Night of the Living Dandelion

Table of Contents

 

 

 

“Each book in this series contains murder, continuous mayhem, a bit of sizzle, and one justice-seeking amateur sleuth.”

—Once Upon a Romance Reviews

 

“Abby is an excellent heroine who finds herself in some of the most unlikely, entertaining situations.”

—The Mystery Reader

 

 

“A nimble, well-crafted plot with forget-me-not characters.”

—Laura Childs, author of the Tea Shop Mysteries

 

“A treat not to be missed.”

—Kate Carlisle, author of the Bibliophile Mysteries

 

“Foul play fails to daunt a lively heroine who knows her flowers. A clever, fast-moving plot and distinctive characters add up to fun.”

—JoAnna Carl, author of the Chocoholic Mysteries

 

“A cleverly plotted mystery.”

—The Mystery Reader

 

“[A] roller-coaster ride of a mystery with the feisty Irish lass Abby Knight at the helm.”

—Fresh Fiction

 

“Kate Collins has succeeded in keeping this wonderful series fresh as a daisy . . . upbeat, humorous, and appealing. Abby has definitely turned into one of the best amateur sleuths in the world of fiction.”

—Reader to Reader Reviews

 

 

“Collins isn’t losing steam in her eighth foray into the world of florist and part-time accidental detective Abby Knight. The fun, family, and romance are still fresh, and the mystery is tidily wrapped up, with just enough suspense to keep readers flipping pages.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“Ms. Collins’s writing remains above par with quality and consistency: fun and breezy, intriguing and suspenseful, excitement and sizzle.”

—Once Upon a Romance Reviews

 

 

“Colorful characters, a sharp and funny heroine, and a sexy hunk boyfriend.”

—Maggie Sefton, author of the Knitting Mysteries

 

“Once again Kate Collins delivers an entertaining, amusing, and deliciously suspenseful mystery.”

—Cleo Coyle, author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries

 

 

“The tale is wrapped around the wonderful hallmarks of this series: a spirited heroine surrounded by zany characters, humor and irreverence.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“The latest Flower Shop mystery is an amusing graveyard amateur sleuth that will have the audience laughing.”

—The Best Reviews

 

 

“Abby’s sharp observations bring laughs while the intriguing, tightly plotted mystery keeps you guessing.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“A delightful, lighthearted cozy.”

—The Best Reviews

 

 

“Lighthearted and fast-paced, Collins’s new book is an entertaining read.”

—
Romantic Times

 

 

“Abby is truly a hilarious heroine. . .. Don’t miss this freshas-a-daisy read.”

—
Rendezvous

 

“Ms. Collins’s writing style is crisp, her characters fun . . . and her stories are well thought-out and engaging.”

—Fresh Fiction

 

 

“What a delight! Ms. Collins has a flair for engaging characters and witty dialogue.”

—Fresh Fiction

 

“You can’t help but laugh . . . an enormously entertaining read.”

—
Rendezvous

 

 

“Abby Knight [is] rash, brash, and audacious. Move over, Stephanie Plum. Abby Knight has come to town.”

—Denise Swanson, author of the Scumble River Mysteries

 

“A bountiful bouquet of clues, colorful characters, and tantalizing twists. . . . Kate Collins carefully cultivates clues, plants surprising suspects, and harvests a killer in this fresh and frolicsome new Flower Shop Mystery series.”

—Ellen Byerrum, author of the Crime of Fashion Mysteries

 

“As fresh as a daisy, with a bouquet of irresistible characters.”

—Elaine Viets, author of the Dead-End Job Mysteries

 

“This story was cute and funny, had a good plotline [that] entwined a lot of interesting threads . . . an enjoyable read and a fine debut for this new mystery series.”

—Dangerously Curvy Novels

 

“A charming debut.”

—The Best Reviews

Other Flower Shop Mysteries

OBSIDIAN

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

First published by Obsidian, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

First Printing, April 2011

Copyright © Linda Tsoutsouris, 2011

All rights reserved

 

OBSIDIAN and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

 

 

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

eISBN : 978-1-101-51362-0

I’d like to thank the following people for helping this book come to life:

My technical experts: Harry E. Ramsey, MD, and James V. Tsoutsouris, Esq.

My editorial team: Nancy Cergizan and Jason Eberhardt

My promotional teams: Julie Eberhardt; Barbara Ferrari; Nulita, owner, Love in Bloom, Key West, Florida; Jennifer Badry, 7 Artists Studio, Key West, Florida

Valparaiso University SPARK team: Kevin Brown, Ryan Roman, Pete Volmut, and Professor Bonita Neff

Author, friend, and psychologist Mary Kennedy

My Cozy Chick buddies: Deb Baker, Lorna Barrett, Maggie Sefton, J. B. Stanley, Leann Sweeney, and Heather Webber

My editor: Ellen Edwards

My agent: Karen Solem

“We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone . . . and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.”

—Sandra Day O’Connor

 

All my stories come from the weavings of individual threads—some from past events, newspaper stories, overheard conversations, and brainstorming sessions with friends and family, and the rest from the meanderings of my imagination. Some information is made deliberately vague to fit the purpose of the plot. Nevertheless, I strive for accuracy and apologize for any errors I may have made.

 

As with all my books, this is a collaborative effort. I thank all of you for your continued help and support.