Death Drops

A Natural Remedies Mystery #1

by Chrystle Fiedler

When a holistic doctor’s beloved aunt is murdered and the valuable recipe for her skin cream stolen, Dr. Willow McQuade must find the killer before he strikes again.

Dr. Willow McQuade, N.D., a twenty-eight-year-old doctor specializing in natural remedies, has decided to take sabbatical and visit her Aunt Claire, the owner of Nature’s Way Market and Cafe in idyllic Greenport, Long Island. The idea of rest and relaxation is quickly forgotten when Willow arrives from a morning meditative walk to discover her Aunt Claire dead in the store, a strange almond-like smell emanating from her mouth and a bottle of flower essences by her side.

Despite her Zen nature and penchant for yoga, Aunt Claire had a knack for getting into confrontations with folks. An activist, she held weekly meetings for different causes every week in the store. The police want to believe the death is accidental—but Willow thinks she may have been poisoned.

Things get worse when Aunt Claire’s valuable recipe for a new natural age-defying formula, Fresh Face, is stolen during a store break-in, and an attempt is made on Willow’s life. Desperate for a way out of the mess, she turns to a handsome young cop Jackson Spade. Together the two set about solving the case the natural way—through a combination of hard work, common sense, and a dose of luck.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Medical, Mystery Thriller

275 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2010

About the author

I have been writing since I could pick up a pencil. When I was a kid, I wrote plays and even musicals. When I was a teenager I wrote children’s books, in college, I learned how to write like a journalist, and when I moved to L.A. in 1993, I wrote movie and TV scripts.

In 1998, when I moved from Hollywood back home to Greenport (the setting for the natural remedies mysteries) I was happy to be finally be able to combine my interest in natural remedies and journalism.

Over the past ten years I have written about conventional and alternative health topics for many national publications including Natural Health, Vegetarian Times, Better Homes & Gardens, Remedy, and The Health Monitor Network. I was also the Good Nature columnist for Remedy magazine from 2006-2009.

In 2008, I began writing non-fiction including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Natural Remedies (Alpha, 2009), co-author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now! (Fairwinds Press, 2010 4th printing) with noted holistic physician Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., and the Beat Sugar Addiction Now! Cookbook (Fairwinds Press, 2012) and The Country Almanac of Home Remedies (Fairwinds Press, 2011) with noted herbalist Brigitte Mars.

So it was only “natural” that when it came to fiction I wanted to incorporate my love for natural remedies into a cozy mystery. In 2011, my life-long dream came true when I was offered a contract for Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery, and three sequels, Scent to Kill, Garden of Death and my new book Dandelion Dead from Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster.

When I’m not writing, I’m spending time with family and friends, my two dachshunds Wallander and Murdoch, my two cats Tinker and Tuppence, gardening! being a complete and total Anglophile!, and enjoying mysteries! on TV, in books and on my Kindle in my cozy cottage by the sea.

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* for a decent, easy read. While some readers may not have liked all the details and advice on the organic lifestyle, including herbs and supplements, I really enjoyed them. The setting of Long Island was cool, as well.

[Patrizia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stelle e mezza.
La protagonista è un medico naturopata: ogni capitolo si apre con una richiesta d'aiuto a lei rivolta via lettera e la sua risposta. Il problema è che ogni capitolo riporta, come minimo, altri 2-3 riferimenti ben precisi a rimedi naturali o annessi e connessi. Per quanto io possa essere interessata all'argomento, mi è sembrato di leggere un trattato di naturopatia... Come dice il detto, il troppo stroppia. E questo è il motivo per cui ho tolto mezza stella al mio giudizio.
Tanti sono anche i possibili colpevoli e le persone dallo sgradevole carattere che circondano la protagonista e il suo interessante gruppo di amici, tanto che alla fine i colpevoli erano passati indenni dal mio radar. Mi sembra che l'autrice abbia una tendenza a mettere troppa carne al fuoco... Ci sono altri tre libri in questa serie e non so se continuarla oppure no: per certi versi mi attira, per altri no.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the little mystery that tried, but didn't quite make it. I have a thing with books, each genre has a brick limit. This means, how many characters I want to hit with a brick by the time the book is over. Over the limit,and I am not inclined to want to read any more in the series. For mysteries, it is 3. This book hit 5. There was an awful lot of "you'll be sorry"'s, "I WILL have what is mine" and too many suspects to make this truly enjoyable. Now, since this is the first book by this author, I do and will give leeway here and hope that by book 2, things will settle down.

