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A Flower House Mystery #2
Petals and Poison: A Flower House Mystery
Petals and Poison is the second in a colorful cozy mystery series from Jess Dylan, set in a flower shop with a knack for attracting trouble as well as customers…
“Like her protagonist Sierra, Jess Dylan has manifested a charming cozy with humor, folksy dialogue, Southern charm, and a page-turning mystery.” –Peg Cochran, USA Today Bestselling Author
Sierra Ravenswood has embraced her role as owner of Flower House floral shop and companion to her former boss's pet, Gus the Corgi. Sierra’s team are enjoying their new jobs too. At least until everyone realizes their lack of experience might be contributing to their lack of customers . . .
Sierra decides they need a change in luck, so she creates a special window display featuring lucky bamboo and auspicious flowers. It seems the new arrangement has worked when the shop is flooded with customers the next day, including a van full of college students on a horticulture club field trip. Unfortunately, Sierra doesn't notice that the students’ distracted professor has gone missing until Gus's urgent barking leads her to the storeroom – and the body of the unfortunate professor.
With folks now referring to Flower House as “Poison House” and suspects galore, Sierra fears her new business is doomed before it has a chance to get off the ground. Determined to reverse course and see justice served, she sets out to solve the crime and change her luck once more.
The Flower House is no place for shrinking violets .
“Like her protagonist Sierra, Jess Dylan has manifested a charming cozy with humor, folksy dialogue, Southern charm, and a page-turning mystery.” –Peg Cochran, USA Today Bestselling Author
Sierra Ravenswood has embraced her role as owner of Flower House floral shop and companion to her former boss's pet, Gus the Corgi. Sierra’s team are enjoying their new jobs too. At least until everyone realizes their lack of experience might be contributing to their lack of customers . . .
Sierra decides they need a change in luck, so she creates a special window display featuring lucky bamboo and auspicious flowers. It seems the new arrangement has worked when the shop is flooded with customers the next day, including a van full of college students on a horticulture club field trip. Unfortunately, Sierra doesn't notice that the students’ distracted professor has gone missing until Gus's urgent barking leads her to the storeroom – and the body of the unfortunate professor.
With folks now referring to Flower House as “Poison House” and suspects galore, Sierra fears her new business is doomed before it has a chance to get off the ground. Determined to reverse course and see justice served, she sets out to solve the crime and change her luck once more.
The Flower House is no place for shrinking violets .
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 30, 2021
10 people are currently reading
2579 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 5, 2022
Petals & Poison by Jess Dylan is a 2021 St. Martin’s Press publication.
Sierra is about to open a little café as an extension to the flower shop, but things once again go awry when a college professor and a group of students descend on the Flower shop to observe the orchids.
Apparently, this was an annual excursion for the university students, but Felix, the previous owner of the shop, failed to pass that information along to Sierra, who is caught completely off guard. The interesting thing though is that Cal knows the professor and the two were not friends. This puts Cal directly at the top or the list of suspects when the professor is found murdered in the flower shop storeroom…
The first book in this series didn’t wow me- but showed enough promise I decided to give the series a fair shake and see how it proceeded once we got the premise established and the characters introduced. Unfortunately, for me this follow up didn’t improve over its predecessor. The outline is there, the story is structured and there isn’t really anything wrong the execution, but the plot and the characters are just really bland, with the exception of Gus, the Corgi.
While the series seems to be well-received overall, I’m not making a connection with it- so I’m going to stop here with this one. I do hope the author's success with the series continues- it just wasn’t for me.
Sierra is about to open a little café as an extension to the flower shop, but things once again go awry when a college professor and a group of students descend on the Flower shop to observe the orchids.
Apparently, this was an annual excursion for the university students, but Felix, the previous owner of the shop, failed to pass that information along to Sierra, who is caught completely off guard. The interesting thing though is that Cal knows the professor and the two were not friends. This puts Cal directly at the top or the list of suspects when the professor is found murdered in the flower shop storeroom…
The first book in this series didn’t wow me- but showed enough promise I decided to give the series a fair shake and see how it proceeded once we got the premise established and the characters introduced. Unfortunately, for me this follow up didn’t improve over its predecessor. The outline is there, the story is structured and there isn’t really anything wrong the execution, but the plot and the characters are just really bland, with the exception of Gus, the Corgi.
