Lifeless in the Lilies

Dale Mayer

Feb 2021 · Lovely Lethal Gardens Book 12 · Valley Publishing Ltd.

About this ebook

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 …

cozy mystery; riches to rags; clean romance; animal mystery; cat and dog; mystery; Female sleuth; back yard mystery; Mystery; Animals; Parrots; Birds; Fun; amateur sleuths; mysteries with dogs; mysteries with Cats; Clean and wholesome;

Ratings and reviews

Lifeless in the Lilies is the 12th book in the Lovely Lethal Gardens alphabet series. Doreen has a knack for getting in trouble. She stumbles into a mystery and cannot let it go until the cold case is solved. The book starts out with Doreen unconscious from a blow to the head. Doreen has made a lot of enemies solving cold cases, so it is not easy finding out who attacked her. Then there is the mysterious note she receives: “Help. I am being held captive.” While trying to solve these two mysteries, Doreen meets with a lawyer to sue the divorce lawyer who had her sign a divorce settlement giving Doreen nothing while the lawyer moved in with her ex-husband. That is just not right. Suing the lawyer, just creates another suspect in a long list who would want to harm Doreen. I just loved this book, the interactions between Doreen and her policeman friend Mack, are great. Everyone but Doreen and Mack, know they will become an item and I can’t wait for it to happen. Until then I will just have to wait for the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Doreen's back and she's the victim now and then Thaddeus gone and then this bad guy who's attacked Doreen and then Doreen's crazy ex-lawyer paid a surprise visit and then there's this heartbreaking mystery, oh yessss so many things happen that makes this book a page-turner, although a bit rushed here and there, I still loveeee it and those sweet banter between Doreen and Mack and those lovely fur babies and Nan!!! I loveeee Nan they always put a big smile on my face. Great story, amazing loveable characters, definitely recommended for cozy mystery readers.

Another delightful book in the "Lovely Lethal Gardens" series. Slightly eccentric but headstrong Doreen Montgomery has gone from being married and cheated on by her very wealthy controlling husband to living in a house given to her by her nan but with no income. Realizing that she has a knack of solving mysteries she has helped her friend Corporal Mack Moreau of the Kelowna PD solve quite a few cold cases, Mack is thankful for the help but I think that secretly he would rather she stayed at home and learned to cook. Sleuthing has gained Doreen many friends but it has also made her a few enemies, when she is knocked unconscious in a cemetery whilst attending a funeral Mack is really worried about her safety but as usual Doreen jumps in with both feet oblivious of the danger. Who attacked Doreen, was it her husband, furious because she had started divorce proceedings, or was it a perpetrator of some of the crimes that she has solved ? Where did Thaddeus her beloved parrot disappear to, what did the note strapped to his foot mean ? Was there only Doreen and Mack that couldn't see that they were meant for each other ? Do Doreen and her beloved menagerie, Mugs the dog, Goliath the cat, and talking parrot Thaddaeus live to fight another day ? I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.