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Cornwall and Redfern Mystery #1
Corpse Flower
2010 Unhanged Arthur Award for Best Unpublished First Crime Novel — Winner
Bliss’s life becomes anything but blissful when she encounters the world of rural pot cultivation.
From country club to trailer park …
Swindled out of a fair divorce settlement, former socialite Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall works a number of part-time jobs to pay the rent on a rundown trailer and keep her motorcycle on the road. House cleaner, yoga teacher, library assistant, cemetery groundskeeper, drudge for her agoraphobic cousin – the work never ends. But Bliss still can’t save enough money for another day in court. So, when her cousin offers her a generous fee to find a pollinating mate for his giant jungle plant, she agrees to help. How hard can it be?
That’s when she discovers that her neighbours, employers, and even her cousin are involved in a string of illegal activities – including grow-ops and suspicious deaths. Police Chief Neil Redfern’s persistent scrutiny is interfering with her goal, and Bliss suspects he himself may be up to his badge in the crimes he’s "investigating." With no one to back her up, Bliss must make a decision: she can give up on her dream, or she can start fighting dirty. Either way, she risks becoming another murder victim.
Bliss’s life becomes anything but blissful when she encounters the world of rural pot cultivation.
From country club to trailer park …
Swindled out of a fair divorce settlement, former socialite Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall works a number of part-time jobs to pay the rent on a rundown trailer and keep her motorcycle on the road. House cleaner, yoga teacher, library assistant, cemetery groundskeeper, drudge for her agoraphobic cousin – the work never ends. But Bliss still can’t save enough money for another day in court. So, when her cousin offers her a generous fee to find a pollinating mate for his giant jungle plant, she agrees to help. How hard can it be?
That’s when she discovers that her neighbours, employers, and even her cousin are involved in a string of illegal activities – including grow-ops and suspicious deaths. Police Chief Neil Redfern’s persistent scrutiny is interfering with her goal, and Bliss suspects he himself may be up to his badge in the crimes he’s "investigating." With no one to back her up, Bliss must make a decision: she can give up on her dream, or she can start fighting dirty. Either way, she risks becoming another murder victim.
408 pages, ebook
First published October 14, 2013
2 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Ferris
22 books15 followersGloria Ferris is a former procedure writer at a nuclear power plant, an exciting job to be sure, but it afforded little opportunity for plot and character development. So, she turned to fiction writing and is now the award-winning author of the humorous Cornwall & Redfern mysteries and the Blood YA urban fantasy series. She co-authored the Blair & Piermont suspense series, and occasionally will write a short story just for the heck of it. Her newest project is a “Mechanic Falls Gem Caper”, titled Worlds May Change, co-written with author Jamie Tremain, and penned under Ferris Tremain (catchy, eh?).
Gloria loves old cemeteries, and all things “skull”, managing to work one or both of these elements into her books. She once tried to write a serious book but it didn’t go well, so she abandoned that writing style and now lets her snarky humour prevail.
She lives in southwestern Ontario and is a member of the International Alliance of Independent Authors.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 19, 2013
* An ARC was provided by Dundurn Press and Edelweiss for my honest review.
CORPSE FLOWER is a refreshing entry into a stale, craft-saturated, cozy mystery field. It's protagonist, Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall, is a 32-year-old, divorced and motorcycle-riding resident of Lockport, Ontario. Once a well-dressed, well-connected socialite and married to swarmy attorney, Mike Bains (a.k.a., the Weasel), she now lives in a decrepit trailer next to a 25-year-old hooker, shops at a second hand store, and works a bunch of part-time jobs to make ends meet.
Seeking retribution from her ex is a huge motivating factor in Bliss's day-to-day existence. Bliss wants to save up enough money to force her ex to provide a better settlement than fifty acres of swamp land and the clothes on her back. Her jobs as yoga instructor, library assistant, cleaning lady and cemetery groundskeeper help her eat, pay rent, and fuel up her beloved motorcycle. But If she can sell the seven-acre Barrister estate to the mother and son who've recently seen the property and do a little paying job for her cousin, agoraphobic Dougal, then she might earn just enough money to fight the Weasel in court.