While the series seems to be well-received overall, I’m not making a connection with it- so I’m going to stop here with this one. I do hope the author's success with the series continues- it just wasn’t for me.
January 1, 2022
4.5 stars
A wonderful addition to the series.
A wonderful addition to the series.
November 30, 2021
Sierra Ravenswood is busy running the Flower House, a floral shop and preparing for the opening of the new café. The café will serve food with edible flowers and plants. Raven is surprised when a van pulls up outside the shop. Professor Lowry and a few of his students invade the shop for a tour of the orchid greenhouse which had been arranged with Felix before his departure (and he failed to tell Sierra). The group is quite rowdy and wreaks havoc in the shop. When things calm down, Sierra finds Professor Lowry dead in the storeroom. There is no shortage of suspects including Calvin, Sierra’s employee and potential romantic partner. With the police focused on Calvin, Sierra dons her sleuthing cap once again. She works on questioning suspects and digging up clues. Someone, though, is not happy with her sleuthing and attempts to stop her. Can Sierra expose the killer before Calvin gets arrested or she becomes the next victim? Petals and Poison by Jess Dylan is the 2nd A Flower House Mystery. Petals and Poison can be read as a standalone if you have not indulged in Death in Bloom. Petals and Poison contains good writing and developed characters. Sierra, Denna, Calvin, Granny, Rocky, and Sierra’s parents are some of the residents in this southern town. I like Sierra’s upbeat attitude and her plans for the business. Granny is a fun character with her superstitions and folklore. There are a couple of quirky characters included which is natural in any small southern town. I like the setting of Aerieville, Tennessee. It is the type of town where you can relax on your front porch with a glass of sweet tea and chat with your neighbors as they go by. The mystery was well-plotted with a variety of suspects and good clues. I like that Sierra actively investigated with help from her friends. I was able to identify the guilty party early in the story, but I did not know why. I thought the why was unique for a cozy mystery and it tied in nicely with the theme of the series. The café with edible flowers and plants was a clever idea. It was interesting learning more about edible plants. I could have done with less romance in the book. Sierra is interested in Calvin, and I thought it took up too much of the book. Denna and Rocky have a budding relationship as well. I do not mind some romance as long as the focus is on the mystery. Petals and Poison is a lighthearted Southern cozy mystery with edible eats, a perished professor, sweet tea, cavorting college students, puzzling poppies, and romantic endeavors.
May 20, 2022
It's May, which means the Cozy Mystery book club has moved on to the second book in the Flower House series, Petals and Poison. Sierra is finally assimilating to her new role as the owner of The Flower House and is making it her own by designing a lucky plant display in the front window and a cheerful new cafe. Business is still slow, so the excitement when a van full of college kids and their professor pulls up quickly turns to dismay when the professor is found dead in the storeroom and Sierra and her employees are thrust into the middle of a new investigation.
There was the main plot of the dead professor (who was up to no good, so there were plenty of suspects...well, there was a pool of people suspected, but I only had 2 suspects.) The side plot concerning Wanda's behavior I did enjoy, I felt like I got to know Wanda better than the other characters.
While I enjoyed the plot and I love Sierra and her friends, this one had a slower pace, and in some places, fumbled along blindly until the ending that wrapped everything up a bit too quickly and not entirely satisfactorily, in my opinion. As this is only the second book written by the author, I'm willing to overlook it as a new author perfecting their craft, but I'm hoping to see the plots get tighter and more character development going forward, especially if it's used to further the plot in place of the many misery porn events in the first 2 books. Oh dear, Sierra got locked in a closet again? That's the third time this week *yawn* Sierra, get it together girl.
Rating this one is a bit tricky for me; on one hand, the characters (especially Gus the Corgi) are definitely worth 4 stars, but I'd give the plot only 3 stars, so I'll round it all up to 4 overall, but this would easily be a 5 star read with a little finagling.
