A Sprinkling of Murder (A Fairy Garden Mystery)

I wanted to like this cozy, but it was a long haul for me. I love the idea of fairies, and Courtney's shop is incredible. Ditto her fairy, Fiona. However, Courtney only came alive when dealing with Fiona, teaching people how to design fairy gardens, and with her kitten, Pixie. As a driving force in the mystery, she was dull. She kept going over things, not in new ways, but in lengthy inner monologues, or what I found to be silly dialogue with suspects and the police. So the murder of Mick, one of the shop owners in the Carmel-By-The-Sea community, took forever to move along. And the denouement? Didn't work at all. As stated, wanted to like this book, but it failed in too many ways.

A Sprinkling of Murder is the first book in Daryl Wood Gerber's "A Fairy Garden Mystery" series. Not only does Courtney Kelly own a whimsical fairy garden store, she has her own personal righteous fairy named Fiona. Unfortunately for Courtney, one of her neighboring business owners is found dead at her store leading the police to suspect her of committing the crime. While Courtney and her friends work to prove her alibi, they also investigate the crime with a little fairy dust and help from Fiona.

Cozy readers who enjoy mysteries with a bit of magic mixed in will enjoy this story. I recommend the book to fans of Ellery Adams, Bailey Cattrell, and Bailey Cates As I stated above, one of the main characters is an actual fairy who speaks and participates in solving the crime so readers who are open to a little enchantment will best appreciate the narrative.

I have been lucky enough to visit Carmel-by-the-Sea. It is a beautiful town and the kind of place where I would want to live if I was a fairy. I think it is the perfect setting for this series, and I appreciated the author's vivid description of the town, its homes and gardens, the sea air and, of course, the food.

As a protagonist, Courtney has a lot of potential for growth, which should keep readers interested in her journey. I, personally, hope she grows more assertive as the series continues. She was a bit passive at times, which I found frustrating. She should also give her employee, Joss, a large raise as it didn't appear that Courtney did much to run her own business.

For a cozy series debut, the author did introduce a lot of characters to the story. I am very thankful that a "cast of characters" was included in the beginning of the book as I did have to refer back to it. I think the book may have been better if less people were involved in the story as several of them seemed unnecessary to the central mystery. However, the rich field of personalities does give Wood Gerber fertile ground as she expands the series in future volumes.

This is an fanciful, enjoyable cozy mystery. I think readers will want to believe in fairies by the end of it and will probably want to build their own fairy gardens. I sure hope the series continues so Fiona can earn her wings!

Finished the first three can't wait for the next story
Keep trying for my fairy but no show yet
Keeping the faith

This is a sweet, intriguing start to a new series. I enjoyed getting to know Courtney as well as the other inhabitants of Carmel. I love the idea of a store that caters to fairy gardens (I wish we had one of those in town!) and I really liked the touch of magic that the fairies bring to the story. I liked that the fairy is Courtney's friend and she wants to help her, but that she's not the focus of the story and doesn't solve the mystery on her own. Rather, Gerber keeps the focus on Courtney. The story is as much about her relationships (with her fairy, her dad, her friends and neighbors) as it is about solving the crime. Though the murder happens in Courtney's shop, the main reason she does any sleuthing is because she's a suspect and wants to clear her name. The story flows well and is very believable. I look forward to getting to know Courtney and all the other inhabitants of Carmel a little better in future installments.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were like able and the mystery was well written. I especially enjoyed the locale as I live in Carmel, California. I also enjoyed the charm of having fairies involved in the story. I highly recommend.

What a wonderful start to a new series! I won't get into details, but if you love fairy gardening and cozy mysteries, this is the book for you. I had been wanting this book to release for a while now and I was NOT disappointed when I finished reading it. This is honestly one of the only books that I didn't want to end. Buy iy, buy it NOW!!!

I enjoyed the setting, Carmel, California, and meeting Fiona the fairy. It was interesting and fun to read about the fairy gardens. You don't see fairies in mysteries everyday. I liked the main character, Courtney, who owns the fairy garden store. Unfortunately, she ended up being a suspect.

One interesting character was her best friend, Meaghan Brownie (unusual last name!) who of course enjoyed eating brownies. I also loved Pixie, the Ragdoll kitten. A few other animals made appearances too. Brady from the cafe was a nice guy who seemed really likeable.

A good cozy if you're looking for something a little different with a bit of magic. Great cast of characters.

I have other books by this author. This one really appeals to me.

Courtney Kelly believes in bringing a little magic into your life in the form of a fairy garden. Courtney has a background in landscaping but decided to follow her dream of opening a fairy garden and tea shop. Courtney has believed in fairies most of her life, although she could not always see them. Everything seemed to be going great for the shop until the store’s fairy, Fiona, comes to inform her that there is a dead body in the shop. Courtney rushes to her shop and calls the police, only to become a prime suspect. Courtney, along with Fiona, set out to clear her name and save her business.

I loved reading this book. This is a fun and unique cozy mystery. I fell in love with Courtney, her cat, Fiona, and Joss (the bookkeeper for the shop). The characters are well-developed and have great chemistry. The store, Open Your Imagination, is a charming and magically setting for the book. I loved reading about how to make fairy gardens. I have a small one of my own in my reading nook. While reading, I had to urge to rush out and get items to expand my fairy garden and try out the new ideas I had just read about. The mystery is well developed. It has many twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader involved in solving the murder right along with Courtney and Fiona. I have read books from Author Daryl Wood Gerber other series. I have enjoyed the books of hers that I read, but I think this series is going to be my favorite one of her series. I am excited about reading the next one in the series!

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.

A Sprinkling of Murder is the first book in a new series by Daryl Wood Gerber, and I think it is off to a great start. The book follows fairy garden store owner Courtney, after she finds a fellow store owner dead in her store. She is a suspect in the murder as it happened in her store, and her alibi it not airtight. Fairy gardens are new to me, but I enjoyed learning about them and the magical aspect of the story with fairies intertwined was a great addition. There is also a nice list of recipes in the back of the book - even some gluten free options!

The only part of this book that was hard for me was all the characters. There are a lot of characters, and they tended to sound similar. It was helpful that at the beginning of the book there is a “Cast of Characters” page, but it was still hard to keep them straight at times.

Otherwise I really enjoyed this book. I think if you enjoy small town stories, gardening, or fairies – this cozy will appeal to you. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Daryl Wood Gerber does something in her novels, she makes you feel as though you are part of a community. She also in this case introduces the reader to Fairy Gardens, which I had never heard of before. In each Daryl Wood Gerber book she brings you delicious food that you just want to jump in and eat, Caramel Blondies anyone? The setting of this book is Carmel-By-The-Sea which I have only ever seen photos of but she brings the town to life. Courtney our main character owns a Fairy Garden Shop and one of her friends is a Fairy named Fiona. Now let me tell you, I was a little skeptical myself about a fairy friend, but Daryl weaves a narrative that makes Fiona seem real. We would all like a Fiona. Courtney one night is awoken by Fiona who says something bad has happened in the shop and when Courtney arrives she discovers her business neighbor Mick dead. As with any wonderful cozy mystery the story is a page turner but also light on any violence (beyond the dead body) and I could see someone lending this to a child or grandchild or their gaggle of friends. Daryl Wood Gerber just rocks, each and every time!

I received an advanced copy and chose to provide an honest review!