Her Saturday groundskeeping job at the Good Shepherd Cemetery brings her into contact with Julian Barnfeather, a long-time town employee of the cemetery. While Bliss works, he lounges in the cemetery shed reading questionable 'literature' and drinking to his heart's content. Bliss does her best to avoid him, since he can't let a moment in her presence go by without harassing her. So it's not until Sunday morning, when police chief, Neil Redfern, and his constable, Thea Vanderbloom, stop by her trailer to question her that she finds out about Julian's death the day before.
And it's not enough that Julian's killer is on the loose. The Weasel and his wife are doing all they can to force Bliss out of town. Bliss keeps stumbling upon marijuana plants wherever she goes. And there's definitely something weird and most likely illegal going on in her little trailer enclave of Hemp Hollow. At least she and Chief Redfern get along okay, sometimes.
I highly recommend you read CORPSE FLOWER. This Arthur Ellis Award-winning story is the first book in the Cornwall and Redfern Mystery Series and is a well-written tale chock full of action, humor, and quirky characters. Guaranteed to keep you invested in the life of the protagonist from start to satisfying end of the story, it's just the right kind of book to lighten your day or take to the beach. I totally enjoyed CORPSE FLOWER and look forward to the next book in Ms. Ferris's delightful new series.
PROTAGONIST: 32-year-old divorcee working several part-time jobs
ACTION: Three deaths, attempted deaths, a little gore
LOVE INTERESTS: Hunky, blond, chief of police
ROMANCE: Sitting on lap, short kiss
QUIRKINESS: Loads!! An agoraphobic cousin, a puffed-up mayor, a dead skunk
INTERESTING TIDBIT: Growth and care of the Titan Arum (biggest flowering plant)
FUN FACTOR: Snappy dialogue, funny situations, unusual characters
IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: The Charlie Davidson Mysteries by Darynda Jones (for mature readers), Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Vintage Magic Mysteries by Annette Blair, Mall Cop Mysteries by Laura DiSilverio, White House Gardener Mysteries by Dorothy St. James, Psychic Eye Mysteries by Victoria Laurie
CORPSE FLOWER is a refreshing entry into a stale, craft-saturated, cozy mystery field. It's protagonist, Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall, is a 32-year-old, divorced and motorcycle-riding resident of Lockport, Ontario. Once a well-dressed, well-connected socialite and married to swarmy attorney, Mike Bains (a.k.a., the Weasel), she now lives in a decrepit trailer next to a 25-year-old hooker, shops at a second hand store, and works a bunch of part-time jobs to make ends meet.
Seeking retribution from her ex is a huge motivating factor in Bliss's day-to-day existence. Bliss wants to save up enough money to force her ex to provide a better settlement than fifty acres of swamp land and the clothes on her back. Her jobs as yoga instructor, library assistant, cleaning lady and cemetery groundskeeper help her eat, pay rent, and fuel up her beloved motorcycle. But If she can sell the seven-acre Barrister estate to the mother and son who've recently seen the property and do a little paying job for her cousin, agoraphobic Dougal, then she might earn just enough money to fight the Weasel in court.
Her Saturday groundskeeping job at the Good Shepherd Cemetery brings her into contact with Julian Barnfeather, a long-time town employee of the cemetery. While Bliss works, he lounges in the cemetery shed reading questionable 'literature' and drinking to his heart's content. Bliss does her best to avoid him, since he can't let a moment in her presence go by without harassing her. So it's not until Sunday morning, when police chief, Neil Redfern, and his constable, Thea Vanderbloom, stop by her trailer to question her that she finds out about Julian's death the day before.
And it's not enough that Julian's killer is on the loose. The Weasel and his wife are doing all they can to force Bliss out of town. Bliss keeps stumbling upon marijuana plants wherever she goes. And there's definitely something weird and most likely illegal going on in her little trailer enclave of Hemp Hollow. At least she and Chief Redfern get along okay, sometimes.
I highly recommend you read CORPSE FLOWER. This Arthur Ellis Award-winning story is the first book in the Cornwall and Redfern Mystery Series and is a well-written tale chock full of action, humor, and quirky characters. Guaranteed to keep you invested in the life of the protagonist from start to satisfying end of the story, it's just the right kind of book to lighten your day or take to the beach. I totally enjoyed CORPSE FLOWER and look forward to the next book in Ms. Ferris's delightful new series.
