Lacey 'Pink' Pinkerton, the local flower shop owner, is thrilled to supply colorful flower arrangements for the Third Annual Food Fair being held in the Port Danby town square. But when one of the well-known but not so well-loved bloggers is found dead in her motel room, Lacey steps in to help Detective James Briggs solve the case. (Whether he likes it or not.)
A fall festival with competitive food bloggers and more brought a delightful whodunit while transporting us to the seaside community of Port Danby and into the lives of its residence.
Lacey ‘Pink’ Pinkerton owns the local floral shop and has previously helped Detective James Briggs solve a case with her nose. When the big food festival arrives one of the vendors ends up dead. Lacey’s nose gives them clues, but will they be able to solve the mystery?
This was a lot of fun, Lacey is making a home for herself, her Crow Kingston and cat Nevermore. She is still dealing with the rivalry between the coffee shop and the bakeshop. Her floral shop is situated between the two. Personally I’d be in heaven… coffee on one side and fresh baked scones on the other. Heaven.
There is a bit of a love triangle, although it’s more like the two males have a history and not a good one. It keeps things interesting, and while I think Lacey fancies one, nothing has come of it. Yet.
Lacey again helps in solving a murder with the help of her hyperosmia. And I like that detective Briggs is smart enough to take help from her, instead of stopping her or reprimanding her for snooping. This series is really cute, with quirky and endearing characters. The books are short, which can be read in just a couple of hours.
4.5 stars Carnations and Chaos is the second book in the Port Danby cozy mystery series by London Lovett. I adore this series and the feisty, likable, one-of-a-kind Lacey “Pink” Pinkerton.
This particular story is set in November and has a bit of a Thanksgiving theme, which makes it seasonally festive and fun. Lacey is tasked with supplying floral arrangements to the many booths at the Annual Food Fair held in the town square. When a well-known, and communally disliked food blogger is found dead soon after arriving, Lacey finds herself assisting the arresting and appealing Detective Briggs, using her super-smelling abilities.
I love the burgeoning relationship between Lacey and Detective Briggs. Lacey’s tongue-in-cheek commentary is always amusing, as is her playful personality. Her crow is a delightful addition to the interesting crimes; the town residents and the ongoing haunted house mystery just add to the fun. These charming stories are quick and easy-to-read, and though short, they build on one another to form an overall engaging plot. I just love these utterly entertaining cozies.
Another murder, another pairing up of the dynamic detectiving duo of Pink and Briggs. Actually, at this point, they're less of a dynamic duo and more of an astute detective and the lady with the nose that knows.
By which I mean, Briggs uses Lacey's on-point sniffer to help him solve those pesky crimes that keep popping up in Port Danby. To be fair, his little half-smiles and willingness to include her in his cases kind of implies he doesn't dislike having her around. The fact her million dollar nose and quick mind help him solve cases just gives him an excuse to be around her, right? Right.
This time around, a not-so nice food blogger who has more than a few enemies croaks and Lacey and Briggs are there to take the call. Which makes sense since Briggs is the lead detective. Anywho. They team up, Lacey does her thing, MAGIC happens.
Am I enjoying my time in Port Danby? Despite all the dead bodies that keep popping up, I SURE AM. Or maybe it's because of the dead bodies. Either way, watching Lacey and Briggs subtly flirt while solving crimes is a hoot.
I’m really enjoying this series. After finishing book #2, I can honestly say that I have fallen in love with this series. It is a short cozy mystery, but it is packed with a cute setting, endearing characters, good murder mysteries, and a slow burn romance. It includes 2 cute cozy companions, a cat and a crow, yes a crow (with the cutest personality, Kingston is adorable)! I have already downloaded book# 3 (a Christmas time cozy) on my Kindle! I will enjoy reading all of the books in this series.
Another fun instalment of the series. Miss Pinkerton is getting her hooks in me. This one was a little predictable but I liked the county fair fall setting and the blooming relationships. Slow character building makes me excited to read the next one during winter.
