Lovely Lethal Gardens

A new cozy mystery series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery-and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot-as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia. Riches to rags. ... Controlling to chaos. ... But murder ... seriously? After her ex-husband leaves her high and dry, former socialite Doreen Montgomery's chance at a new life comes in the form of her grandmother, Nan's, dilapidated old house in picturesque Kelowna ... and the added job of caring for the animals Nan couldn't take into assisted living with her: Thaddeus, the loquacious African gray parrot with a ripe vocabulary, and his buddy, Goliath, a monster-size cat with an equally monstrous attitude. It's the new start Doreen and her beloved basset hound, Mugs, desperately need. But, just as things start to look up for Doreen, Goliath the cat and Mugs the dog find a human finger in Nan's overrun garden. And not just a finger. Once the police start digging, the rest of the body turns up and turns out to be connected to an old unsolved crime. With her grandmother as the prime suspect, Doreen soon finds herself stumbling over clues and getting on Corporal Mack Moreau's last nerve, as she does her best to prove her beloved Nan innocent of murder.

A new cozy mystery series from author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery-and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot-as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia. Riches to rags. ... Chaos continues. ... Murders abound. ... Honestly? Doreen Montgomery's new life in Kelowna was supposed to be a fresh start after a nasty split from her husband of fourteen years, plus a chance to get her bearings and her life back on track. Instead her first week in her new hometown was spent digging up dead bodies, chasing clues, and getting in Corporal Mack Moreau's way. But now that the old cold case has been solved, and the murderer brought to justice, Doreen believes things might go her way this week. When Mack hires her to whip his mother's garden into shape, it seems like a second chance, both for Doreen's new beginning in Kelowna and for her budding relationship with Mack. But, instead of digging up Mrs. Moreau's struggling begonias and planting them in a better location, Doreen discovers another set of bones ... and another mystery to solve. As the clues pile up, Mack makes it abundantly clear that he doesn't want or need her help, but Doreen can't resist the lure of another whodunit. As she and Mack butt heads and chase red herrings, Doreen's grandmother, Nan, sets odds and places bets on who solves the crime first. All while a murderer is watching ...

A new cozy mystery series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery-and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot-as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia. Riches to rags. ... Chaos calms. ... Crime quiets. ... But does it really? After getting involved in two murder cases in the short time she's lived in picturesque Kelowna, divorcee and gardener Doreen Montgomery has developed a reputation almost as notorious as her Nan's. The only way to stop people from speculating, is to live a life of unrelieved boredom until the media and the neighbors forget about her. And Doreen aims to do just that with a tour of Kelowna's famed Carnation Gardens. Plants, more plants, and nothing whatsoever that anyone could object to. But when she sees a fight between a beautiful young woman and her boyfriend, she can't help but be concerned. Concerned enough that she follows the couple out of the parking lot and through town. And when gunshots interrupt the placid afternoon, it's too late to worry about how her nemesis, Corporal Mack Moreau, will feel about her getting involved in yet another of his cases. With bodies turning up in the carnations, and a connection to a cold case of a missing child from long ago, Doreen has her hands full, not least with trying to keep her involvement in the investigations a secret from her Nan, Mack Moreau, and especially the media. But someone's keeping up with Doreen's doings... and that someone can't afford for her to find the answers to the questions she's asking.

A new cozy mystery series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery-and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot-as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia. Riches to rags. ... Chaos quiets. ... Crime is circling. ... And cold cases never cease ...After almost a month in picturesque Kelowna, Doreen Montgomery still can't keep her notoriety to a minimum or her nose out of other people's business. Now those suffering from the loss of a loved one seek her out, wanting her help. While the last thing Doreen wants is to have the media discover she's involved in another cold case, she is already hooked on the details ...But even more is going on. News has gotten out that Nan's old house is brimming over with valuable antiques, antiques Nan collected and left for Doreen, and the seedier elements of their lovely town are circling like vultures. With her animals in full assistant mode, Doreen must investigate the cold case, right the wrongs of the past, and keep her home safe, all while evading the media-and Corporal Mack Moreau.