PROTAGONIST: 32-year-old divorcee working several part-time jobs
ACTION: Three deaths, attempted deaths, a little gore
LOVE INTERESTS: Hunky, blond, chief of police
ROMANCE: Sitting on lap, short kiss
QUIRKINESS: Loads!! An agoraphobic cousin, a puffed-up mayor, a dead skunk
INTERESTING TIDBIT: Growth and care of the Titan Arum (biggest flowering plant)
FUN FACTOR: Snappy dialogue, funny situations, unusual characters
IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MAY LIKE: The Charlie Davidson Mysteries by Darynda Jones (for mature readers), Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell, Vintage Magic Mysteries by Annette Blair, Mall Cop Mysteries by Laura DiSilverio, White House Gardener Mysteries by Dorothy St. James, Psychic Eye Mysteries by Victoria Laurie
November 9, 2021
What a delightful read! I polished it off in one sitting and immediately moved to book 2. The protagonist is a plucky, stubborn and slightly crass young woman. In spite of her poverty, she is honest, hardworking and kind to a fault. I haven't laughed that hard since Kathleen Hering's Designer Mystery series. It takes a talented author to bring the humour from a page to laugh out loud enjoyment and Ms Ferris joins the rare few at top of that class.
Adding to the story - a mouthy parrot. an Amorphophallus Titanum, a coywolf, wetlands that harbour spotted turtles, a gang of drug dealers and the towns new police chief, all of which in this cleverly woven plot will have you hooked and booked until you reach the end.
Adding to the story - a mouthy parrot. an Amorphophallus Titanum, a coywolf, wetlands that harbour spotted turtles, a gang of drug dealers and the towns new police chief, all of which in this cleverly woven plot will have you hooked and booked until you reach the end.
June 14, 2014
The Good: An incredibly easy read with fun characters
The Bad: Main character Bliss isn't very smart - she didn't know a corpse flower stinks?! She couldn't guess 'Snake' role in the mystery?!? And the mystery itself was threadbare.
The Ugly: Bliss' ex husband aka The Weasel
The Bad: Main character Bliss isn't very smart - she didn't know a corpse flower stinks?! She couldn't guess 'Snake' role in the mystery?!? And the mystery itself was threadbare.
The Ugly: Bliss' ex husband aka The Weasel
March 6, 2016
Great introduction to Cornwal and Redfern. Likeable characters, believable story line and sprinkled with humour - stand by for more in Shroud of Roses!
June 27, 2017
A HOOT AND A HOLLER IN HEMP HOLLOW
If you like your crime scenes all-dressed, with loopy characters and an unreliable narrator, then get yourself to fictional Lockport, Ontario, where award-winning mystery author Gloria Ferris pulls the strings. Bliss Cornwall is in the muck—literally. Without home and funds—thanks to a greasy ex who also happens to be Lockport’s mayor—she must support herself through a series of odd jobs that ultimately pull her into a world previously unknown. An Arthur Ellis Award Winner (2010), Corpse Flower puts the magnifying glass to small-town hidden economies well before marijuana legalization was seriously considered by Canadian law makers. The result is a charming, and often hilarious look at competing agendas driven by defensible needs not necessarily steered by easy money. People die and the reasons why do not necessarily hang on Cannabis sativa or the Corpse Flower, which, as a sidebar, is thoroughly disturbing all on its own. At 402 pages (print version) CF is meaty, with plenty of characters to hang your suspicions on. From weird botanists to stoner octogenarians, alleged crooked cops and a friendly sex worker, there’s plenty to lock on to and keep you there. 5 stars.
If you like your crime scenes all-dressed, with loopy characters and an unreliable narrator, then get yourself to fictional Lockport, Ontario, where award-winning mystery author Gloria Ferris pulls the strings. Bliss Cornwall is in the muck—literally. Without home and funds—thanks to a greasy ex who also happens to be Lockport’s mayor—she must support herself through a series of odd jobs that ultimately pull her into a world previously unknown. An Arthur Ellis Award Winner (2010), Corpse Flower puts the magnifying glass to small-town hidden economies well before marijuana legalization was seriously considered by Canadian law makers. The result is a charming, and often hilarious look at competing agendas driven by defensible needs not necessarily steered by easy money. People die and the reasons why do not necessarily hang on Cannabis sativa or the Corpse Flower, which, as a sidebar, is thoroughly disturbing all on its own. At 402 pages (print version) CF is meaty, with plenty of characters to hang your suspicions on. From weird botanists to stoner octogenarians, alleged crooked cops and a friendly sex worker, there’s plenty to lock on to and keep you there. 5 stars.