Port Danby Cozy Mystery Series Review Books Two – Five Carnations & Chaos #2; Mistletoe & Mayhem #3 Roses & Revenge #4; Tulips & Trouble #5 London Lovett Wild Fox Press Full-length novels (50,000 words) Contemporary Cozy Mystery
Carnations and Chaos #2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ During the Third Annual Food Fair, an unpopular, but well-known food blogger is killed and our heroine, Lacey “Pink” Pinkerton (and her super nose) assist Detective James Briggs to solve the case, even if he does object the whole time.
Mistletoe and Mayhem #3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ During the Harbor Holiday Lights Flotilla, a boat owner is strangled. Pink and her nose go to Detective Briggs’ assistance again to resolve many of the finer points of the crime.
Roses and Revenge #4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Giorgio Perfume and Pink’s former fiance are shooting a commercial at the old mansion when someone is murdered. Detective Briggs’ needs the assistance of Pink and her Million Dollar nose again to sort through all the clues and red herrings and track down the killer.
Tulips and Trouble #5 ⭐⭐⭐🌙 While the town prepares for its annual flea market, mischief surfaces and an artist disappears and then turns up murdered. Pink and her nose once again come to Detective Briggs’ aid as they put their findings together and come up with the right answer, but not before the killer targets Pink.
I love the covers of this series. The author pic at the top is adorable. The picture of the town of Port Danby is awesome as it changes on each book with the season of the story. Then the title box at the bottom always has the appropriate flowers in it from the story as well. They are subtly colored by on the bright side. I’m pretty sure this is a girly thing. Sorry.
The regular characters of the series are developing quite nicely up to this point and the relationships are getting interesting if a bit predictable. Sometimes if it weren’t for Pink’s nose picking up some elusive scent where it shouldn’t be, there would be no resolution to these crimes. Detective Briggs seems to be a bit clueless sometimes as he doesn’t seem to contribute much in the way of findings. I suppose that’s only to be expected given the way the author has the series set up. I’d like to see a bit more intelligence from him, though. See him connect the dots once in the while, even if she’s the one who found them. I’ve read the first half of what’s currently been published. Now, I’m looking to read the second half of what’s out there and see if it holds up. It’s all easy reading and fun. I recommend them to those of you who enjoy cozy mysteries and are looking for another series to add to your shelves.
Carnations and Chaos is the second book in London Lovett's Port Danby Mystery Series and it would be better if you read the first book Marigolds and Murder first so you can enjoy this series from the beginning!
The first thing I liked about this book is all the characters I really liked in the first book are in the second book as it does take place in Port Danby. In this book, Lacey "Pink" the owner of the flower Shop (which is situated between a coffee shop and a bakery owned by two of the town's characters-which are twins) is called upon by the town Detective Briggs to go with her where a murder has taken place and he wants to see if she can sniff anything that no one else is able to smell.
The town is hosting The Third Annual Food Fair, where there are many bloggers, authors of cookbooks, and even BBQ Brothers so there are a lot of new faces. Unfortunately there is a lot of rivalry as well, and unfortunately a lot of drama as well.
Read and see how Lacey helps Detective Briggs solve this case, how everyone is involved in the fair and the outcome! A lot of great dialog, tense moments, and we get to hear about the antics of her cat Nevermore, and her pet crow Kingston, who is always looking for something to get involved in (like trying to terrorize two chickens at the Fair!). Read about the angst between Detective Briggs and Dash -Lacey's neighbor, which all adds up to a great read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the wonderful way the author has with her descriptions of everything. "Pink" and Detective Briggs work together once again on a murder case. It seems "Pink's nose always knows"! They make a great team and I enjoyed watching them grow a little bit closer. Pink's pet crow steals the show every time!
Port Danby is a cozy town with a grumpy mayor, a handsome detective, and some competitive shop owners. I loved that this one was set around Thanksgiving because that is a holiday I rarely find in books. My current favorite character is Elsie. I would love to have an Elsie in my life (a wise older friend who bakes and goes on walks with me).
