{I've Been Reading} A Glimmer of a Clue

 

 A Glimmer of a Clue by Daryl Wood Gerber

The second book in the Fairy Garden mystery series is filled with  fairies and plants and lots of fun atmosphere...and an extremely competitive pickleball player who winds up stabbed to death with a letter opener from one of Courtney's fairy gardens. I actually enjoyed this one more than the first book, but I couldn't tell you whether that's because it's a better mystery or because I've had some time to get used to the idea of actual sparkly fairies in a cozy mystery. It's a fun read and if you're curious about making a fairy garden it will give you lots of ideas. 

Draw and Order by Cheryl Hollon

Miranda Trent makes her living leading cultural excursions that pair outdoor painting lessons with traditionally distilled moonshine and local cuisine. Her day trip with the Risky Business Adventurers is cut short by the discovery of skeletal remains near the trailhead and Miranda is afraid that the bones belong to her missing cousin. The second Paint & Shine mystery is almost as fun as the first. The discovery of the skeleton and the events that follow are wonderfully atmospheric and creepy. If there's anything I dislike about the book it's Miranda's constantly voiced opinion that men don't like taking orders from women. I think it's more than possible that the ones she's having trouble with are just jerks.... I'll be looking forward to the next book in the series.  

 

Her Last Holiday by C. L. Taylor 

Two years ago Fran's sister, Jenna, vanished at a Soul Shrink wellness retreat. Now self help guru Tom Wade has been released from prison and Fran is signing up for his first retreat, determined to find out what  he's been hiding. Two guests died in the sweat lodge, but Jenna's body was never found. Fran and her family want answers. 

I had a hard time keeping track of the complicated web of relationships. There are a lot of characters,   both in the past and the present. Fran is using an alias, so when other characters are referring to her, she's got a different name...and it gets more confusing than that, but I don't want to risk spoilers. For me, the most intriguing part was Tom's relationship with his wife. I found myself more interested in the future of Soul Shrink than in what happened to Jenna. 

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. This post contains affiliate links.