January 6, 2025
Not Bad
The writing was pretty good and characters well drawn. The writing style and characterisations were energetic. The narration has a tongue-in-cheek quality that makes even the most direst of situations slightly comical.
It lacks atmosphere for me though. But then, I'm finding that true in most series of this nature now. It's hard to find a truly interesting location for a story and most series I've tried just seem to be generic small towns, no matter how much fog and rain you throw at it.
The writing was pretty good and characters well drawn. The writing style and characterisations were energetic. The narration has a tongue-in-cheek quality that makes even the most direst of situations slightly comical.
It lacks atmosphere for me though. But then, I'm finding that true in most series of this nature now. It's hard to find a truly interesting location for a story and most series I've tried just seem to be generic small towns, no matter how much fog and rain you throw at it.
February 4, 2019
I received a free copy from NetGalley. Divorced and working many jobs to try and make it, the main character takes a job from her cousin that she may not be able to finish because her boss at her weekend job ends up dead and the police are now following her around. Constant action, crazy decisions, and a lot of pot. Entertaining read.
March 21, 2024
A fun mystery-style book. Easy to get into, quick to read. I understand there are more with these characters and I'd like to read them now. 🙂
January 30, 2014
Much to my surprise, any lover of say, author Joan Hess and her Maggody series would enjoy this delightful and funny mystery. Actually, anyone who likes funny clever and difficult to figure out mysteries will most likely love this book. The characters are spectacularly quirky, acerbic and cunning. The who-done-it aspect was gratifyingly difficult to figure out. The main characters are rich, multi-layered and well written. The secondary characters are equally well written and are also a hoot to boot.
In this very small town, ex-socialite, Bliss, now divorced from the mayor who has ‘swindled’ her out of a fair divorce settlement, is doing anything and everything she can just to scrape by. She is trying to put enough cash into a fund to take her ex back to court. However, things start looking up for Bliss when her agoraphobic cousin needs her help in pollinating a rare plant. Of course, a good chunk of cash is involved. But things take a turn when Bliss realizes that people and things in her small Canadian town aren’t who and what they seem to be.
Bliss is a canny, cunning and wry character. She has seen it all, but has a little problem with assumptions, especially when it comes down to the new Chief of Police Redfern. Are sparks flying or does Redfern just suspect Bliss of nefarious doings? Is he a ‘bent’ cop or is he working an angle?
I hate to be trite, but I just could not put down this book. I had to gobble it up in one sitting just to find out what the heck was going on! It truly was fun seeing some of the characters that needed to get a kick in the butt and taken down a few pegs, get their just deserts.
I can’t wait to see if there will be a follow up book, because this would be a series I would love to keep reading. There is so much rich material in this small town and with these quirky characters.
September 11, 2014
If a book I started around supper time keeps me up 'til 4 am because I can't put it down...dat'sa Good One!
Trailer Park Boys/Girls meets Due South meets a contemporary grown up Anne of Green Gables with a mouth. Ferris uses a setting happily familiar and a domestic state unhappily familiar to this reviewer. Our heroine would balk at being called 'plucky' but resourceful and comically determined she is indeed. Then motorcycles, class prejudice, financial desperation, botanists at daggers drawn and many other ingredients all combine to create laugh out loud entertainment.
I am really NOT liking other 'cosy' authors who cram a cast of pointless hundreds to compensate for a thin plot but Ferris deftly and humourously conjures familiar character roles who are realistically down to earth, nutty and annoying as necessary throughout a plot that is appreciatively challenging without mind-numbing complexity.There's an artful insinuation of romance too.
We are in the hands of an excellent wordsmith who has a great sense of timing and unique story making. Consequently, I want more of Bliss and her bravely lived adventures. This could be a great original TV series with its strong lead characters and a vast array of potential eccentricities to explore. Any interested parties, please take note.