But Lacey was a bit annoying to me in this book. Some of her conversation was just super awkward and also a lot of her actions were strange too. (I didn’t notice her being quite so awkward in the first book so maybe this book was the exception to the rule in the series?) I also find her constant stalking of Detective Briggs a bit weird. And she seems to be in constant judgment of the other women around her…even though Lola is supposed to be friend, her inner thoughts on Lola are not kind; she is very judgmental of the mod shop owner in town; her inner thoughts on the other women who she encounters focus a lot on their appearances and they are often negative observations but if they happen to be positive they are noted in a jealous manner.
I want to love this series because it seems to receive so many praises so I’m going to give it a few more books to grow before I make a final decision. I already own books 1-5 so hopefully the next three are better than this one.
Oh what a beautiful book and series. Seriously this book/ cozy mystery series is the heart of what a cozy mystery should be. Any amazing town full of wonderful neighbors. No not everything is perfect, I mean murders are happening in a lot of these books, but over all every one is happy and kind. the friends of the heroine are usually supportive and loving. The heroine has amazing side kicks, and/or pets; and sometimes amazing love interest or two. The heroine in themselves is a fun person who you would not mind taking out to lunch or tea. Seriously this book is like a lovely cup of tea with a little toast and some warm sun falling down upon you on a peaceful morning. Anyway there is a fair going on and Pink is helping out with the fair and trying to understand why Detective James and her next door neighbor do not get along. Than a food blogger as the fair get murdered and Lacey uses her super sleuth nose to figure out that someone slipped peanut butter into the creamer that our picky food blogger uses. (FYI the food blogger is severely allergic to peanut butter.) Of course it kills her and Pink and James are on the case. Trying to figure out who killed the fickle food blogger. Seriously so good and frothing at the mouth for the next book in the series.
“Carnations and Chaos” is a wonderful follow up to the first book in the Port Danby Cozy Mystery series. This time Lacey has been hired to provide flower arrangements for the Annual Food Fair. She is excited to be involved but when a famous or infamous chef is found dead she is only too happy to assist Detective Briggs ferret out the clues.
As Lacey and Briggs investigate the death we begin learning more about the tragic murders in Port Danby a century ago. Additionally, we also are getting a feel for the tension mounting between Briggs and Lacey’s neighbor, Dash.
I like the slow romantic tension building up with the characters and can’t wait to see where this is heading. One of my favorite things about this series is Lacey’s kooky pet crow, Kingston. His personality and moods are a great addition. This series will definitely keep you intrigued with its fast pace and mysteries. I excited to move on to book three.
Lacey has volunteered to help at Port Danby's Annual Food Festival, which will hopefully bring in a lot of tourists- a.k.a. revenue- for the town's merchants. The food bloggers, cooks, and chefs who signed up for the event descend upon the town and bring with them fans, foodies, rivalry, revenge and secrets. When one of the most loved (and most hated) authors ends up dead, Lacy offers her help to the handsome Detective Briggs by way of her uncanny, overly-sensitive sense of smell. Yep, she has a million-dollar nose. Detective Briggs seems to be becoming fond of Lacey, and she him, but Briggs seems to take issue when her charming neighbor Dash is around.
Book two in the series. Quick, clean read. Great descriptions and setting, likable characters, good plot. Only wish the attraction between Briggs and Lacey would move along at a quicker pace. Love the quirky pet crow. Recommend.
This short series mystery features former high-level perfume industry tester Lacey Pinkerton, blessed/cursed at birth with a condition resulting in ultra sensitive smelling abilities. She got tired of the corporate world and moved to a small coastal town and opened up a florist shop.
"Pink" is a different sort of character. She is smart and confident and not afraid to put herself forward. Her shop is off to a successful start and she is making friends and fitting into the community. When a local festival featuring food bloggers and their wares comes to town, the local businesses are kept busy with the extra tourist activity. But then one of the vendors is found dead -- and Pink just happens to be on hand and can pin down the cause of death with her super nose. It is interesting what a great investigative tool her sense of smell is.
Awesome. The bloggers are coming for the festival, unfortunately one is a mean spirited middle age, vindictive woman who has been known to steal recipes for her cookbook. It is therefore no surprise to anyone that someone has ended her reign of terror. With quite a few suspects and plenty of motives, it makes a great read (okay I had guessed who it was, but i have read quite a few murder mysteries). The best part of the plot is our heroines interaction with the two handsome men. Who will she pick? A really terrific read and if you haven't read book 1, then I'd urge you to do first to really get a feeling for the characters.