That said, the homeopathic advice given throughout the book is spot on and was the most enjoyable part, for me at least. This could be a good series but the author needs to let go of the too many suspects, the trite phrases and chill out the family a little more.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit too new-agey for me. But I should have expected that. Too much organic everything. And a large number of death attempts with everything being wrapped up at the very end. I did like that characters even if Willow drive me a tad nuts with /all things homeopathic. She has an answer for everything, I swear, and it’s al organic.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

DEATH DROPS by Chrystle Fiedler begins when Willow, a doctor of alternative natural medicine in Los Angeles, California, is staying for an extended visit with her aunt in small-town New York. Willow’s aunt owns a natural remedies store. She has also developed an antiaging cream that has not yet gone to market.

One day Willow finds her aunt lying dead on the floor with a bottle labeled a type of flower essence. But Willow smells something other than flower essence. Her aunt must have been murdered. Soon after, her aunt’s lawyer reads her will to Willow and her sister and mother. Everything, including the store and antiaging cream formula, has been left to Willow. And soon after that, someone steals the antiaging cream formula. Now the mystery is: who done it?

I make it sound so compact. It actually isn’t. The book emphasizes natural remedies and the natural-health-and-well-being way of life so much that the mystery kind of gets lost. DEATH DROPS contains more description of natural remedies and lifestyle and has just a little mystery tucked in here and there.

I’m also not happy with the language used. It is so simple it seems juvenile to me.

So, to be honest, I didn’t get past the halfway point. My impression is that it doesn’t get better.

Fiedler is the author of two previous books, both nonfiction. Maybe she should stick with nonfiction.

[Rose Mcguire · Rating 1 out of 5]

there are textbooks about alternative health. There are mystery books. Combine the two? Give me break. I gave this book one star, because the mystery premise was good. The non-editing and the composition was bad. I did not need to hear over over and over the minute details and make-up of every single herb, medicine, food stuff, aliment etc given a mention or a passing glance. I did not care the the main character had organic gronola regurgated from free range chickens raised in a heritage by chanting monks. (well, not quite that bad, but just about).

And many glaring inconsistencies in the action.

As for the mystery, much was made about the wonderful, marvelous town but it was populated by some very nasty, mean, murderous people. And that includes the police on the job. And the lis
t of suspects? Sounded like a FB friend list, there were so many. Every time a new chapter began, another hate filled person joined the suspect list.

I finished it because it did have a good premise and I curious who. in the cast of thousands, had did the deed.


So far, my worse read for 2012

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was this month’s read at the Cozy Mystery Corner on Goodreads. It is a cozy with a theme of natural remedies and naturopathic medicine in general. Dr. Willow McCade ND inherits her aunt’s herbal remedy shop after the aunt was murdered. Because she was the heir, Willow finds herself the focus of the police investigation. She then begins her own investigation with the help of one of the store customers, a disabled policeman.

I liked the natural remedies theme and the mystery was interesting. I did find the information and the “hard sell” approach push for natural remedies over traditional medicine a little offputting. Willow has issues with a lot of traditional medicine (except heavy duty painkillers) and she gives unsolicited medical advice without taking patient histories. I have an interest in natural rememedies, but also a strong appreciation for modern medicine. While I found some of the information interesting, I found that it overwhelmed the mystery itself. I’m not sure that I would read another in the series.