A new cozy mystery series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery-and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot-as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia. Riches to rags. ... Controlling to chaos. ... But murder ... well maybe ...Doreen's success at solving murders has hit the newswires across the country, but all Doreen wants is to be left alone. She has antiques to get to the auction house and a relationship with Corporal Mack Moreau to work out, not to mention a new friendship to nurture with Penny, Doreen's first friend in Kelowna, and Doreen doesn't want to ruin things. But when a surprise accusation won't leave Doreen alone-about Penny's late husband George's death and made by one of the men Doreen helped put away-she thinks that maybe it can't hurt to just take a quick look into her new friend's past. Before Doreen knows it, she's juggling a cold case, a closed case, and a possible mercy killing ... along with cultivating her relationships with Penny, Mack, and Doreen's pets: Mugs, the basset hound; Goliath, the Maine coon cat, and Thaddeus, the far-too-talkative African gray parrot. And while Mack should be used to Doreen's antics by now, when she dives into yet another of his cases it's becoming increasingly hard to take...

A new cozy mystery series from author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery-and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot-as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia. Riches to rags. ... Controlling to chaos. ... But murder ... not this time! One night 10 years ago, 8-year-old Crystal, vanished from her bed in her parents' house, the only clue a footprint in the flowerbed below the girl's window. Now that footprint's reappeared, this time at the scene of another crime, and Doreen is under strict orders not to stick her nose into Corporal Mack Moreau's new investigation. But while Mack is busy with the new case, Doreen figures it can't hurt if she just takes a quick look at the old one. Her house is empty, her antiques removed, and she has time on her hands. She's finished working on Penny's garden and needs a new project to keep her busy — and allow her to avoid the heavy work waiting in her own garden. And with the help of her assistants, Thaddeus the parrot, Goliath the Maine Coon, and Mugs the Basset, soon Doreen is busy navigating the world of pawn shops and blackmail as she looks for clues as to what happened to the girl stolen from her bedroom so many years ago. Surely, it's not her fault when her case butts up against the new one — is it?

A new cozy mystery series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery-and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot-as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia.Riches to rags. ... Chaos to more chaos. ... Fire destroys evidence. ... Or at least most of it!Flush with success from solving a decade-old kidnapping case, Doreen can't wait to find out what's next in her one-woman crusade to clean up Kelowna's cold crimes. But, before she can unearth another old case to sink her teeth into, she must tie up some loose ends from the last one.Steve Albright, fixer for the local biker gang, has made it clear that he blames Doreen for sending his friend Penny Jordan to prison. Steve even suggests that Doreen might have set up Penny Jordan. While Doreen wouldn't do that, she's afraid that other people might believe Steve. He's a popular figure in town and has a lot of friends, many of whom Doreen doesn't want to get any closer to than she must.At least Steve doesn't have his gun anymore, having dropped that in Doreen's neighbor's gardenia bed while she chased him from her yard. Which makes Doreen think that maybe it's safe to dig into Steve's past. Until she uncovers a connection to three arson cases from years ago and is warned off by Corporal Mack Moreau.But Doreen's never listened to Mack before, and it has all worked out thus far, so it's not like she has to listen to him now. Right?

A new cozy mystery series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery-and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot-as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia.Riches to rags. ... Everything is under control, ... until it isn't. And Doreen's in the middle of it!The four boxes of files Doreen inherited from journalist Bridgeman Solomon have already helped her solve one crime, and Doreen hopes they'll continue to assist her as she sticks her nose into future cases. But, when she stumbles over a pair of pink satin handcuffs in her standoffish neighbor Richard de Genaro's heather patch, it's hard to believe that those reporter's files could have anything useful to offer regarding that.Doreen takes a look though, and soon she's headed down a merry trail of prostitution, embezzlement, and, of course, murder. But the minute the files suggest a connection to Doreen's specialty, a cold case, her beau and partner in crime, Corporal Mack Moreau, starts breathing down her neck.With her trusty animals leading the way, Doreen sets out to find the connection between the reputable banker who died in an unsolved hit-and-run and the prostitute who owned the pink satin handcuffs. As Doreen puts it all together, even she is surprised at the outcome of her latest investigation.