There was the main plot of the dead professor (who was up to no good, so there were plenty of suspects...well, there was a pool of people suspected, but I only had 2 suspects.) The side plot concerning Wanda's behavior I did enjoy, I felt like I got to know Wanda better than the other characters.
While I enjoyed the plot and I love Sierra and her friends, this one had a slower pace, and in some places, fumbled along blindly until the ending that wrapped everything up a bit too quickly and not entirely satisfactorily, in my opinion. As this is only the second book written by the author, I'm willing to overlook it as a new author perfecting their craft, but I'm hoping to see the plots get tighter and more character development going forward, especially if it's used to further the plot in place of the many misery porn events in the first 2 books. Oh dear, Sierra got locked in a closet again? That's the third time this week *yawn* Sierra, get it together girl.
Rating this one is a bit tricky for me; on one hand, the characters (especially Gus the Corgi) are definitely worth 4 stars, but I'd give the plot only 3 stars, so I'll round it all up to 4 overall, but this would easily be a 5 star read with a little finagling.
March 17, 2022
I made a joke to my husband while reading Petals and Poisons that I'm quite capable of cozying up to a mystery now and again, but I really wish a ghost (or something) would show up. I am much more a fantasy reader than a cozy mystery reader. But I entered into Petals and Poisons with optimism. There's a dog in it, after all.
In the end, I thought it was cute. I couldn't guess, between the suspects, which would turn out to be the killer. And I liked the budding romantic subplot. However, I also found it odd that Sierra and crew were able to go about investigating, as they did, with no push-back from the actual police for interfering. I also thought the ending felt rush. It wrapped up so fast, once the killer was revealed. Further, I feel like Dylan allowed the reader to care about them, there at the end, and then just abandoned them to their fate. I wanted to know what happened to them and to hope there was a somewhat happy ending for them in the future. (I've actually written one in my head for them.)
All in all, I enjoyed it well enough for being outside my normal genre comfort zone. But hey, I maybe got my wish. There were some maybe ghosts.
In the end, I thought it was cute. I couldn't guess, between the suspects, which would turn out to be the killer. And I liked the budding romantic subplot. However, I also found it odd that Sierra and crew were able to go about investigating, as they did, with no push-back from the actual police for interfering. I also thought the ending felt rush. It wrapped up so fast, once the killer was revealed. Further, I feel like Dylan allowed the reader to care about them, there at the end, and then just abandoned them to their fate. I wanted to know what happened to them and to hope there was a somewhat happy ending for them in the future. (I've actually written one in my head for them.)
All in all, I enjoyed it well enough for being outside my normal genre comfort zone. But hey, I maybe got my wish. There were some maybe ghosts.
May 22, 2025
Excellent cozy mystery! Well written with attention to details. Great cast of main character’s who support each other. Lots of suspects to choose from! I highly recommend this story.
March 10, 2023
I really enjoyed the first book in the Flower House Mystery series (Death in Bloom) and have been anxious to read this sequel. Spoiler alert: I loved it! Great setting, fun cast and the mystery was very captivating.
I love books where the protagonists owns and operates a floral shop. I like hearing about the flowers they select for orders, seeing them tend to the plants they grow in their own greenhouse and watching them create elaborate decorations for major events. Sierra and Denna are also expanding their shop to include a small cafe and I love this addition. Denna’s floral infused teas, salads and even cookies sounds absolutely delightful!
The reoccurring cast truly make this series fun. Sierra is a great lead and incredibly likeable. The sweet chemistry she has with Calvin is adorable. Denna is on my favorite sidekick list. She’s funny, she’s smart and she’s definitely flirting with a certain someone’s brother in this story. Richard and Granny both provided extra humor and great changes of scenery as we visited their homes. Gus, the cute corgi, is a character all on his own. Love how everyone helps take care of him!
This mystery had so many layers from the moment the murder was discovered. Curiosity over the reasoning the victim was targeted, plenty of highly suspicious suspects and even the uncovering of an illegal operation that was quite surprising. I honestly couldn’t pinpoint the culprit until the final reveal.
