Secrets of Wildflower Island

Wildflower Mystery #1

by Michelle Files, Cecily Brookes (Editor)

When 4 teenage girls discover a body, badly beaten, a nice day at the beach goes horribly wrong.

As they embark on a quest to solve the murder, they find themselves as the main suspects. The girls quickly turn on each other as they are blackmailed by an unknown person and harassed by residents of the small island they live on.

Who killed the boy? Will the girls be next? This mesmerizing mystery, suspense novel will have you guessing until the end.

Teens and Adults alike will enjoy this mystery series. Get your copy today!

2nd Edition - May 2020 - This novel has been thoroughly updated and edited, including some bonus content. The 4 book Wildflower Mystery Secrets of Wildflower Island Desperation on Wildflower Island Storm on Wildflower Island Thorns on Wildflower Island

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Crime

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2017

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I had known this book was meant to be read by 10 year old girls, I never would have picked this up. I do enjoy books for young adults, but I expect the writing to be decent, the characters thoughts and actions to be consistent with how they've been portrayed, and a closing more that a few paragraphs long. This could have been so much better - the book needs an editor to tighten up the writing. Based on the ratings others have given this story, I am in the minority.

[Cat · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear God. I don't think I've ever hate-read something before. This story definitely needed another run past the editor. Way too much detail on characters that had nothing to do with the core mystery, too many side plots, and the prose was almost painful to read at times. I got it because I thought the mystery was interesting, especially for a couple of bucks. Now that I've struggled through it, I feel overcharged. Once I found out whodunit, I almost closed the book with ten pages left

[Chanele · Rating 1 out of 5]

YA fiction can be exceptional, transcending age and appealing to readers of many generations. This book is not that. First, it is unclear who the audience is for this book. The writing feels not only as if it was intended for middle school girls, but actually reads as if it was written by a middle school girl. Yet, at the same time, the subject matter and some themes and language are inappropriate for a 13-year-old.

The story is clunky at best, often not making a great deal of sense and lacking closure of important themes. It is made even worse by the poorly-crafted prose, which is probably a polite description. It reminded me quite a bit of a story I wrote at age 14 on notebook paper and stuck in a folder to be found years later alongside old yearbooks. I get a kick out of reading that now, with its attempt to sound precocious falling fall short of the mark. Yet, this comparable mess was published. And, even more astonishingly - there are sequels! Plus, there was an added “bonus” of numerous errors that got through the shoddy editing process.

I can’t recommend this to anyone - adult readers will not appreciate the horrible writing quality and Swiss cheese plot, and the latter half of the book is largely inappropriate for pre-teens.

[Thelma Hornsby Brinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love cozy mysteries but I did not enjoy this book. It is more geared to younger readers and I found it to be loaded with the silliness of the teen girls and the stupid way they reacted to the situation. I almost didn't finish it but I don't feel that is right. I would not recommend this to mature adults.

[Angie Barrile · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just not interesting at all and seemed juvenile in the way it was written.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

.

[Breanda Graddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting read

Gave this book 5 stars because I was hooked from the first page. Would recommend it to others. Thank you

[Phyllis H. Pajka · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a good book. It kept you interested and waiting to see what happened next. The ending was a total surprise to me but I'm not telling. Give it a try, I think you'll like it.

[Casey Timmerman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Editing Required

The first red flag for me was within 5 pages the main characters dad (so father of 15 year old girls) is checking out a 16 year old waitress' "curves" as she walks away. Never mind that she's his employee and some runaway he's taken in. Instantly creepy but we're supposed to believe drunk dad is a good guy.

This book had a decent enough story to start. However, the actual writing is immature with repetitive details. It needs a thorough editing. In addition, there are characters and scenes that add nothing to the story at all. They're filler that don't add to the story or characters' development. The climax happens approx 10 pages from the end and then it's just over? There is no true resolution. I had hoped this book would improve as I went but it did not.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great whodunit story

When Alex is found dead at the beach there are a multitude of suspects. The story is a good mystery which keeps you guessing. It is also a good Young Adult book which teaches honesty and the importance of it.