A new cozy mystery series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery-and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot-as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia. Riches to rags. … Chaos never calms. … Time fades memories. … Or at least most of them! Who knew two small maker's marks could lead to such chaos? Doreen has been enjoying a few well-earned days of peace and quiet after solving her last mystery. But all good things must come to an end. Like when Thaddeus, her independently minded African gray parrot, digs up two rectangular metal pieces from the path along the creek. Then Doreen is sent down another rabbit hole of the past: connecting the dots from a long-defunct tool repair company and a young girl who disappeared at the same time. Corporal Mack Moreau doesn't think these events are connected. He doesn't believe the spate of recent deaths is suspiciously tied in either. Mack wants Doreen to focus on the materials and the cost analysis to replace her backyard deck and to leave the detecting to him. But how can she, when she knows so much more is going on than Mack believes? Heart attacks, unfair wills, and a missing ice pick are all related. She just needs to understand how …

Riches to rags. ... Chaos is still present. ... Memories are fading, ... but not for everyone!The problem with notoriety is unfair expectations. When Mack's mother, Millicent Moreau, requests Doreen's help with a small problem she's kept hidden for decades, Doreen feels obligated to help. And what harm could it do, after all? Worst-case scenario? It'll annoy Mack, but that's something she does on a regular basis anyway.But when Millicent's "small problem" turns out to involve a failed marriage, a bag of jewels from a jewelry store that mysteriously burned down decades ago, possible insurance fraud, and maybe even a case of murder, … Doreen will admit that she's in way over her head.With her trusty trio of furry and feathered cohorts, she brings an old case into the present-and finds it's more current than ever …

Riches to rags. ... Chaos again. ... Winning is important, ... at least for some!Doreen is overwhelmed with joy when she sees all the volunteers who show up to help get her deck addition built. Most of the men are cops, friends of Corporal Mack Moreau's, and are happy to help Mack's special friend and the lady who has helped solve so many crimes for them with a spot of home renovation.But before the deck improvement can be finished, duty calls, and the cops are called away on a case. Another gray-haired lady has dropped dead. Yet another heart attack victim is added to the long line of previous ones. And, of course, neither of these recently deceased women had a heart condition that would explain their sudden demise.With her animals at her side, Doreen is determined to figure out what the ladies had in common, plus why and how kiwis keep popping up in this case. As she digs into the ladies' lives, the things Doreen discover are shocking, … but not as shocking as the answer is to this riddle …

Riches to rags. … Chaos calms. … Suddenly it's quiet. … Too quiet if Doreen's involved!What was supposed to be a leisurely stroll through a peaceful cemetery after a recent funeral turns into the start of a new case. Someone clobbers Doreen over the head and leaves her facedown among the funeral flowers.Is it random violence? Revenge? A warning of worse to come?No one knows, not even Doreen, but one thing is certain: the attack enabled the disappearance-perhaps the abduction?-of Doreen's beloved African gray parrot, Thaddeus. Frantic, Doreen foregoes a trip to the emergency room in favor of heading straight home, where she hopes Thaddeus will return sooner rather than later.When he does show up, riding a branch down the river, coming right home, he's different, and all he can talk about is Big Guy. He's also sporting an SOS message fastened around his ankle… Doreen sets out to retrace Thaddeus's path, while Mack hunts down her attacker.Between birds and boys and Corporal Mack Moreau's brother, the lawyer looking into her divorce situation, Doreen has her hands full. And that's before her former lawyer shows up unexpectedly at her home! Off-balance by all these events, Doreen opens her door to someone with a serious grudge to take her down...

