The Dandelion Murders

Claire Sharples #2

by Rebecca Rothenberg

Adjusting to a new job at a California agricultural station, microbiologist Claire Sharples discovers some unauthorized pesticide usage at a local vineyard and a body in an irrigation ditch.

Genres: Mystery

293 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Rebecca Rothenberg (1948-1998) was a writer, musician, epidemiologist, amateur botanist, president of the San Gabriel chapter of the California Native Plants Society, and the author of the Claire Sharples Botanical Mystery series. The first, The Bulrush Murders, was nominated for the Anthony and Agatha Awards, and was named as one of the Top Ten Mysteries of 1992 by the Los Angeles Times. After her untimely death in 1998, her friend and colleague, Taffy Cannon (author of the Nan Robinson series and the Agatha and Macavity Award-nominated Guns and Roses) completed the manuscript of The Tumbleweed Murders.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

My current self asks my 20-years-ago self - why did you keep this book again? The female lead is childish and self-centered, and the male lead is rigid and a cheater. The mystery is okay but nothing to write home about. I guess I kept it because it was one of the earliest environmental/climate fiction books I read. In any event, off to the library used book sale it goes.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mystery

[Alice Cuthbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like the main character but I loved to botanical descriptions. This read slow for me.

[Renee Giglio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read. The relationship between the protagonist and her love interest was downright useless seeing as it was a jumble of contradictions that ended up with me banging my head against the wall. An the emphasis on stupid plant jargon was incomprehensible. But even with these flaws, I found that I whipped through it easy. I enjoyed the different characters and the story's fast pace. It was more of a beach read, I'd say.

[Kurt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Also OK for a murder mystery, I guess. (one of the mindless entertainment variety, that is)

[Robert LoBretto · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is hopefully the worst book I will ever read. Just more hyper liberal claptrap about how we are destroying mother earth. Just bad.

[Kirsty Darbyshire]

NULL

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

heroine too neurotic