Petal to the Mettle
In the quaint town of New Chapel, Indiana, where flower shops bloom and barstools creak with secrets, Abby Salvare has spent twenty-five cases proving petals can hide more than thorns. A florist with a knack for unraveling mysteries, she's back alongside her ex-Ranger husband Marco in A Vase in the Window, Kate Collins' 26th installment of this beloved cozy series.
This time, a single gunshot shatters the stillness of an early summer night, leaving a neighbor dead in his garage and a shadow creeping through the downtown square, smashing floodlights and looting stores. For Abby, it's another bouquet of trouble; for Marco, it's a hunt that hits too close to home. When a friend lands in a detective's crosshairs, Abby trades her pruning shears for a notepad, chasing clues through sunny neighborhoods and dark alleys. Marco, ever the steady hand behind Down the Hatch bar, tracks a thief who's bolder than the storms rolling in. The couple's rhythm is flawless?her intuition, his grit?but New Chapel's latest puzzle is a tangle of feuds, debts, and whispered lies.
A menacing brute lurks in the shadows, a grieving widow guards her truths, and a neighbor's petty games turn sinister. Every lead blooms with questions: Who fired the shot? What's worth stealing in a town this small? And why does a face in the window feel like a silent witness? From Bloomers Flower Shop to the local bar and grill, Abby and Marco sift through red herrings as thunder rumbles closer. The New York Times bestselling author spins a tale that's equal parts cozy charm and heart-pounding stakes. With a storm brewing and secrets unraveling, this adventure proves New Chapel's heart beats strongest when it's tested. Fans will savor the Salvare's latest dance with deception; newcomers will find a town worth rooting for?one petal, one clue, one breathtaking twist at a time.
Autorentext
Kate Collins is the author of the best-selling Flower Shop Mystery series. Her books have made the New York Times Bestseller list, the Barnes & Noble mass market mystery best-sellers' lists, the Independent Booksellers' best-seller's lists, as well as booksellers' lists in the U.K. and Australia. All Flower Shop Mysteries are available in paperback, hardback and large print editions. The first three books in the FSM series are now available on audiobook. Kate's eighteenth book in the series, MOSS HYSTERIA, is out now with her nineteenth, YEWS WITH CAUTION coming out May, 2017.
In January of 2016, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel aired the first Flower Shop Mystery series movie, MUM'S THE WORD, followed by SLAY IT WITH FLOWERS and DEARLY DEPOTTED later that year. The movies star Brooke Shields, Brennan Elliott, Beau Bridges and Kate Drummond.
Kate started her career writing children's stories for magazines and eventually published historical romantic suspense novels under the pen name Linda Eberhardt and Linda O'Brien.