Mum's the Word (A Flower Shop Mystery, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

May 31, 2013 Chaitra rated it did not like it

Shelves: too-stupid-to-live, part-of-a-series, mystery, cat-on-the-keypad, first-of-a-series, cozy-mystery, cutesy-twee-whimsical

I wonder why no one killed Abby. Not the villains I mean, but the people who dealt with her on a day to day basis. She's a small redhead with big boobs, and I can see why the men might not want to kill her, but honestly, I can't think of a single reason why the women wouldn't. Or the cat. That's without even considering all the events of this particular book.

Because she's a meddler of the worst sort. Unlike other cozies, where amateurs just happen to be there during trouble or discover a body or ...more

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Aug 30, 2013 Linda C rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery

Abby Knight, law school flunk out and now owner of Bloomers Flower Shop, has just gotten out of her 1960 yellow Corvette when it is struck by a black SUV which leaves the scene. After getting a partial plate number, she calls the cops. They are a little slow to arrive due to a murder on the next block. Abby thinks her hit and run driver may have been involved. And so begins this tale which is the first of a series. Abby believes in justice and will not stop ‘meddling’ until it has been served. I ...more

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Sep 17, 2023 Lali & Michelle rated it liked it

Shelves: series-to-finish

Abby has flunked out of law school but maybe that is a blessing in disguise since it led her awful fiance to cancel their wedding and allowed her to buy her dream business, the flower shop Blossoms. But now her business is in danger of failing and her restored Corvette is damaged in a hit-and-run. Abby decides to investigate whether the driver who hit her beloved car is also responsible for a nearby murder. As an almost-attorney (after one failed year of law school?) she also advises a woman to Abby has flunked out of law school but maybe that is a blessing in disguise since it led her awful fiance to cancel their wedding and allowed her to buy her dream business, the flower shop Blossoms. But now her business is in danger of failing and her restored Corvette is damaged in a hit-and-run. Abby decides to investigate whether the driver who hit her beloved car is also responsible for a nearby murder. As an almost-attorney (after one failed year of law school?) she also advises a woman to leave her abusive husband and sets her up with a divorce attorney. When a series of events occur--threatening phone calls, bogus parking tickets and tows, a visit from the county building inspector, several attempts to run her off the road, a dead rat on her doorstep, etc.--Abby is determined not to be dissuaded from investigating the murder. She enlists the help of handsome ex-cop turned bar owner/private investigator Marco Salvare to help her find the hit-and-run driver. He then proceeds to tell her over and over and over ... to stay out of it.

For most of the book, I thought it would be a 2 star read but the ending picked up a little and I decided to raise my rating accordingly. In some ways, this book seemed very dated especially the two main characters Abby and Marco. Then, I realized it was written almost twenty years ago. Abby often makes derogatory comments about the appearance of others, while focusing a lot on her own appearance. She's small and big-breasted and uses that to try to convince men to give her information. When they don't, she behaves petulantly and seems quite immature. Marco seems like the hero from a 1990s romance book. I read a few of those in my day, but now he seems more smug that smoldering. Although compared to Abby, he does seem more level-headed and intelligent. She can't even remember how to arm her new alarm system so it has to be written on a post-it note next to the alarm. Hmmm. And the key to the murder is glaringly obvious about 50 pages before she figured it out. But there were some humorous moments, which counts a lot with me. ...more

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