[Moondance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Willow McQuade, ND inherits a natural food store after her aunt's murder. Lots of information about natural remedies. Almost too much. The author tried a little to hard to work in the info in the flow of the story. Just OK for me. 2.5 stars

[Rachelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to read a mystery not a informational book on natural remedies. The mystery seemed to be second in this book.

[Mary (Biblophile) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had possibilities but spent too much time preaching about the benefits of alternative medicine. A little more mystery and less prescribing would greatly improve the story.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first in a series.
Willow is visiting her Aunt Claire and ends up finding her dead. The police look at Willow as the prime suspect. When Willow starts questioning people she finds that her Aunt Claire wasn't loved by quite a few people.
I really enjoyed the questions and answers at the start of each chapter about natural remedies and the information given throughout the book. I found it interesting. The characters are likable and the murder kept me guessing.
I will continue on with this series.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came into my reader's world at the perfect time. I've just started learning more about essential oils and aromatherapy, realizing that I have an interest in natural ways to clean, play, and live. And then I read Death Drops, the first in Chrystle Fiedler's Natural Remedies mystery series, and my interest kicks into overdrive!

Main character and narrator Willow McQuade comes across a devastating scene at her aunt's shop and cafe. To many, Willow's aunt's death is nothing more than a sad accident. But Willow knows something is very wrong with the whole scenario - and she is determined to uncover the truth, no matter what the cost. As Willow digs in to the mystery, life becomes more and more dangerous, from slashed tires and break-ins to veiled threats and outright attempts on her life. Willow surrounds herself with old friends and new - even sparking a bit of romance with a former cop who needs Willow's help as much as she needs his.

One of my favorite things about Death Drops is how the author weaves in tips and suggestions for natural remedies throughout the story. I dog-eared pages with particularly interesting tips for easy reference later. The story moves at a quick pace, but readers can easily keep up with the clues Chrystle Fiedler leaves. Death Drops is fun, engaging, and interesting - I'm eager to continue the series and continue learning about natural living . . . and maybe even pick up some tips about cutting sugar down!

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good cozy mystery. Willow has studied her Aunt Claire's homeopathic skills since she was a young girl; and now Willow is a naturopathic doctor. Living with her Aunt, and helping her run her Nature's Way store, Willow discovers her aunt is on the brink of creating Fresh Face---the answer to the fountain of youth in skin products. Willow is horrified when she finds Aunt Claire dead, and toxicology reports prove cyanide, added to an essential oil she was using, killed her. There seem to be a multitude of townsfolk who didn't like or approve of Aunt Claire. The business is almost bankrupt, and a hateful woman who used to work for her aunt says she's the rightful heir! Willow meets a sexy ex-detective who was badly wounded on the job, and he needs her and her friends, Ally and Hector's, natural medicine assistance in return for him using his resources to help them investigate suspects. There is nice chemistry between Willow and Jackson.

Willow also inherits her aunt's two cats, and adopts a cute stray dog, whom I called "Q"! I never guessed who the killer was so I was surprised at the end!!

I look forward to reading more books in the"Natural Remedies" series.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best cozy I have read out of the the last 5! I cannot wait for the next one. So Interesting. Lots of foreshadowing for the next in the series. I might go back and reread the China Bayles series. The only similarity between the two authors is the herbal store setting but I loved the information. Lots of side stories and tangled web stuff. Well Done for a debut cozy author!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good new series. Well written. Homepathic information was interesting.

[Carol Stanley-Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK. A GREAT MYSTERY AND FULL OF NATURAL REMEDIES. A MUST READ FOR ANYONE.

[Kunni Biener · Rating 1 out of 5]

awful just awful. Way too much detail about holistic meds given that the info was coupled with a question and answer from the heroine at the beginning of each chapter. That question had nothing to do with the novel, so move the info there instead of giving way too much detail in the chapters. And honestly, I cared nothing about the main character, the secondary ones could be interesting. The whole issue between the heroine and her mother and sister was a non starter and the author seemed to realize it by just making it go away at the end. A good editor would have removed it completely, it did nothing to move the story along. Sorry that there are more in this series, the first one was not worth the time I spent reading it.

[EmmyT · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been great. Protagonist is pushy, stupid. Her way is only way. Town is full of extremely mean-spirited and rude people. Guess that was supposed to put 'cover' to murderer. It was overdone. Dialogue was stilted, juvenile and relied on threatening quips. Author has a problem with standard medicine instead of cooperation. Dermatologist is rude and has legal issues. MD sister, who represents standard medical point of view, is the ultimate snob, and a down right witch. The book was filled the familia hate, sister hate and disfunction. Protagonist attitude is poor, pitiful me. Liked the dog.

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willow's aunt is killed and leaves her the store, which upsets her family and long time employee Janice.

What I enjoyed:
* The friendship with Allie and Hector
* The dog, Qigong
* The advice columns at the beginning of the chapters

What could have been better:
* It seemed like everyone in the small town was a suspect
* No explanation on why Claire let her business get in such dire straits
* Totally incompetent and uncaring police, they ignored the growing physical threats against Willow and the shop because she was a suspect
* Willow's sister and mom are horrible to her

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a good start to a new series, focusing on natural remedies as well as solving a murder. The only thing that seemed to weigh down the plot a bit was all of the information about what natural remedies do for various conditions. The information is excellent but seemed to be just a bit heavy-handed in the way it was delivered in the plot. That said, I will be reading more in this series because the basic story and plot line were well done.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for cozy mysteries. I love a good crime mystery and perhaps what I enjoy most about cozy mysteries is their habit to revolve around a cute little shop of some kind. I've read about tea rooms, bakeries, coffee shops, ice cream shops, yarn shops -- hmm. I see a food theme, here as well. ;) In some way, they actually encourage and inspire me to cultivate my own dream of owning a similar shop someday. This was a great read, hitting those cozy marks for me, but had the bonus of dispensing responsible and useful ideas on natural remedies (another passion of mine). Many of those remedies I use myself! I look forward to checking out the rest of this series. This book follows a true cozy mystery format - a little too neat and tidy, a little too unbelievable, and a very wonderful little world to enjoy - all packed into a quick read.

[Sheri Heiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I liked everything about this book. It kept my attention throughout. The characters were well rounded and they had a story. I could tell that the author had done great research and out everything together with sit and style. The pets had great personalities too. I actually wanted to go to the town and hang out at the store. I did figure out who did it say before the end. But I don't care. A great start to a new series. Highly recommend.

[Laurie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book was written from a very supercilious point of view-traditional medicine is a last resort and herbs are the best. The only characters that were even half decent human beings were Willow and Jackson, but Jackson not fleshed out enough other than always in pain. Most of the other characters were all nasty and not worth getting to know.

[Robyn Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was preachy and that the protagonist was pushy and a know it all. I didn't like the writing style. The antagonists were weak, and not very compelling. I found some of the herbal information interesting, but there was far too much of it pushed through the story line and I found it distracted from the story. Not a fan. I am not interested in reading any more from this series.

[Jenifer Cuddeback · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first natural remedies book and I really enjoyed it!

I've recently gotten I to natural remedies, so when I saw this set of books I had to buy them to read! This book is a cute and quick summer read! I really love how each chapter starts off with recommendations for natural cures for what ails us! I took notes lol. I look forward to starting the second book now!

[Deborah Almada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read but the author pushed the alternative medicine to the point that I felt everything she said to anyone was a "prescription "The setting was good, and I did care about the characters at the end but a bit preachy!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little to much natural remedies included. I do use some natural remedies and did like the book but, the remedies were a somewhat mind bogging.

[Jeffrey S Pofi · Rating 3 out of 5]

TMI

It was entertaining but a little over kill with all the organic and homeopathic info. I almost felt like there would be a test at the end.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the premise for this book and the natural remedies she offers, but he mystery was rather convoluted and and characters beyond the two leads need more background to be believable.