A Sprinkling of Murder - (A Fairy Garden Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber (Paperback)

As a fan of Ms. Gerber’s other mysteries, I was intrigued by the premise of this book. Murder, mayhem, and Fairies. Very much a ‘cozy mystery’. As book one in a brand-new series, it must develop the backstory. I found this a bit ponderous. We were introduced to so many inhabitants of Carmel California, seemingly all at once. Some were suspects, some were townspeople, some were owners of other businesses, and some were officers investigating the murder. Add in the canines and felines, and I felt overwhelmed. I did enjoy the story once I found my center. Courtney Kelly has branched off from her father’s landscaping business and is now running a shop where people can make Fairy Gardens. Courtney was able to see and communicate with fairies as a child, losing the ability when her mother died, and found it again as an adult. She now feels compelled to show others this magical world. Her father, a retired police officer and now landscaper, isn’t happy with her choice. He is not a believer. Alerted to a dead man, another tenant in the complex, in her place of business by Fiona, her resident fairy, Courtney becomes a person of interest in his murder. She knows she’s not guilty, but who is? ‘Helping’ the police chase down suspect after suspect and finally exonerating herself, the fact remains that the murderer is still out there! Numerous suspects seem to be the guilty party. Racing to the end of the book, we finally find out who done it! Some things are not as they seem. This was a fun, easy, cozy read. If you like animals, you’ll like this book. It seems everyone in Carmel has a pet and many of them have more than one! Grab some tea, a couple of cookies, and enjoy this book.