dead.

I loved the setting and that there was also a fun amount of humor sprinkled in the tale amid the serious business of murder. This was an easy read and I found that I devoured it in one sitting as I raced to the conclusion. I did have a few guesses as to whodunit and I was pleased to see one of my guesses was right, even I hadn't been fully convinced yet. 

This was a lot of fun and filled with great subplots that make me want to go back and get to know every one a little better. I am also looking forward to seeing how everything plays out for them in further installments. I recommend you grab a copy of Floral Depravity for yourself.  

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Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.