Plum Tart Iris: A Wildflowers of Bohemia Mystery

Wildflowers of Bohemia #1

by Sherrie Hansen

When Iris moves to the Czech Republic to explore her heritage, she knows she might not be accepted because she's half German, but she has no inkling she’s about to become embroiled in a plot to retake the borderlands. Tree farm owner Mikuláš is finally ready to put the past behind him. Dancing to old Bohemian folk tunes with Iris gives them both a chance to grow. But when his friends and neighbors start to die, their homes snatched up, hectare by hectare, Mikuláš knows he has to fight to save his land – and his life. A stream with a clump of plum tart iris growing on its banks. It binds them together. It tears them apart. Will the past finally flow into the future?

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2020

About the author

Sherrie Hansen just retired from her life calling - operating a Victorian Bed & Breakfast and Tea House, The Blue Belle Inn. She enjoys writing novels, quilting, playing the piano, renovating old houses and traveling. Sherrie and her husband live in Northern Iowa.

Reviews

[Ellie Midwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mikulas is still grieving the death of his wife when the news of his acquaintance’s suicide reaches him. As soon as he learns about the passed man’s will, making out his land to a German Border Society instead of his own family, Mikulas suspects that something sinister is at play. Matters get even more complicated when he meets Iris, a new girl in their quiet Czech town, and learns about her connections not only to the organization but to a man who has repeatedly tried to purchase his, Mikulas’s, land. Will the prejudice win over love? You will have to read to find out.
“Plum Tart Iris” is an enjoyable story for many reasons. It takes place in a setting that seems almost exotic to most readers; it provides a rich historical background for the present-day plot; it demonstrates how harmful prejudice can be and how it’s important to trust one’s heart over everything. A wonderful read for all fans of the genre!

[Sherrie Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I think it's wonderful, and I'm sure you'll love it, especially if you have Bohemian or German blood, or are interested in history or Eastern Europe...

[Trudie Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is just enough mystery to this book to make it intriguing without becoming annoying. I have never read any books referring to what happened in that geographical location after the war so it was educational for me. While a lot of mysteries tend to build up and build up and build up then it all happens at the end, this one sets a much better pace by things coming to light and truths being revealed throughout the story. It makes you want to keep reading instead of skipping to the end.

The author does a great job creating the characters, their background and the location. You can easily believe that these people really exist. The revealing of prejudice some hold and how they react when they find out more about Iris is believable and makes you feel sympathy for her.

I did find the story unnecessarily complicated. There are parts of the storyline around Iris’s sister, and her brother, and her uncle, and her history and her nationality. One or two of these could easily be dropped and it would put more emphasis on the more important parts. Also, some things that happen by luck or coincidence are a little too far fetched for me. But then again, this is fiction so who says it has to be completely realistic?

Overall, this is an enjoyable book and I recommend you give it a go.

[Sedona Hutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plum Tart Iris: A Wildflowers of Bohemia Mystery by Sherrie Hansen is a delightful story that is part mystery, part history, and part romance. Mikulas, a Czech tree farm owner, is being hassled to sell his land to the German’s who owned it in the past. He loves his land and doesn’t want to sell, despite a series of murders and locals inexplicably leaving deeds to a hard-core German organization after committing suicide.

Iris moves to the Czech Repulic to find the family she learned of upon her father’s death. But she’s half-German and holds deep secrets, and the fairy-tale life she created for herself slowly unravels, especially given her familial ties to the Germans who are trying to reclaim land in Loket. She meets Mikulas and they are attracted to each other despite these obstacles.

As the mystery unravels, Iris aligns with Mikulas to save the people of Loket and their land. Along their journey, Iris and Mikulas learn that their families are deeply connected which deepens their connection. But more secrets are uncovered and Mikulas must find a way to rise above the discrimination and judgment of many people in Loket. In the end, after overcoming grave obstacles, justice and love prevail.

Plum Tart Iris is a beautifully written, captivating story. It’s highly recommended for those who enjoy history, mystery, romance, and for anyone looking to read a feel-good story.

[Julie Whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder, mystery, romance and history

A thoroughly enjoyable read against the background of Czech and German historical strife. Iris has mixed heritage of Czech and German and has moved to the village her grandparents were driven from after the Second World War in misplaced retaliation for the atrocities of the Nazis. She loves the village, but fears the reaction should the villagers discover she is half German. She meets and develops a friendship with Mikulas, widowed and still in mourning. A nefarious German group operating to steal back border lands is trying to obtain Mikulas’s family property by any means possible. Could this put their lives in danger, too?
I couldn’t stop reading this delightful story and I learned something I didn’t know about Czech and German history. I highly recommend this story for lovers of history, mystery and romance.

[P.D. Alleva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable, well written murder mystery and romance. Although nothing is as it seems, which is always a hallmark of a great mystery. I enjoyed the fact that the author kept providing insight into the mystery instead of an information dump at the end of the book, which is typical of mysteries. As a reader I want to know, or at least be given little insights into the overall mystery and learn as the story develops. Plum Tart Iris delivered on this aspect with great ingenuity and excellent character depth. A page turning style of writing that wraps the reader in its talons and never lets go. Highly recommended.

[S.E. Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Full Five Stars

So much at stake here as Iris sets up a new life to find a missing sister; but if anyone discovers her true lineage then all hopes will disappear - forever. This murder, mystery, historical, romance is wonderfully set in the Czech Republic, where undertones of the Second world war are still very prevalent. Espionage, prejudice and corruption face Iris at every turn, but it is her simmering romance with Mikulas that had me on the edge of my seat rooting for them. Beautifully written, cleverly researched, skilfully put together, this charming book by Ms Hansen gets a full five stars from me.