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This read as the writing of an unpolished author. Characters were flat, readers were told far more than they were shown, and although there was some mystery that was interesting, the poor quality of the writing distracted from it.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected ending

So in my mind I had a different killer the whole time. Honestly the book was good and kept me reading. I didn't see the ending coming which I love! I enjoy figuring out who did it but I also love when I don't.

[Susan Drago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Summer Read

Good book for the teen audience. Characters weren't very well-developed, which did add to the "mystery". Writing was ok, as was the editing, and I did finish the book to see "whodunit." Just not my my cup of tea.

[Vickie Bullock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well! I didn't figure it out! Great Book.

Going to get next in this series, right now. Great writing, the Characters well defined.
Read this book!. Will read more of this Writers work!

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets of Wildflower Island by Michelle Files is the first book in the Wildflower Mystery series. The story opens with the Carmichael family, Tim, Roxanne and their 15-year-old twin daughters, Mary and Piper, as they sit down for a family meeting. They own the Wildflower Inn and Café on the island off the coast of California. Tim and Roxanne have employed girls who need a place to stay after leaving a bad home situation or after getting in trouble with the law. The locals affectionally call these girls, “The Wildflowers” and the current girls, Frankie and Anna, are working well with the family and the community. Suddenly everything goes wrong after an earthquake and tidal wave which wreaks havoc on the island and in the aftermath and clean up, the body of a teenage boy is found. Soon accusations are flying, and fingers are pointing at the less than reputable individuals in the community. Will the killer be found? Will the residents be able to restore their once peaceful and beautiful community?
Secrets of Wildflower Island is a fast-paced mystery will no clear clue as who the killer is and the reader will be kept guessing until the very end! It has an abrupt ending but since this book is the first in the series, I assume the aftermath of this case will continue in the next book along with a new mystery. The main characters are the teenage girls at the center of the case and each one has a secret to hide. I enjoyed each character and the tension and fights between the girls feel very realistic. I could easily imagine these girls in a real high school or community somewhere. I highly recommend Secrets of Wildflower Island and I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

Secrets of Wildflower Island
is available in paperback and eBook

[Vanessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

RAGE READ

You know when you are compelled to finish something because it is just so bad you can't tear yourself away. Yeah, that's this book.

I needed an F to finish a spell challenge. That sums up this book: GRADE F.
I could write a comprehensive treatise on all that is wrong here that would be longer than the book itself.

Some of the lower points to consider:

*Ped-o drunk father figure who shouldn't be around these teenage girls
*Tsunami hits the island and we are somewhere on a mysterious continuum between "bodies are everywhere" and some broken glass and people just going about their business. And a body is found in a hotel room, but the teenage girl is too tired to let anyone know...
*Completely random subplots and character introductions that have nothing to do with anything
*Not a single adult character with any redeeming qualities: mom, dad, Sheriff, stepfather, public defender, bartender - they are all a freakin' disaster.
*HATED the scene that reveals the killer but doesn't reveal the killer by referring to "them" and "the person on the landing" and "the killer" while someone is having a conversation with them. Stop cheating.
*Ridonculous ending - but hey, can I have a swig of vodka, too, Killer? I think I've earned it by now.

Don't even get me started on the writing quality. This is NOT a YA novel as some have suggested; it is just the sophomoric writing that makes you think that.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good mystery that is perfect for the YA crowd, but can be enjoyed by adults too!

4 teenager girls discover the body of a badly beaten boy on the beach, but before they can get help an earthquake hits causing everyone to run for cover. Since the body turns up missing, the plan is to never tell a sole of what they saw.

Thus starts an adventure the girls never signed up for. The body turns up days later and the coroner determines the injuries sustained were not from the storm. Who killed Alex and why? Past secrets emerge and soon the girls are turning against each other.

The author was able to get into the minds and personalities of the teens which reflected in the writing. I liked that she was able to convey that a secret never remains a secret, especially with teenaged girls. There was a lot of misadventures, misunderstandings, finger pointing, and a totally unexpected ending.

[Brooke || FindingMyFavoriteBook · Rating 3 out of 5]

GENRE: Young Adult | Mystery | Suspense/Thriller

SETTING: Wildflower Island off the coast of California

PLOT: Four teen girls stumble upon a dead body on the beach. But who killed him? Nearly everyone around has a motive...

OPINION: This was a quick and easy read (150-ish pages), but kept my attention. Definitely written for the young adult audience, but enjoyed by me too (a 30-something adult!). It kept me guessing on who the killer would be - and like all well written mysteries, I didn’t pick the killer. It got a little weird at the end - like everything just happened to fall in to place at exactly the right time - but still entertaining.

[Diane Lomuscio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great beach feel

Michelle Files does a really great job giving the reader the feel of a small beach community. She introduces you the young people populating this community in a way that you feel their ups & downs. The story has just enough intrigue to maintain your interest without being overblown. The reason for four rather than five stars is that I feel that the adult characters are presented in a very one dimensional way. I enjoyed the book & recommend that you read it. I hope you do & let me know what you think.
NickTheMoose

[Sheila Kviz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting story on a usually sleepy island.

Usually Wildflower Islands biggest crime is public intoxication. The police deal gently with the drunks to keep the tourists happy. In this story there is a kidnapping, a murder, an earthquake and a tsunami that causes 27 deaths. Adding to the drama are teenagers keeping secrets and adults who seem to make decisions worthy of teenagers. All in all a fun and exciting story easily read in an evening.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book on HG in exchange for an honest review. A great mystery full of twists that keeps you wondering and guessing on the killer. 4 girls find a dead body of a boy they know while walking on the beach away from a party. Then before anything else can happen, a natural disaster comes that can hide what they found but not for long. A very interesting read.

[Kelly_reads_books22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four girls, one dead body and one natural disaster. When the dust settles, someone is going to have to answer for what happened.

While I gave this 3 stars, I didn't really care for this book. The writing style wasn't my fave. The story itself was fine but there wasn't nothing shocking or twisted that seemed to happen. This book was average at best.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death with a twist

Four teenage girls are trapped in a whodunit after they find a boy badly beaten on the beach right before an earthquake. All the girls are under suspicion after the story gets out to the small town. When they turn on each other had things start happening.
A great tale for adults and teens alike.

[Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Gotta Read!

Teenagers living in a tough world. Yes, but they are just teenagers. Yes, there is some killing, some very strong friendships, but...
Yup, ya gotta read it, change your mind several times, and you get the last link. I wish you better luck than I in identifying the culprit.

[Murrel Lowry · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the great things about reading is the fact that you have a plethora of new to you authors to choose from. Just finished one from Michelle Files and I was impressed. She did what she needed to do and kept me turning the pages of her book. Good characterization, good plot and kept me guessing whodunit. My thanks to this author and now I’ll look for more of her works.

[Irene · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book wasn't listed as a young adult or teen book when I read the preview of this book . I felt like I just wanted to get to the end of the lifeless plot as an adult reader. Worst book I've read so far this year

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of a series set on Wildflower Island. Teenagers are suspected of another teenager's brutal death. The writing isn't as accomplished as others, mostly perfunctory. The plotting is good, characters are not fleshed out really well, but you do get a sense of their basic personalities.

[Joanne Porter Speiser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wildflower

I felt it dragged on a bit. Also, the likely hood of no one suspecting Olivia and her not making any mistakes leading to her as to the murder of Alex is a bit of a stretch.
I would not recommend it!

[michael frye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wildflower Mystery

Very clean book, no cussing or sex. This is book 1; I will definitely read more by this author. Only problem was the ending. It ended suddenly, perhaps to get readers to buy book 1.

[Rose Wubker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

Secrets ovErflowed Island is a good read. The storyline kept me intrigued as to what was goingon. I. The reason for only three stars as there were a few pieces of the puzzle that were clearly red bearings but we're not explained clearly away.