Mum's The Word - Kate Collins

Ever since I joined CozyMystery I've been trying new authors. The genre really appeals to me and every month we're supposed to read and discuss a book. This month it was my choice and I decided on an author I had never tried.

So maybe Abby’s life isn’t the bed of roses she was hoping it would be. She adores her little flower shop, BLOOMERS, but a new low-cost competitor is killing her profits—and a black SUV just rammed her vintage Corvette in a bold hit-and-run. Determined to track down the driver, she accepts the help of hunky ex-cop Marco Salvare. But their budding relationship is threatened when the trail turns deadly. Now Abby is caught in a tangle of menacing phone calls, police corruption, and murderous road rage. If she’s not careful, the next flower arrangement might be for her own funeral….

I had some trouble getting into the the story. Abby is a flower shop owner after having flunked law school and after having her car rear ended by an unknown man and discovering a young man in her neighbourhood was murdered decides to investigate.

I thought Abby was a bit too daring for her own good, she was forever investigating where she could be caught, she was a bit too nosy and involved in other people's problems when she shouldn't and I never felt the small town atmosphere we get in other books of the genre. I never felt that she devoted some time to her work, the flower shop, we are told she planned this and this but we never spend time doing it. Also she seemed a bit out of place with her family especially her mother who only seems interested in appearances and some strange works she calls art. But even that was not that much developed and we don't have a true feeling of who people really are. My favourite character was Marco Salvare, a bar owner and PI who helps Abby solve the case and who is a possible romantic interest but my opinion was that he was too good for Abby.

Grade: C

I already have another one of these in the TBR pile, Acts of Violets. Can anyone tell me if it's any better?