Kate Collins (1) (1951–)

Gone But Not for Garden by Kate Collins is the fourth book in the Goddess of Greene Street cozy mysteries, and another good read in the series.

As always, Collins characters are written so well and I always look forward to seeing what her large Greek family is up to. We also get a crossover with some of the characters from Collins Flower Shop mysteries, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I’ve read about nine books in the series and really enjoy Abby, Marco, and Jillian, but I didn’t like how Athena interacted with Abby. Athena is always such a strong character, but she was like a wilting flower when she was around Abby, constantly deferring to her and acting like she’s never investigated a murder before. But then when she’s with her boyfriend she does a complete switch-up and is back to knowing what to do and delegating tasks.

But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. Delphi is still amusing with her psychic abilities, Nico and Oscar, the raccoon, have some fun scenes, and I didn’t figure out the killer until Athena did.

All in all, another great book in the series!… (altro)

Athena Spencer works at her family's garden center while raising her son, Nicholas. She also, after solving a few murders, has a new PI agency with her partner and love interest, Case Donnelly. Their latest case involves the death of a local model, who was found dead in her dressing room. The main suspect is a woman named Jillian, who happens to be the cousin of another PI.

Abby Knight Salvare, who owns a flower shop and a PI agency with her husband Marco, is is town asking for Athena's help in finding a killer. She's going to stay as long as it takes to find out the truth. Unfortunately, two of the other suspects are the wives of top officials in Sequoia, and they aren't happy to be on the hotseat. But it's up to the three to figure out what happened and why, and they aren't giving up until Jillian is a free woman -- even if it puts their own lives in danger...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all. I was surprised to see a "cross-over" in this book, but I enjoyed it immensely. Abby is the protagonist of the author's Flower Shop Mysteries, and a successful sleuth in her own right. In this book, we have the two women joining forces, and Athena gets to see how Abby goes about conducting her own investigation. While Athena isn't as assertive as Abby, she's learning from the seasoned veteran, and the two women together are formidable indeed.

It turns out there are even more suspects in the wings, and eventually they get help from an unexpected source (a person I would like to see more of in future books); and while Case is working on another case out of town, the two women are much on their own. Between working the case, Athena also has her other duties to take care of, and of course, spend time with her son. (Just reading about it all makes me exhausted!).

There is plenty going on here, along with a county fair, her sister Delphi keeping secrets, and, of course, her mother trying to set up another one of her daughters in a relationship. It all makes for an entertaining read that's intriguing and full of fun, and when the ending comes and the killer is revealed, it's a bit of a surprise; also surprising (but great) the climax itself. This book is probably my favorite of the series so far, and I heartily look forward to the next one. Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.… (altro)

Athena and Case partner with another PI in this mystery. Abby, the out-of-town PI, is trying to prove that her cousin is innocent of the murder she is accused of committing. Abby needs Athena’s help because she knows all the hometown players. Abby is the more experienced PI, and together, they make a pretty good team. They will need all their skill and a bit of luck to solve this one without getting hurt - or worse - themselves. Set in Michigan, the heart of these stories is Athena’s Greek family with all its love and interference and support that surround and sometimes overwhelms her. The characters are larger than life, the mysteries are intriguing, and the stories are sprinkled with humor with just enough suspense thrown in to make it gripping. This well written series is certainly one that cozy mystery readers will thoroughly enjoy.… (altro)