NIGHTBLOOMS AND A BURIAL: A POPPY JAMES COZY MYSTERY

by Gemma Harper

A hidden garden. A whispered warning. And one too-curious café owner digging into secrets that were meant to stay buried.

When Poppy James, owner of Willowbrook’s beloved café Perk & Page, discovers a cryptic note in her tip jar and a forgotten seed packet labeled “Moonshade,” she chalks it up to a prank—until local florist Ivy Barrett collapses under suspicious circumstances. With her beagle sidekick Midsip sniffing out clues and her glitter-loving best friend Nadine at her side, Poppy finds herself drawn into a mystery woven through the town’s gardens, gossip, and ghostly history.

As whispers of a long-dormant group called the Gardener’s Circle resurface, Poppy uncovers ritualistic ledgers, burned invitations, and a symbol she’s seen once before—in her grandmother’s attic. Ivy’s sister Laurel and the town historian Theo both seem to know more than they’re saying, but their evasions only deepen the mystery.

Someone in Willowbrook has secrets planted deep—and they’ll do anything to keep them from blooming.

If Poppy can’t untangle the roots in time, the truth might be pruned before it ever blooms!

164 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2025

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poppy James becomes involved in a Willowbrook mystery she finds her florist friend Ivy slumped on the floor of her shop. Following Ivy’s journal and clues, Poppy is determined to finish Ivy’s journey and discover the secrets that the town’s garden holds.

This book was not what I expected. It started out as a serious-minded cozy mystery when Ivy mysteriously collapses. However, as the story moves on, it delves into paranormal/fantasy as Poppy investigates. Honestly, this book was not my cup of tea. However, I feel that the story was well written and readers of this type of book would enjoy Harper’s tale.

*This book was gifted to me and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy James owns the delightful cafe, Perk & Page in Whirlowbrook . On finding a cryptic note “By Moonlight, We Remember.” as well as a seed for a night bloom called Moonshade well she’s got to thinking that it must be a prank and dismissing it out of hand …that is until the local florist Ivy Barrett doth collapse in suspicious circumstances. On entering Lavender & Thyme the sleuths discover her. Now’s the time for quick stanzas to recite so she can remember everything right …well that’s what I would do when writing down each clue anyway . … so with her friend Nadine and Beagle Midsip she tries to uncover the mischief maker and deadly force. She would garner that the florist would be able to help out but now maybe they need a gardener to find out about these blooms … Is it evil doing ,sinister things keep arising so it’s not surprising that they’re spooked .With her friend by her side she’s unveiling secrets that they’ve tried to hide . Even Ivy’s own sister Laurel and Theo the town’s historian seem to be hiding the truth . Cor strewth what’s a sleuth have to do to catch a break? It’s familiar symbols that spell things close to home . But what’s it all mean ? This mystery is threaded throughout with secrets and lies . But Polly is up to task even if she’s met with her demise. Misadventure and a surprise or two is awaiting Polly and her crew . Digging through the root of the problem is what she and her motley crew must do. Following her story is great . The storyline is divine You’re sure to have a good time reading as did I . Great immersive mystery book ,you will not want to put down. Believe me I did try to sleep but it passed me by because I had to keep reading this book . See for yourself ,go take a look . It’s compelling in its storytelling style that emits a smile . That is very worthwhile in my book Gemma Harper . I loved your book no end . Didn’t want it to end ! So I’m up to read at speed your next book . In fact I’m going to look your other books now.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

NightBlooms and a Burial marks the first installment in Gemma Harper’s A Poppy James Cozy Mystery series. Numerous secrets concealed within Willowbrook are poised for revelation in NightBlooms and a Burial. This tale is packed with unexpected twists and turns that maintain a steady flow of intrigue.

As Poppy investigates the town’s hidden realities, she uncovers a tangled web of mysteries that tests her perceptions of those she believed she knew. Every hint draws her closer to uncovering Willowbrook’s shadowy history, yet it also jeopardizes her safety.

It’s a captivating story that immersed me in its world right from the start. NightBlooms and a Burial begins with intensity and only grows more thrilling as I hurried toward the conclusion, eager for each revelation as Poppy James dives into her signature investigation, solving Ivy’s puzzling collapse.

Hints and clues start to surface at Poppy’s café, Perk & Page, as well as other locations linked to Ivy’s accident. The deeper Poppy probes, the more intricate the mystery becomes. The tension kept me glued to my chair as I tried to help Poppy uncover the truths hidden within Willowbrook and the reasons behind the reluctance to reveal them.

I am eager to explore more adventures in the Poppy James Cozy Mystery series. I look forward to the mysteries that Poppy, Midsip, and Nadine will unravel in the upcoming book.

I highly recommend all cozy mystery fans grab a copy of NightBlooms and a Burial today!