Looking forward the reading the next book and watching these characters develop with the series!
I love books where the protagonists owns and operates a floral shop. I like hearing about the flowers they select for orders, seeing them tend to the plants they grow in their own greenhouse and watching them create elaborate decorations for major events. Sierra and Denna are also expanding their shop to include a small cafe and I love this addition. Denna’s floral infused teas, salads and even cookies sounds absolutely delightful!
The reoccurring cast truly make this series fun. Sierra is a great lead and incredibly likeable. The sweet chemistry she has with Calvin is adorable. Denna is on my favorite sidekick list. She’s funny, she’s smart and she’s definitely flirting with a certain someone’s brother in this story. Richard and Granny both provided extra humor and great changes of scenery as we visited their homes. Gus, the cute corgi, is a character all on his own. Love how everyone helps take care of him!
This mystery had so many layers from the moment the murder was discovered. Curiosity over the reasoning the victim was targeted, plenty of highly suspicious suspects and even the uncovering of an illegal operation that was quite surprising. I honestly couldn’t pinpoint the culprit until the final reveal.
Looking forward the reading the next book and watching these characters develop with the series!
May 28, 2023
TSTL - seriously, you leave the safety of you friends to confront a killer in a dark “alley” 🙄🙄🙄 whyyyyyyyyy it’s not a bad book just so many TSTL moments.
October 7, 2021
Overall, I enjoyed this second book of a new series. The secondary cast is lovable (and I always love a corgi puppy), but I do find Sierra to be somewhat annoying with her attempts to “The Secret” her own good fortune. The mystery was compelling with enough suspects and motives, but the reveal was anticlimactic (with the murderer being one of the most obvious suspects). The ending was rushed and left some threads hanging, which were ultimately unsatisfying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2022
The first one in this series entertained me enough to want to continue with the series. The town seems cute, and the characters are likeable enough but it’s missing that something that keeps me wanting to know more. It wasn’t bad; the story kept my interest enough, but nothing wowed me or kept me engaged. I probably won’t continue with the series.
July 7, 2023
Enjoyable cozy, but the heroine almost crossed into TSTL territory a few too many times.
February 18, 2022
PETALS AND POISON by Jess Dylan
The Second Flower House Mystery
Sierra Ravenswood is finally feeling at home managing the Flower House and she wants to make it succeed. To that end she's adding a cafe and creating a window display filled with plants that bring good luck and abundance. When a van full of college kids pulls up, instead of lots of paying customers, Sierra gets nothing but trouble. The college professor in charge is haughty and her delivery driver is not the only one giving him looks that could kill. However, it wasn't looks, but rather blunt force trauma that killed the man, leaving him in Sierra's storeroom. When the police start looking closely at Calvin, Sierra knows she has to find the real killer.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to the Flower House and intend to go back and read the first book in the series while waiting to enjoy the third. Sierra is a fine protagonist with a great outlook on life. I especially love Granny and look forward to learn more folklore from her. The relationship between Sierra and her family is honest and funny, as well as loving. All of the characters are multi-dimensional, with tons of backstory that is slowly revealed. The set up had me invested in both the characters and the shop. If I lived in Aerieville I'd be looking for reasons to go to the Flower House!
I found the mystery intriguing and had an inkling for the motive behind the killing by one clue; a unique and fascinating reason. I appreciate the way Sierra looked into the crime and her desire to help her friend. Here's hoping that her friendship with Calvin will develop into something more.
PETALS AND POISON brings in the laws of attraction and Appalachian wisdom to enhance a clever mystery.
The Second Flower House Mystery
Sierra Ravenswood is finally feeling at home managing the Flower House and she wants to make it succeed. To that end she's adding a cafe and creating a window display filled with plants that bring good luck and abundance. When a van full of college kids pulls up, instead of lots of paying customers, Sierra gets nothing but trouble. The college professor in charge is haughty and her delivery driver is not the only one giving him looks that could kill. However, it wasn't looks, but rather blunt force trauma that killed the man, leaving him in Sierra's storeroom. When the police start looking closely at Calvin, Sierra knows she has to find the real killer.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to the Flower House and intend to go back and read the first book in the series while waiting to enjoy the third. Sierra is a fine protagonist with a great outlook on life. I especially love Granny and look forward to learn more folklore from her. The relationship between Sierra and her family is honest and funny, as well as loving. All of the characters are multi-dimensional, with tons of backstory that is slowly revealed. The set up had me invested in both the characters and the shop. If I lived in Aerieville I'd be looking for reasons to go to the Flower House!
I found the mystery intriguing and had an inkling for the motive behind the killing by one clue; a unique and fascinating reason. I appreciate the way Sierra looked into the crime and her desire to help her friend. Here's hoping that her friendship with Calvin will develop into something more.
PETALS AND POISON brings in the laws of attraction and Appalachian wisdom to enhance a clever mystery.
September 16, 2021
Petals and Poison by Jess Dylan is a great cozy mystery that is the second book in the wonderful A Flower House Mystery series. I really enjoyed this one.
I really liked the first book, Death in Bloom, so I knew I had to read the follow up. In this one, Sierra is trying to get her Flower House floral shop up and running when tragedy strikes and a potential customer is found deceased on the premises. Sierra, along with her crew, are determined to find the culprit so as to clear the name of her business before it ruins her chances at a second start.
I enjoyed the murder/mystery plot with several potential culprits present, the array of characters in the small Tennessee town, and of course I like Gus. Gotta love a cute Corgi.
I am really enjoying this series and am looking forward to the next book.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
I really liked the first book, Death in Bloom, so I knew I had to read the follow up. In this one, Sierra is trying to get her Flower House floral shop up and running when tragedy strikes and a potential customer is found deceased on the premises. Sierra, along with her crew, are determined to find the culprit so as to clear the name of her business before it ruins her chances at a second start.
I enjoyed the murder/mystery plot with several potential culprits present, the array of characters in the small Tennessee town, and of course I like Gus. Gotta love a cute Corgi.
I am really enjoying this series and am looking forward to the next book.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
September 29, 2021
PETALS AND POISON by Jess Dylan is the second entry in the cozy Flower House mystery series. When an unexpected group of students from the University of Tennessee show up to view the Flower House’s rare orchids, owner Sierra is caught off guard. Things go further south when the professor leading the tour is murdered on the premises. And her (maybe more than) friend Calvin is the prime suspect.
Although this is only the second book in the series, it has a comfortable, easy, Southern charm vibe. Sierra, her adorable Corgi pup, Gus, her bestie Deena, and her family, including her wise Granny all feel like friends that I’m ready to sit on a porch swing with over some sweet tea and pansy cookies. Granny, with her superstitions and folklore, is so much fun. And I love that Deena and Sierra’s brother Rocky might have a budding romance.
The mystery was well paced with several suspects, a variety of motives, two tense closet scenes, and a couple of great twists that kept me guessing until that final reveal.
This is a fun, charming, gentle read. Perfect reading while you’re cozied up in a warm blanket and a hot beverage.
Although this is only the second book in the series, it has a comfortable, easy, Southern charm vibe. Sierra, her adorable Corgi pup, Gus, her bestie Deena, and her family, including her wise Granny all feel like friends that I’m ready to sit on a porch swing with over some sweet tea and pansy cookies. Granny, with her superstitions and folklore, is so much fun. And I love that Deena and Sierra’s brother Rocky might have a budding romance.
The mystery was well paced with several suspects, a variety of motives, two tense closet scenes, and a couple of great twists that kept me guessing until that final reveal.
This is a fun, charming, gentle read. Perfect reading while you’re cozied up in a warm blanket and a hot beverage.
November 25, 2021
After enjoying the first in this cozy Southern I was glad to read this second entry and like even more than the first. Sierra is getting used to running The Flower House, being doggie mom to her little Corgi, Gus and developing a relationship with Calvin, one that might become more than simple friendship?
The space behind the shop has a greenhouse and it houses a rare orchid. When a University professor shows up with his class to view the orchid things go sideways and he ends up dead in the greenhouse. Not the first time death has visited The Flower Shop and Sierra has to, once again, start investigating the murder. Add to her situation, Calvin finds himself as the prime suspect and she knows he isn't a killer. So, who is the real killer?
This is a very comfortable and entertaining mystery, well plotted with an easy writing style. The setting of a small town in Tennessee and the returning characters were great but what made me really want to set a spell was her Granny, a wise woman with a big heart. Gus the Corgi is great, too.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
The space behind the shop has a greenhouse and it houses a rare orchid. When a University professor shows up with his class to view the orchid things go sideways and he ends up dead in the greenhouse. Not the first time death has visited The Flower Shop and Sierra has to, once again, start investigating the murder. Add to her situation, Calvin finds himself as the prime suspect and she knows he isn't a killer. So, who is the real killer?
This is a very comfortable and entertaining mystery, well plotted with an easy writing style. The setting of a small town in Tennessee and the returning characters were great but what made me really want to set a spell was her Granny, a wise woman with a big heart. Gus the Corgi is great, too.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 23, 2022
I was eager to read this before the third one comes out this week, so I just made it. I was glad I read it and didn't just rely on catching up in the third book because it was fun to read about Sierra and Calvin kinda exploring their relationship and doing a little sleuthing together. The sleuthing was the super fun part especially when they were almost caught!
I knew there was no way either of them were gonna go down for the murder of a professor who just happened to be someone who wronged Calvin when he was an adjunct at UT. Sierra had her eye on a group of sneaky students from the professor's summer botany trip. I was never sure until the reveal exactly whodunit, although I had a general idea.
A fun little side story had Granny's friend Wanda claiming her husband's ghost had talked to her and told her to find something. It warmed Sierra's heart when she was able to help her even though Sierra didn't put any stock in ghost stories or her Granny's superstitions, well not much lol.
Can't wait to dig into the next book now that I'm reacquainted with and know even more about our key players!
I knew there was no way either of them were gonna go down for the murder of a professor who just happened to be someone who wronged Calvin when he was an adjunct at UT. Sierra had her eye on a group of sneaky students from the professor's summer botany trip. I was never sure until the reveal exactly whodunit, although I had a general idea.
A fun little side story had Granny's friend Wanda claiming her husband's ghost had talked to her and told her to find something. It warmed Sierra's heart when she was able to help her even though Sierra didn't put any stock in ghost stories or her Granny's superstitions, well not much lol.
Can't wait to dig into the next book now that I'm reacquainted with and know even more about our key players!
April 27, 2025
I don't absolutely love the Flower House series, but there's enough that I like about it to keep me coming back for more. The flower shop setting is fun. I know very little about flowers, so it's enjoyable to learn more about them. Even though there's nothing really fresh or memorable about them, Sierra and her friends are likable characters. I don't feel a lot of spark between Sierra and Calvin, but their budding romance is sweet. The plot in PETALS AND POISON had enough going on to keep me interested. There's a small pool of suspects, so although I wasn't able to pick out which one was the actual murderer, I wasn't surprised by their identity. Overall, then, I enjoyed this book and plan to read on in the series.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for violence
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for violence
December 8, 2021
I enjoyed reading Petals and Poison, the second book in the Flower House Mystery series by Jess Dylan. In this book, our main character Sierra is getting ready to open her cafe featuring edible flowers. When someone is found dead in her Flower shop, she and her friends work together to figure out who the killer is.
It's fun to read about Sierra and her friendship with Deena. Sierra has such a sweet relationship with her Granny, who is an herbalist. She is also getting to learn more about Calvin, who lives in an apartment above the Flower shop and works with her.
I think the Mystery was good in that there were several who could've been the killer. I look forward to reading more books in the series!
It's fun to read about Sierra and her friendship with Deena. Sierra has such a sweet relationship with her Granny, who is an herbalist. She is also getting to learn more about Calvin, who lives in an apartment above the Flower shop and works with her.
I think the Mystery was good in that there were several who could've been the killer. I look forward to reading more books in the series!
January 22, 2022
4 Stars!
Sierra Ravenswood (protagonist), is owner of the Flower House floral shop. Sierra, along with her assistant/best friend Deena Lee are preparing for the shop's cafe grand opening. College students, along with their professor, arrive at the Flower House on a horticulture field trip.
Things are starting to look up for the shop, until the professor is found dead in Flower House's storeroom. To save her shop's business, Sierra takes up the case.
The characters and story was a wonderful read. This book can be read as a standalone. But I also recommend checking out the first book, Death in Bloom as well. The cover art is pleasantly floral and keeps to the theme of the series and book title.
My thanks to St. Martin's Paperbacks for a copy of this book for my review.
Sierra Ravenswood (protagonist), is owner of the Flower House floral shop. Sierra, along with her assistant/best friend Deena Lee are preparing for the shop's cafe grand opening. College students, along with their professor, arrive at the Flower House on a horticulture field trip.
Things are starting to look up for the shop, until the professor is found dead in Flower House's storeroom. To save her shop's business, Sierra takes up the case.
The characters and story was a wonderful read. This book can be read as a standalone. But I also recommend checking out the first book, Death in Bloom as well. The cover art is pleasantly floral and keeps to the theme of the series and book title.
My thanks to St. Martin's Paperbacks for a copy of this book for my review.
February 20, 2022
I enjoyed book one of this series so much so I was very eager to read more. I’m happy to report that book two is just as strong, if not even better! Sierra is still getting used to owning her business so the last thing she needs is another murder happening there. I really enjoy Sierra as a lead & her friendships with Calvin & Deena are delightful. The author does a really adept job of creating relatable characters, I feel as though I’ve read many books about them as opposed to only two. The mystery itself is well handled, there’s the right amount of suspects, secrets & motives to keep you guessing. This series is happily turning out to be a solid & fun one to have gotten in to. I’ll definitely be reading the next book, out later this year.
December 1, 2021
This is a nice cozy mystery that will teach a bit about flowers and their many good and bad uses. I liked the characters and look forward to knowing more about the main characters. This is the second book in the series and I recommend reading the first book to know a little more about each character. This had an interesting murder and it was fun seeing how Sierra finally figures out the killer and the motive. I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see how the cafe and the flower shop come along. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
May 28, 2024
Petals and Poison is the 2nd book in A Flower House Mystery series by Jess Dylan and it is a good addition to the series. The characters are likable and the cozy mystery was good. Sierra Ravenswood owns a flower shop. A college group stops by for a break on a road trip. One of the members ends up dead. The suspects include some of the college students, a local lady and Sierra’s coworker and friend Calvin. The story moves along at a good pace for the most part. I guessed the culprit but wasn’t sure as there are other things going on as well. This was an enjoyable cozy mystery. #PetalsAndPoison #AFlowerHouseMystery
November 22, 2025
Really 3.5 ⭐️. It really didn’t take me that long to finish, I just had paused the book for more Halloween themed reads in Oct. Another very good read about the Flower House floral shop that Sierra ended up becoming the proprietor of in the last book. This one gave us a lot of backstory for Calvin and why he ended up in Aerieville and how he was connected to the murdered Professor. It was good to see how Sierra’s family and friends rally around her to help clear Calvin’s name and turn around Flower House’s macabre reputation. As a side note, I just picture Rocky as Sean Astin in “50 First Dates”, I don’t know why but that’s what my brain has decided.
November 6, 2021
Sierra's settled in as owner of the Flower House and to life with Gus the Corgi. An effort to bring more clients in leads to an unusual problem in the back room of the shop- a professor who has brought students to see a rare orchid is murdered there! Sierra has to investigate because, well, she's a cozy heroine and her love interest Calvin is a suspect. Luckily, she's got good friends and a lively family (I'm a fan of Granny). The mystery isn't too complicated, the storytelling is good, and you will root for everyone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one.
November 6, 2021
Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for an advance e-galley for honest review.
3.5-4 stars. The author has done a really great job setting up the setting and characters in this series- readers can really feel the summer heat and I feel that we are getting a good sense of the community with this one. It's got a lot of Southern small town charm, aiding in the rumor mill and everybody knows everybody quirks that fuel the story. The ending wraps up a bit too conveniently- even for a cozy - but the journey was enjoyable.
3.5-4 stars. The author has done a really great job setting up the setting and characters in this series- readers can really feel the summer heat and I feel that we are getting a good sense of the community with this one. It's got a lot of Southern small town charm, aiding in the rumor mill and everybody knows everybody quirks that fuel the story. The ending wraps up a bit too conveniently- even for a cozy - but the journey was enjoyable.
November 29, 2021
Thank you to @this_is_edelweiss and @stmartinspress for an early review copy of this book. I read the first book earlier this year and was curious to read the second.
I enjoyed this book! I thought the style was consistent and natural. This is definitely a cute, upbeat cozy mystery, full of sweet friendships and even a potential romantic relationship. The heroine is very positive and I enjoy hearing her plans for her flower shop. Hopefully the next murder won’t happen in her shop because that can’t be good for business.
I thought the unfolding of the clues and the mystery as the characters investigated worked well. I sometimes shook my head at the main character’s decisions, but at least she often has a team of friends to help her. One thing that surprised me was the lack of police presence. Someone showed up a couple times when called, but the main character hardly interacted with the lead detective.
This is the right cozy for you if you want happy, fun, and sweet. The series has a little bit of very innocent romance and a lot a bit of gorgeous and interesting floral details. It also has encouraging messages like when one door closes, another opens, and when we bring positive energy to the world, positive energy will come back to us, even if it’s not in the way we expected. Perfect when you need a relaxing pick-me-up.
I enjoyed this book! I thought the style was consistent and natural. This is definitely a cute, upbeat cozy mystery, full of sweet friendships and even a potential romantic relationship. The heroine is very positive and I enjoy hearing her plans for her flower shop. Hopefully the next murder won’t happen in her shop because that can’t be good for business.
I thought the unfolding of the clues and the mystery as the characters investigated worked well. I sometimes shook my head at the main character’s decisions, but at least she often has a team of friends to help her. One thing that surprised me was the lack of police presence. Someone showed up a couple times when called, but the main character hardly interacted with the lead detective.
This is the right cozy for you if you want happy, fun, and sweet. The series has a little bit of very innocent romance and a lot a bit of gorgeous and interesting floral details. It also has encouraging messages like when one door closes, another opens, and when we bring positive energy to the world, positive energy will come back to us, even if it’s not in the way we expected. Perfect when you need a relaxing pick-me-up.
December 10, 2021
Petals and Poison is the second in the Flower House mysteries. Sierra Ravenswood has taken over the Flower House, a flower shop in her hometown of Aerieville, Tennessee. Also becoming the owner of Gus the Corgi, who also belonged to her former boss. In this adventure, Sierra is hosting a group of horticultural students from the University of Tennessee. Their chaperone instructor Professor Lowery is found dead and believed to have been poisoned. Sierra's shop is targeted and orders for arrangements begin to drop, as the media dubs it the Poison House.
February 24, 2022
Sierra, Calvin, and Deena are thrust into a murder investigation when Professor Lowry's field trip to the Flower House leads to finding his body in their storeroom. With the opening of the Flower House's Cafe postponed, the 3 start 'helping' with the investigation uncovering some nasty undertakings the professor was involve in - illegal poppy tea, blackmail, buying grades, etc. Will Sierra unmask the murderer before she herself is arrested for the crime?
June 26, 2023
This is a fun book with a likable main group that is reminiscent of the Scooby gang (they even have a dog, albeit a corgi). I find that Sierra is a little ditzy and tends to jump to conclusions but she has a good heart and a positive life outlook that give the book the upbeat vibe. The mystery was OK and the red herrings were not too many (most thrown in by Sierra and her unsubstantiated conclusions) so overall I enjoyed the book and recommend it for persons who like a good cozy mystery.
September 8, 2022
I won this book on Goodreads and really enjoyed it. Sierra is running the flower shop and it needs more customers so she puts up a new display. The next day a college group comes in and all is well until the professor is found dead in the storeroom. Sierra is afraid for her business and being blamed.
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