The Port Danby series has the right amount of lightness I’m looking for in a cozy mystery. There’s also a great balance between the whole world and characters created and the addition of a murder.
The setting of a food fair during the fall piqued my interest from the start and I loved the way the clues played out. I can’t wait to see what’s to come with the Hawksworth Manor and I’m starting to warm up to her love interests.
I’m looking forward to seeing what other shenanigans are in store for Pink!
Food Fair - Bloggers; Yolanda organized everything; dance; Byron & Daisy = smoothies; Celeste Bower - Sweet Cherry Pie - has 2 chickens , feeds them flax seeds, some of which spoiled......the odor that Lacey smells - (Killer); Marian Fitch - headliner - Sugar Lips; uses special creamer in her coffee, which was poisoned w/peanut butter; (nut allergy); Employee who took coffee order heard distinctive ring tone for cell phone in the background. Parker Hermann - Marian's nephew; Barbecue Boyz; What's the deal between Dash and Detective James Briggs?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is the second book of the Port Danby series and it did not disappoint! There is blogger festival in town and although everything is going according to plan...there is a murder case that needs to be solved by our great "detective" duo! I was excited to see all the previous characters back in action along with some new faces. I loved how James was more open to letting Pink tag along to help him find the suspect and look forward to seeing their relationship grow in the next book!
Lacey had created a beautiful bouquet for the Food Fair , which brought pleasure as she seen it the next morning opening her shop.then there was the brother and sister who had bakery’s and trying to compete in getting more customers. The fair was to have food bloggers, minus one found dead. Lacey has a sensitive nose for murder, along with a crow and a cat. Hopping to solve a murder and be welcome in this new port town. Cute story.
Finally a heroine that I can get behind 100%. She's smart, charming, witty, works with the police (rather than against them), and she doesn't put herself in peril constantly. I also love that the main characters actually solve mysteries/crimes by piecing clues together--rather than by accident. I HIGHLY recommend this series.
FYI: You will not find a crude or offensive word, neither a salacious scene in this series. I wish all cozy mysteries were as clever and clean as this one.
I am so loving these books. Port Danby sounds like someplace I'd love to live. And the writing is soooo good. I keep stopping reading things to my husband because I love the Way it's phrased. I'm excited for James and Pink get their relationship out of the baby stage. They are so cute together. I do wonder why he hates Dash so much but I'm sure I'll find out in one of the next books. On to three yay!!!
I love these books this is the second in the series that I have read and it was just as good as the first. A very easy read I started it two days ago and couldn’t wait to get home from work today to finish this one. Just can’t wait to order the next one and see where that budding romance is going as well as what crime they’re gonna solve next
Enjoyed This book tremendously! Lace pinkerton helps detective James Briggs solve a homicide with the help of her very sensitive smelling senses! It has a lot of surprises and the fact that she gets to spend more time with the detective is awesome! Looking for a romance to develop there!
The super Sniffer Sleuth does it again: Just finished reading the second book in the series. Lacey helps with a food festival in the small town in which she lives. Helping the local decrective, James Briggs, she helps track down the murderer of a not so liked food blogger and chef.. I highly recommend this series.
Lacey Pinkerston, "Pink" to some friends, is still nosy and curious about mysteries. She is anxious to help Detective James Briggs in solving cases and he seems to welcome her "nose" to bring things to his attention. She is also very attracted to him, more so than to her good-looking neighbor Dash, who is an incredible flirt.
What can I say? Carnations and Chaos, the second book in the Port Danby Series keeps you going. The characters are great and I love watching the sexual tension between Lacey and Detective Briggs. I love reading series and it's important that you read the first book to get the background on the major characters. I already started book 3. A quick read pacted with adventure.
I've only recently discovered cozy mysteries and was thrilled to find London Lovett. I really really want to take a crow now...really. Lacey is someone I would like in person and I want to learn more about the mystery of the manner. Great characters, location is super appealing, and the story really pulls you along on different levels. Great writing.