[Rachel Boyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. It starts off interesting when a local business owner is found unconscious in her shop. Poppy finds her and begins investigating, leading to an entire mystery filled with secrets, a past event, and decades of covering things up. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me; it read like I was watching a movie and the character interactions just felt like they were missing depth. Honestly, the book feels like it was artificially written. There was also several pages that were an exact copy of previous pages, so the editing wasn't great. I couldn't find any presence of the author to reach out and let them know, which also makes me question if this is artificial. There were a few things that never really were answered so the mystery wasn't neatly wrapped up. Also the item found at the beginning of the story felt like it would be important but was basically not mentioned until the very end. And quite unbelievable that Poppy wouldn't recognize a photo of her own grandmother, who she clearly knew. Poppy and Theo were briefly mentioned to be interested in each other, but another story line dropped and forgotten. The idea for the book was actually interesting, unfortunately just not well told. I did receive an advanced copy of the book and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Maureen Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has all the elements we expect from a cozy mystery - whispered warnings, old, long buried secrets and a cast of eccentric characters. The protagonist is Poppy James, a curious café owner who delves into secrets that were meant to stay buried. When local florist Ivy Barrett mysteriously collapses at her workplace, Poppy and her friends Nadine and Theo, along with her faithful companion Midsip, undertake to solve the crime and unearth the secrets that have hung over the township for generations.

As whispers of a long-dormant group called the Gardener’s Circle surface, Poppy uncovers ritualistic documents with hidden meanings and a symbol she recognises from her grandmother’s home.

Gemma Harper has written an entertaining page-turner, with all the expected twists and turns a reader expects from this genre. The characters in the story are interesting and well described. I would recommend the book to all readers who enjoy light-hearted cozy mysteries. I do consider that the impact of the story was spoiled by unnecessary repetition. I have rated the book three stars out of five, my rating would have been higher if this had been addressed during editing. Thanks to BookSirens for the advance copy.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grabbed from the beginning, you are taken through a very twisted mystery you just can't put down. When Poppy gets a cryptic clue and a packet of seeds in her tip jar at her café, Perk & Page and then when local florist Ivy Barrett collapses, things start to go strange. Willowbrook is not the Willowbrook Poppy thought it was. So Poppy, her very smart clue finding dog, Midsip and her best friend, Nadine investigate. Finding strange symbols, strange ledgers, a dormant garden group starting up again and so many secrets that need to be uncovered to solve the crime. WOW! We are taken on a roller coaster ride through so many twists and turns you just can't put this fast moving story down. I totally recommend this book. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here is strictly my own.

[Chere Gruver · Rating 4 out of 5]

So what happened to Ivy?

Our story deals with Poppy, her dog Midsip, and her friends as they try to figure out exactly what happened to their friend Ivy. After finding a packet of seeds with Ivy’s handwriting on them, Poppy goes to Ivy’s store, to find her friend collapsed on the ground. So of course, Poppy has to figure out what happened to Ivy. The plot moves right along, the characters are all engaging and I adore Midsip with his clue finding ways.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poppy James, owner of Willowbrook’s beloved café Perk & Page, discovers a cryptic note in her tip jar and a forgotten seed packet labeled “Moonshade,” she chalks it up to a prank. Local florist Ivy Barrett collapses under suspicious circumstances. With her beagle sidekick Midsip sniffing out clues and her glitter-loving best friend Nadine at her side, Poppy finds herself drawn into a mystery. This is a good paranormal mystery. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nightblooms and a Burial is Book 1 in A Poppy James Cozy Mystery by Gemma Harper. I enjoy reading mysteries as well as small town stories. This wonderful story mixes both and the author pulls in seeds/flowers. Poppy owns a coffee cafe and she finds an odd note in the tip jar. Florets Ivy collapsed and the Gardener 's Circle has some interesting revelations. I believe that this is a mystery everyone will enjoy. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Valeri Sullivan (vsulvn29) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ominous beagle behavior. That’s usually a sign.’

Unless this one goes through a major editing/rewrite, skip it. I was hopeful when I started reading. The premise sounded intriguing, but in the end the execution left me completely disappointed. From introducing the same character twice, several chapters apart (Laurel) to a barely decipherable trail of ‘clues’ to a historically rewritten ‘accident’ from decades before by someone not alive yet...that lead to a very unrealistic arrest...

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first installment in a Poppy James Cozy Mystery series, well-written with interesting characters as well as a lot of twists and turns. It is a paranormal story with a loyal sidekick who is a dog named Midsip. I enjoyed reading this book. I received a copy of the book and this is my honest review.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Poppy James Cozy Mystery by Gemma Harper begins with Poppy James discovering a mysterious note in her tip jar, just before the local florist is found unconscious under strange circumstances. Poppy soon suspects that the incident is connected to a long-dormant group that may have become active again.

The story is intriguing, with a solid premise and an engaging setup. However, there are moments when details are repeated within just a few pages, which slightly disrupts the pacing. Despite some editing issues, the mystery itself remains compelling and holds the reader’s interest throughout.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lizzie J Barron Cantu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. The premise seems right up my alley Ivy passes out behind the counter, and poppy and misfit start investigating what is going on from secret societies to flowers in their meaning. I did not quite understand the meaning of the flowers in the connection with Ivy in a secret society. I was really hoping I would like the story well enough to continue the series

[M Newby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paranormal mystery

Mystery, strange hidden clue .Friends following the strange clues . interesting but paranormal happening st end . annoy satisfying to.me but I don't like hauntings

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting mystery story with great characters and enough suspense to keep you intrigued to the end. I enjoyed this read and recommend this book to other readers.

[Anita Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant enough cozy mystery, but edited poorly, which detracted from the pleasure of the book