Some reviewers have referenced Ferris's style to Joan Hess and I would tend to agree except that Ferris is OURS and she works the peculiarities of our own beloved region in such a universal way...a hugely pleasing performance.
More please! Go Gloria go!
Trailer Park Boys/Girls meets Due South meets a contemporary grown up Anne of Green Gables with a mouth. Ferris uses a setting happily familiar and a domestic state unhappily familiar to this reviewer. Our heroine would balk at being called 'plucky' but resourceful and comically determined she is indeed. Then motorcycles, class prejudice, financial desperation, botanists at daggers drawn and many other ingredients all combine to create laugh out loud entertainment.
I am really NOT liking other 'cosy' authors who cram a cast of pointless hundreds to compensate for a thin plot but Ferris deftly and humourously conjures familiar character roles who are realistically down to earth, nutty and annoying as necessary throughout a plot that is appreciatively challenging without mind-numbing complexity.There's an artful insinuation of romance too.
We are in the hands of an excellent wordsmith who has a great sense of timing and unique story making. Consequently, I want more of Bliss and her bravely lived adventures. This could be a great original TV series with its strong lead characters and a vast array of potential eccentricities to explore. Any interested parties, please take note.
Some reviewers have referenced Ferris's style to Joan Hess and I would tend to agree except that Ferris is OURS and she works the peculiarities of our own beloved region in such a universal way...a hugely pleasing performance.
More please! Go Gloria go!
September 4, 2014
Corpse Flower was not what I had expected at all. I was expecting something gloomy and serious. I think the cover had something to do with my expectations. Instead I felt like I was reading a script from the TV show Weeds.
Bliss (I love all the character names in this book) is in a bad place. It's not her fault, she got royally screwed over by her ex-husband. Basically her main goal in life right now is to continue surviving long enough to see the "Weasel" (the aforementioned ex) get his comeuppance.
Unfortunately for her, she has to accept all sorts of odd jobs for money and the fact that her ex is the Mayor isn't helping much. These odd jobs lead to her stumbling upon a massive crime circle in her small town. When the Chief of Police keeps bumping into her near crime scenes, he starts keeping a close eye on her. Sorry, I left out the part about him being incredibly attractive. The super hot Chief of Police is keeping a close eye on her. Luckily she's too busy plotting revenge to care about that, right?
Corpse Flower is a light and enjoyable read, filled with funny characters. There is a lot of swearing in the book and the crime aspects deal with murder, drugs and prostitution. It's an adult read, but despite the grittier parts, the overall tone was humorous. You know it's all going to work out in the end.
Recommended, especially as a holiday read.
Bliss (I love all the character names in this book) is in a bad place. It's not her fault, she got royally screwed over by her ex-husband. Basically her main goal in life right now is to continue surviving long enough to see the "Weasel" (the aforementioned ex) get his comeuppance.
Unfortunately for her, she has to accept all sorts of odd jobs for money and the fact that her ex is the Mayor isn't helping much. These odd jobs lead to her stumbling upon a massive crime circle in her small town. When the Chief of Police keeps bumping into her near crime scenes, he starts keeping a close eye on her. Sorry, I left out the part about him being incredibly attractive. The super hot Chief of Police is keeping a close eye on her. Luckily she's too busy plotting revenge to care about that, right?
Corpse Flower is a light and enjoyable read, filled with funny characters. There is a lot of swearing in the book and the crime aspects deal with murder, drugs and prostitution. It's an adult read, but despite the grittier parts, the overall tone was humorous. You know it's all going to work out in the end.
Recommended, especially as a holiday read.
June 13, 2013
Received this as an ARC. Read the first chapter so far and I am intrigued.
Full review can be found at my blog.
This was a pretty good book. I was intrigued by the story, for the most part and enjoyed reading it. I will admit the part with Dougal and his plant felt like it was too big in the story for it to really not have anything to do with the overall conflict or plot. The ending of the book felt a little rushed, every thing concluded all at once, it would have been nice to see some of the resolutions spread out and not dumped all at once. I felt that the characterizations were lacking and a little two dimensional, there wasn’t a single one that I felt invested in or cared about what happened to them. I was a little surprised when Redfern mentioned a ‘thing’ between him and Bliss, I wasn’t getting any time of vibe from them. It really felt like it was thrown in just to have a romance aspect to it. It was a little unclear if this is part of a series or not, I went ahead and listed it as one but I’m not sure if it is.
February 10, 2014
Review by John Moss: Corpse Flower is a delight. Murder and skullduggery define Bliss Cornwall’s life in the small Ontario town of Lockport, but she is feisty enough to make it all seem terrifying good fun, a confection teased out with horror and humour to perfection. Irrepressibly droll, Bliss is a comic gem who tells her story of betrayal, grow-ops, flower breeding, and flirtation, with sublime effervescence. With two side-kicks, one a motorcycle and the other a hooker, and a new police chief dogging her every move like an overgrown puppy, she struggles against poverty and crime to play her part in the mating of two giant exotic flowers, in a bizarre effort to regain control of a life that hit the fan when her marriage fell apart. Bliss is like the friend we lost track of and now scramble to catch up with, whose adventures are funnier, more painful, more absurd, than our own. The author’s pleasure in writing is infectious. I look forward to reading more of her exploits with Bliss in the future.
August 9, 2015
Great new mystery series taking place in Lockport, Ontario, within three hours drive of Toronto. Features Chief of Police Neil Redfern, and Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall, who is struggling to keep body and soul together while trying to get her former husband, the lawyer whom she supported to law school and who then later divorced her, leaving her with a swamp acreage verging on Lake Huron rather than her share of their assets, to pay her a fair share of these assets. He (referred to as The Weasel) took up with her legal aid lawyer, likely while she was representing Bliss. The Weasel's new wife's father is well connected politically, which will be an advantage in the future, when he moved from being mayor of the town to larger political life. Add to the mix drugs, exotic plants, eccentric relatives and other local people, and murders, in addition to Bliss Cornwall's various ways of supporting herself and surviving her current poverty, and you have a captivating adventure. The second book, Shroud of Roses, was due to be published in July.
March 8, 2014
This was a fun read. The main character, Bliss, is refreshingly confident, if not downright cocky. And that's unique in a female protagonist. Her sarcastic and witty comments made me laugh out loud many times during my read.
The cast of characters are quirky and sometimes downright hilarious. The subplot surrounding the "plant" was actually more intriguing to me than the actual mystery that Bliss is trying to solve. Probably because it was so unique.
As a Canadian, I enjoyed the setting which is peppered with little hints that make it recognizable in a homey way. Tim Horton's, the characters' preoccupation with weather, small town gossips, an honourable man of the law, and educated people dabbling in weed, all scream Canadian.
Overall, the book was an enjoyable and satisfying read, which left a peaceful afterglow in its wake.
The cast of characters are quirky and sometimes downright hilarious. The subplot surrounding the "plant" was actually more intriguing to me than the actual mystery that Bliss is trying to solve. Probably because it was so unique.
As a Canadian, I enjoyed the setting which is peppered with little hints that make it recognizable in a homey way. Tim Horton's, the characters' preoccupation with weather, small town gossips, an honourable man of the law, and educated people dabbling in weed, all scream Canadian.
Overall, the book was an enjoyable and satisfying read, which left a peaceful afterglow in its wake.
August 18, 2015
I absolutely loved this first-in-series from Canadian mystery author, Gloria Ferris.
Corpse Flower is a fast-paced story with a satisfying mystery and a thoroughly engaging cast of characters, chief among them, Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall (her parents were wannabe hippies). I rarely read in bed because once I'm horizontal, I can't keep my eyes open, but Bliss kept me wide awake and reading two nights in a row, caught up in her sometimes nail-biting, sometimes hilarious quest. Now that I know her, Bliss ranks high on my list of all-time favourite quirky/feisty protagonists. (And the abrasive but hunky local Chief of Police, Neil Redfern, makes a perfect foil.)
So glad to see there's a second Cornwall and Redfern book already available. I hope the author is hard at work on more - this is definitely another series for my must read list!