Riches to rags … Chaos has never been so supreme … Now a suspect herself … No calm in sight …Being a suspect in the murder of her ex-lawyer is not the fun Doreen thought it would be. And, of course, she's been ordered to stay away from the case, … but she can't help being interested. So she enlists Mack's brother, Nick-her new lawyer-to help.Mack's first priority is to clear Doreen as a suspect. No one in their right mind would seriously believe she'd done the deed, of course. … But, the fact is, she had both motive and opportunity, so clearing her of suspicion isn't the walk in the park that Mack would like it to be. Especially not when she insists on sticking her nose into his case, where it doesn't belong.And just when Doreen is certain things can't get any worse, answering her doorbell shows her that this nightmare has just started. Who just walked into her life? None other than her soon-to-be-ex-husband, … Mathew …

Riches to rags … Chaos might be slowing … Only a new murder occurs … Sending her off the trail again …It's been a tough few weeks since Robin and Mathew, Doreen's ex-lawyer and her ex-husband, slid back into her life.Okay, so maybe Robin isn't here any longer to cause torment, but Mathew is. And he's not planning to leave Doreen alone anytime soon, although thankfully he's gone back home for a while. Trying to recuperate looks doubtful for Doreen, when a local gardener is kidnapped, while picking nasturtiums for dinner.The case heats up when the missing man's niece appears on Doreen's doorstep, looking for help, including asking Doreen to accompany her to the police station.Not at all sure what's going on, but willing to help someone in need-particularly after having been a suspect herself-Doreen tags along, looking to do her good deed for the day.But no good deed goes unpunished, and, when Mathew calls, Doreen gets more than she bargained for, including all the usual suspects: love, jealousy, and … greed. It takes everything from her feathered and furred critter team to keep her safe, as she digs to the bottom of yet another crazy case …

Riches to rags … Finally it's calm … At least for the moment … If she's lucky …Needing a break from all the murder and mayhem, Doreen and Mack plan an outing to see the local orchid show. Some of the displays are in the community center, but the more prized specimens of this genus require a visit to some of the gardeners' homes, a rare opportunity not afforded to everyone.This trip, not quite a date, affords Doreen a chance to enjoy not only the company of Mack but to get to know a few more of the colorful locals. But, when one of these locals ends up dead just after their visit, the dark underbelly of orchid growing is exposed and, with it, an old murder, … not to mention another new one. Doreen and Mack just can't catch a break.But can they catch a killer before he kills again?

Riches to rags. ... Time heals all wounds, ... but old deeds still haunt, ... even for the innocent!After helping the captain solve his long overdue case, Doreen's reputation is well and truly cemented in Kelowna. That's proven out when a young woman is murdered in her own apartment, and the police start looking at the boyfriend. With the town on edge, this young man seeks out Doreen's help to prove his innocence.Corporal Mack Moreau is back to light duty work-mostly keeping an eye on Doreen, if the captain has any say in it. It's hardly a hardship, as he loves being around her, when she's not dipping her toes in his active cases. And yet somehow she manages to find old cases that dovetail with his ongoing ones, giving her an exaggerated opinion of where her boundaries are.What seems simple on the surface goes back into history to a case that was done and dusted, with the killer now out free, looking for revenge. But, of course, it's not that simple or that easy; and, by the time Doreen and her animal crew are done, the world has shifted for more than just one person in this case.

Riches to rags. ... Hidden guns, ... old but not forgotten wounds, ... and a buried treasure!Finding an Uzi in the urn at the shattered mausoleum is exciting and frustrating. Yet Doreen can't delve into the case, and Mack has been firm about that. She struggles to focus on other cases from her journalist files, in particular the Bob Small file. Only her plan goes off the rails when Nan and her cronies show up at her door, with the Rosemoor bus, intent on heading to the excitement happening at the cemetery.When a grave is opened to reveal its shocking contents, the city is on high alert, as gang members arrive, circling around, looking for a rumored buried treasure, all connected to a man who died six months ago. Between crooked lawyers, greedy family members, changes of heart, and everyone else out looking for a buried treasure, Corporal Mack Moreau is on his toes. Especially as Doreen and her animal cohorts are in the middle once again.But no one could possibly envision where this case ends up-right back in the cemetery where it all started …

Riches to rags. ... Some things stay buried. ... Some things don't, ... and it's chaos once again!Spending time with Mack is always fun, but, when Doreen overhears a conversation that sounds like a murder confession, he disagrees, … until a body shows up. Then he's suddenly a whole lot more interested. The deceased young man had planned to attend the local college and had hoped to rekindle a relationship with an ex-girlfriend.Corporal Mack Moreau knows he can keep Doreen out of this current case, but, when the young man's grandmother calls and says it could be related to the unexplained disappearance of the young man's parents, … then all bets are off. Doreen and her entourage are smack in the middle again.When the case suddenly ties to her neighbor, Richard, it comes home in a big way.

Riches to rags. … Some people make plans. … Some people change them, … and it's chaos in the end! Doreen loves gardens, all kinds of them. In the Okanagan, situated at the tip of the desert, water-frugal gardening makes sense. When Doreen sees a lovely xeriscaped garden from a drone video, she's fascinated. When Mack mentions a mystery surrounding the property, she is mesmerized. Getting the details, however, is no easy feat. That's because there aren't many. But digging in and asking questions is something Doreen and her clan are good at, and it doesn't take long to delve into the mystery in a big way, … much to Corporal Mack Moreau's disgust. Making a nuisance of herself might work sometimes, but too often it backfires. This time is no exception, … and no way, once Doreen is on this case, can she ever let go …

Riches to rags … Marriage is wonderful … Divorce can be ugly … Chaos surrounds both … Doreen has had enough of her estranged husband's antics, but, when he shows up dead in the garden outside her favorite Chinese food restaurant, she's horrified and anxious. And, of course, in the eyes of the rest of the world, … guilty.There's no Doreen for her to call to help out this time, … but she knows Mack has her back, although he's being questioned too. The police force rallies around her, as their history rips apart her former life and finds out that all her suspicions about Mathew were correct, and he'd been in deep trouble.The trick now is to make sure that said trouble died with him and won't carry over to Doreen. Good luck with that. Between her animals, the police, and every other well-meaning resident trying to help, Doreen knows she could be in bigger trouble than ever …

Riches to rags. … When endings happen, … new beginnings start. … Chaos fills the middle!With Mathew's murder done and dusted, and her future now wide open, Doreen turns to sorting out her financial world, particularly as her antiques are sold. And helping others is moving up her list of things she wants to do. Especially after finding a young woman who wants to get out of the streetwalker world and to move back home.Of course a decision like that doesn't come without strings, and Doreen and her animals are soon embroiled in pimps and madams. A world she knows nothing about but is quickly learning. Mix that up with Nan getting kidnapped, only to bail her kidnapper out of jail, and Doreen's world is chaos as usual.Corporal Mack Moreau has a plan, but implementing that plan requires a special moment-the right moment. And trying to figure out when and what that moment looks like is a challenge. Especially as it involves Doreen …

Merry Mistletoe Madness, a Christmas Novella Can Christmas get any crazier? A new case for Mack and, lucky for Doreen, she finds a cold case connected to it, making her year end on a high note. All the while she struggles to navigate gift giving and a special party that Nan wants to put on for her at Rosemoor-except Doreen has to solve all kinds of issues, including the missing mistletoe, which Nan insists on having for the party. And then there are the secrets. Of course it's Christmas, so maybe secrets are to be expected. However, when those secrets involve Nan, maybe Doreen should be worried after all.