Nipped in the Bud

Title: NIPPED IN THE BUD
Author: Susan Sleeman
Publisher: Barbour Books
October 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60260-573-2
Genre: Inspiration/cozy mystery

Paige Turner is a gardening expert who hosts her own radio show, runs a nursery, and has placed a successful bid on the city’s gardening projects. However, she runs into trouble with a disgruntled city employee starts harassing her the first day on the job.

When Bud is later found dead, buried under Paige’s pile of mulch, with her shovel identified as the murder weapon, Paige suddenly finds herself a “Person of Interest” with the police with no alibi.

Paige’s best friend, Lisa, is married to a lawyer who knows a criminal lawyer, and she brings Adam in to represent Paige. Bet despite the strong attraction between Adam and Paige, it may not be enough to keep Paige from being convicted. Will Paige be able to find the real killer in time?

NIPPED IN THE BUD is a cozy mystery. I’m so glad to know that Barbour has not completely discontinued their cozy mystery line, they just discontinued mass-market portion of it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading NIPPED IN THE BUD and laughed out loud at portions of it, especially the excerpts from the radio show. She had some really wacky callers. Paige is a very aggressive, confident heroine that even made her best friend uncomfortable at times, but definitely helped to keep the pages turning (no pun intended) as I never knew what she would say next. I also didn’t guess who the real killer was until right before it was revealed.

If you are looking for a cozy mystery that will keep you laughing and guessing, then make sure you pick up NIPPED IN THE BUD. Available at www.amazon.com or any of your favorite booksellers. $10.99. 243 pages.