Corpse Flower is a fast-paced story with a satisfying mystery and a thoroughly engaging cast of characters, chief among them, Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall (her parents were wannabe hippies). I rarely read in bed because once I'm horizontal, I can't keep my eyes open, but Bliss kept me wide awake and reading two nights in a row, caught up in her sometimes nail-biting, sometimes hilarious quest. Now that I know her, Bliss ranks high on my list of all-time favourite quirky/feisty protagonists. (And the abrasive but hunky local Chief of Police, Neil Redfern, makes a perfect foil.)
So glad to see there's a second Cornwall and Redfern book already available. I hope the author is hard at work on more - this is definitely another series for my must read list!
January 2, 2014
Full review here.
Corpse Flower is of the mystery genre, but it is also so much more. I’d like to think of it as an all-encompassing story with a murder, mystery and intrigue, humor and quirk, and even a little bit of romance. Ferris builds up a stellar cast of characters to carry forward the series. Bliss is very likeable and quite the underdog – so I was totally invested in her life, and I can’t wait to read more about her and Redfern.
An absolute treat to read, this one is highly recommended.
Corpse Flower is of the mystery genre, but it is also so much more. I’d like to think of it as an all-encompassing story with a murder, mystery and intrigue, humor and quirk, and even a little bit of romance. Ferris builds up a stellar cast of characters to carry forward the series. Bliss is very likeable and quite the underdog – so I was totally invested in her life, and I can’t wait to read more about her and Redfern.
An absolute treat to read, this one is highly recommended.
July 18, 2014
Ex-socialite Bliss Cornwall is divorced from the mayor who gave her a lousy divorce settlement, is just barely making it. So she decides to save up enough money to take her ex back to court.
This is a delightful and funny cozy mystery. The plot is well written and the characters were fun and real. I hope this becomes a series,it is also a attention grabber and holder.
***I received this book in exchange for an honest review***
This is a delightful and funny cozy mystery. The plot is well written and the characters were fun and real. I hope this becomes a series,it is also a attention grabber and holder.
***I received this book in exchange for an honest review***
January 26, 2016
Corpse Flower was a fun read. I enjoyed the mystery and the integration of the actual corpse flower into the plot. The story moved along and had some fun twists and turns with some great subplots.
I liked the characters and the interaction between Bliss and Neil, though I did find Bliss a bit annoying at times, like I wanted to shake her. The supporting characters were great and added a lot of depth to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and am anxious to find book 2 in the series.
I liked the characters and the interaction between Bliss and Neil, though I did find Bliss a bit annoying at times, like I wanted to shake her. The supporting characters were great and added a lot of depth to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and am anxious to find book 2 in the series.
April 25, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced novel. It is full of quirky characters with a strong female protagonist, action packed and very well written. It is a true page turner. Can't wait for the next book.
January 1, 2017
Really cute. Bliss Moonbeam, Chief Redfern and Rae, the blonde Hooker friend with a purple home.
It was an interesting story though. Hopefully Rae gets her spa in the next story!
Or maybe they will all be in the flower business! I am interested in reading the second book!
It was an interesting story though. Hopefully Rae gets her spa in the next story!
Or maybe they will all be in the flower business! I am interested in reading the second book!
February 25, 2013
Fun, quirky and intriguing.
February 14, 2014
Quick read. I enjoyed it
Read
June 3, 2014loved this fast paced comic thriller.
January 27, 2015
Cosy winter read. Canadian mystery with funny characters.
September 12, 2015
Amusing, but also annoying. The main character Bliss seemed so unaware and out of it at times I wanted to scream at her.
August 16, 2016
Really enjoyed this. Love Bliss' character.
March 25, 2017
Ok , there was a few things that caught my eye for this book. I haven't read a mystery novel is so long and figured that the title gave me enough to see what the book was about. The main reason I picked it up was for the humour. I was intrigued to see how a mystery novel could be funny, well there were a few laugh out loud moments and ended up finding myself really enjoying the book.
I did find the ending a little "rushed" , and I hated the weasel ( which I am sure was the point) the main character was fantastic.
When an author can make you love and hate characters and must find out what happened to me , that is a good book.
I did find the ending a little "rushed" , and I hated the weasel ( which I am sure was the point) the main character was fantastic.
When an author can make you love and hate characters and must find out what happened to me , that is a good book.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews