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Peggy Lee Garden Mystery #5.5
Buried By Buttercups
Peggy Lee, owner of The Potting Shed garden shop, is involved in another murder investigation. After two years of being on the ‘outs’ with the Charlotte Police, new homicide Lieutenant Al McDonald, asks for her help. The choice of weapon for the killer is flower poison, starting with angel’s trumpet. No one knows botanical poisons as well as Peggy.
The investigation turns personal for her when she realizes the killer has used poison to draw her out. Two men with her dead husband’s name have already died.
Is the killer working toward getting rid of Peggy too?
The investigation turns personal for her when she realizes the killer has used poison to draw her out. Two men with her dead husband’s name have already died.
Is the killer working toward getting rid of Peggy too?
98 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2012
About the author
Jim Lavene
68 books307 followersaka Elyssa Henry, J.J. Cook, Ellie Grant and Joye Ames.
Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene are a wife and husband team who are authors and award-winning photojournalists. Together they have over 40 books published as well as hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. They started writing in 1999.
Series:
* Sharyn Howard Mystery
* Peggy Lee Garden Mystery
* The Stockcar Racing Mystery
* A Renaissance Faire Mystery
* Pet Psychic Mystery
* Missing Pieces Mystery
Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene are a wife and husband team who are authors and award-winning photojournalists. Together they have over 40 books published as well as hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. They started writing in 1999.
Series:
* Sharyn Howard Mystery
* Peggy Lee Garden Mystery
* The Stockcar Racing Mystery
* A Renaissance Faire Mystery
* Pet Psychic Mystery
* Missing Pieces Mystery
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 23, 2020
3.5*
I read the first book in this gardening mystery series years ago, before I discovered either Goodreads or LibraryThing. The fact that I kept the paperback but never continued the series pretty much indicates how I felt about it!
This book, the only novella in the series (at least to date), comes quite a bit later and some changes have occurred in the personal life of Peggy, none of which interfered with my ability to read this as a stand alone. The story did end with a startling revelation which impacted me very little having not followed the series.
A nice cozy mystery & I liked the forensic botany.
I read the first book in this gardening mystery series years ago, before I discovered either Goodreads or LibraryThing. The fact that I kept the paperback but never continued the series pretty much indicates how I felt about it!
This book, the only novella in the series (at least to date), comes quite a bit later and some changes have occurred in the personal life of Peggy, none of which interfered with my ability to read this as a stand alone. The story did end with a startling revelation which impacted me very little having not followed the series.
A nice cozy mystery & I liked the forensic botany.
May 15, 2023
#5.5 in the Peggy Lee Garden mystery series. Peggy is a botanist turned amateur sleuth. Fun and entertaining cozy mystery. Good for fans of cozies and plants.
May 22, 2013
I plan to read more in this series. I like Peggy and all the botany info!!
September 10, 2021
Can a murder be pure fun?
Only I f Peggy Lee is in the thick of it! Peggy and her gang are back for a good clean read (some of us.us appreciate authors who don't jam curse words throughout their pages!) This one is also great as you learn Steve has a secret after all the twists and turns of the story. It kept me guessing up to the end.
I love this series & this writing duo!
Only I f Peggy Lee is in the thick of it! Peggy and her gang are back for a good clean read (some of us.us appreciate authors who don't jam curse words throughout their pages!) This one is also great as you learn Steve has a secret after all the twists and turns of the story. It kept me guessing up to the end.
I love this series & this writing duo!
June 8, 2017
This short book answers a lot of missing information they left out of the next book. It is a must read if you want to continue with the series.
July 19, 2020
Good, but really short
June 9, 2025
It was easy to figure out the killer in this one, but I enjoyed it anyway.
October 15, 2012
Peggy Lee is a personable middle-aged woman, happily married to a veterinarian. Professionally trained as a botanist, she operates a garden shop, conducts experiments in her basement, and consults as a forensic botanist with the local police department and medical examiner. She lives in a big house in a small town reminiscent of Mayberry where no one seems to swear and most of the residents are friendly. You would hardly expect crime in a place like this, but it does occur, and Peggy becomes involved.
A man dies from a poison derived from a flowering plant and police ask Peggy to help solve the crime. She receives a mysterious message that another murder will occur. She encounters a rude neighbor who wants purchase her home and business. Someone tries to break into her home. A medical examiner’s assistant is angry after being passed over for the ME’s job. Peggy receives a mysterious note. Two more victims die from poisoning. The victims’ names share similarities to Peggy’s family names. Why? What’s the murder motive? Is Peggy’s family in danger? If these events and questions interest you, you’ll probably enjoy this novel.
It’s a fun read, about a generally agreeable cast of characters, with the exception of the murderer. In addition to the murder mystery, the authors include a bonus at the end in the form of a garden journal with useful gardening advice, and some cooking recipes. What more could you ask for?
Highly recommended to Cozy fans.
A man dies from a poison derived from a flowering plant and police ask Peggy to help solve the crime. She receives a mysterious message that another murder will occur. She encounters a rude neighbor who wants purchase her home and business. Someone tries to break into her home. A medical examiner’s assistant is angry after being passed over for the ME’s job. Peggy receives a mysterious note. Two more victims die from poisoning. The victims’ names share similarities to Peggy’s family names. Why? What’s the murder motive? Is Peggy’s family in danger? If these events and questions interest you, you’ll probably enjoy this novel.
It’s a fun read, about a generally agreeable cast of characters, with the exception of the murderer. In addition to the murder mystery, the authors include a bonus at the end in the form of a garden journal with useful gardening advice, and some cooking recipes. What more could you ask for?
Highly recommended to Cozy fans.
May 3, 2013
Owner of The Potting Shed, Peggy Lee, leads a pretty interesting life. She's solved a few murders in her time, and helps the police force on-and-off, not to mention being a lecturer at the local university. So when murdered victims start turning up being poisoned by poisonous plants, the police call on Peggy to help them find a killer. However, Peggy is starting to think the murderer is playing games with her when the victims bear the same name as her police officer husband, who died on the job.
This was my first reading of the Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries, and with this novella I feel caught up on the series. The reader gets to know a little about Peggy and her new husband, Steve, and her son, Paul, and her daughter-in-law, Mai. It's a great introduction and has got me thoroughly enthused for the next release, A Thyme to Die.
Even though I have a blacker than black thumb, I enjoyed the gardening aspect and learning about new things about the plants I already know, and the recipes at the end of the book are to die for.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, and given the "cliffhanger-ish" ending, I can't wait to read A Thyme to Die.
This was my first reading of the Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries, and with this novella I feel caught up on the series. The reader gets to know a little about Peggy and her new husband, Steve, and her son, Paul, and her daughter-in-law, Mai. It's a great introduction and has got me thoroughly enthused for the next release, A Thyme to Die.
Even though I have a blacker than black thumb, I enjoyed the gardening aspect and learning about new things about the plants I already know, and the recipes at the end of the book are to die for.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, and given the "cliffhanger-ish" ending, I can't wait to read A Thyme to Die.
June 21, 2013
This is an interesting story with well defined characters. I learned about plants and their qualities and even though I enjoy gardening this was informative for me.
Peggy is a strong lead character. She is an expert on poisonous plants. She teaches and she is asked to be an expert for police. There is a serial killer who is poisoning people by injecting them with distilled poisons from plants.
I am sure it was because I had not read earlier books in this series, I found it difficult to understand Peggy's actions. Her new husband and her son are both very concerned about her safety, and she refuses to even consider their feelings. I think in earlier stories the discussions may have already been completed. But, for this reader, I would have liked to have had a little more background to understand her adamant decision to ignore her loved ones.
The mystery was interesting, but I did get the murderer before the big reveal.
I will look for another book in the series. I think the writing is quite well done and the characters are people who hold my interest.
The expertise about plants is so fascinating, that alone would bring me back.
Peggy is a strong lead character. She is an expert on poisonous plants. She teaches and she is asked to be an expert for police. There is a serial killer who is poisoning people by injecting them with distilled poisons from plants.
I am sure it was because I had not read earlier books in this series, I found it difficult to understand Peggy's actions. Her new husband and her son are both very concerned about her safety, and she refuses to even consider their feelings. I think in earlier stories the discussions may have already been completed. But, for this reader, I would have liked to have had a little more background to understand her adamant decision to ignore her loved ones.
The mystery was interesting, but I did get the murderer before the big reveal.
I will look for another book in the series. I think the writing is quite well done and the characters are people who hold my interest.
The expertise about plants is so fascinating, that alone would bring me back.
October 18, 2013
Delightful, refreshing, enjoyable read. Now that I read book #5.5 in the series :/ I will try and go back to the beginning and hopefully what I know now will not ruin the stories...sigh
In any event, although I am not a gardener, I thoroughly enjoyed the education I received on the various plants...in this case, poisonous plants.
Peggy Lee (I wonder if the authors like the singer?)is a Professor at the local college as well as owner of The Potting Shed, a gardening shop. In this book, someone is murdering people who resemble in appearance and also have the same name as her deceased husband and her police officer son. Is it her grumpy neighbor? As it turns out, it is an ex student now policeman, and his reasoning for the murders is because he thought it was the best way to get Professor Lee back on staff at the force so they could talk about poison plants...:/ okay, that was bad...but the story and the other characters are really enjoyable.
In any event, although I am not a gardener, I thoroughly enjoyed the education I received on the various plants...in this case, poisonous plants.
Peggy Lee (I wonder if the authors like the singer?)is a Professor at the local college as well as owner of The Potting Shed, a gardening shop. In this book, someone is murdering people who resemble in appearance and also have the same name as her deceased husband and her police officer son. Is it her grumpy neighbor? As it turns out, it is an ex student now policeman, and his reasoning for the murders is because he thought it was the best way to get Professor Lee back on staff at the force so they could talk about poison plants...:/ okay, that was bad...but the story and the other characters are really enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2013
This is the novella that comes before A Thyme To Die which I reviewed here. I highly recommend reading this short Peggy Lee mystery before going for the full length because there are some things that happen in this story that you need to know in the next book. I won't tell you what, but just do it.
I have to say I was really impressed with the mystery in this novella. It is under 70 pages and wraps everything up nicely without feeling hurried, which I thought was really amazing.
Again, I found myself thinking another character did it and I was totally surprised to find out that I was wrong. That's always a pleasant surprise when it comes to mysteries.
The nature of the murders was unique too. Killing with poison from plants in alphabetical order!
Oh and I have to say, I love the grumpy neighbor, he was an absolute hoot! The picture of the perfect curmudgeon!
I have to say I was really impressed with the mystery in this novella. It is under 70 pages and wraps everything up nicely without feeling hurried, which I thought was really amazing.
Again, I found myself thinking another character did it and I was totally surprised to find out that I was wrong. That's always a pleasant surprise when it comes to mysteries.
The nature of the murders was unique too. Killing with poison from plants in alphabetical order!
Oh and I have to say, I love the grumpy neighbor, he was an absolute hoot! The picture of the perfect curmudgeon!
December 27, 2014
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
October 1, 2013
I enjoyed this little cozy. It was nice to find out what botanist-sleuth Peggy Lee was up to. With a new husband, a shop to run and giving lectures on her specialty, poisonous plants, you'd think Peggy would have enough on her plate. But a there's a serial killer at large in Charlotte who murders his victims with poisonous plants. So the police force asks her to consult on the case as it's right up her alley.
As the investigation progresses, Peggy becomes a target for the murderer.
A good quick read. Now I have to read the next one.
As the investigation progresses, Peggy becomes a target for the murderer.
A good quick read. Now I have to read the next one.
June 29, 2015
Good little story. Good mystery although it was easy to figure out (I knew who it was the second time the character entered the story). But the information about the plants, and the way they were used in the murders was quite intriguing. Lavene was able to give the reader a lot in a few words. Always impressed with people that can write a short story. Although I don't get the title since it was more plants used to kill than just Buttercups. Good job, though and I'll read more by this author. You should, too!
May 18, 2015
This is a quick, short story that doesn't disappoint! The story will quickly grab your attention and keep you turning the pages. The cast of characters are well written and likable; people you would like to spend time with. There are plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. This can be read as a stand-alone book, the authors do a superb job of giving background information on the characters so the reader won't feel lost. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series!
June 5, 2014
Buried by buttercups This cozy mystery about Peggy Lee a botanist who does a lot of experiments with plants specializing in poison plants. She teaches at an university, consult with police and co-owns a garden shop. This brings all books of the series together. Murders are occurring near her and plant poisons are being used. This is a favorite series and looking forward to read more.
May 28, 2013
A quick novella that is a very enjoyable read. Peggy Lee at her finest. She's back to investigating the deaths from poisonous plants. I love all of Joyce and Jim Lavene's books, love the small town feeling.
August 12, 2013
Spoiler alert..............
I was really quite disgusted with these authors for taking sweet, kind-hearted veterinarian and turning him into a FBI agent. Really far fetched. Otherwise, book is good.
I was really quite disgusted with these authors for taking sweet, kind-hearted veterinarian and turning him into a FBI agent. Really far fetched. Otherwise, book is good.
June 11, 2015
Excellent and interesting
I enjoyed every minute. Of reading this book. It was very informative and I would like to get a hardcopy of the info in this book...almost like an encyclopedic adventure. The general story was very good.
I enjoyed every minute. Of reading this book. It was very informative and I would like to get a hardcopy of the info in this book...almost like an encyclopedic adventure. The general story was very good.
March 30, 2013
A great little novella. Can't wait to read the new novel coming out. A Thyme to Die in April 2013.
June 15, 2013
Another interseting installment in the Peggy Lee mystery series. A killer is working his way through the alphabet, killing each victim with a different poisonous plant.
June 26, 2014
Originally published an an e-book but it now appears in print in A Thyme to Die. I've only finished this part, but not the second.
July 20, 2014
Interesting botanical mystery with interesting characters - will look forward to reading more Peggy Lee mysteries
March 19, 2015
This is a great novella with some surprises. Had me guessing the killer until the end.
May 4, 2015
Nice easy read but rather short.
It ended much to soon. Good story line but moved way to fast. Disappointed by the ending, the neighbor should have been FBI
It ended much to soon. Good story line but moved way to fast. Disappointed by the ending, the neighbor should have been FBI
May 7, 2015
This book was ok,it had an ending I didn't see coming.
May 1, 2015
Cute short cozy mystery, though somewhat predictable. Overall, an enjoyable quick read.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews