Hi, there. I’m Meaghan Brownie, best friend of Courtney Kelly who is the owner of Open Your Imagination, a fairy garden shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, a beautiful village on the coast of California. What’s a fairy garden? It’s a whimsical miniature garden that tells a story, complete with plants—living or faux—and decked out with structures like fairy houses or castles or huts, as well as swings and slides and whatever suits your fancy.

But I’m not here to talk about my pal or fairy gardens. I’m here to tell you about a day in my life at Flair Gallery, a high-end art gallery in Carmel. Have you ever been to an art gallery? If so, then you know there are many artists represented. My partner Ziggy and I feature local artists, and let me just say we have a few egos that need stroking. I’m pretty good at coddling our artists, Ziggy not so much. As an amateur artist, I know a thing or two about how an artist feels about his or her work. We can get wrapped up in believing it’s the best thing since home-baked brownies, and we want the world to shout our praises.

But that doesn’t make an artist easy to handle.

Case in point, a wealthy dowager in town is throwing a big soiree to raise money for the theater foundation. At the tea, she’ll display art from all sorts of artists. Two male artists, in particular, are her favorites. Fair warning: there is no love lost between the two. Why? Because of little old me. Well, not because of me. I did not tease or cajole or flirt. But both have their sights set on me. This might sound like a bit of a soap opera, but believe me, I want nothing to do with either one. Nothing. FYI, I have done everything I can to dissuade them from taking an interest in me.
But what’s a girl to do?

I’ve asked Courtney for advice. She and her sleuth fairy, Fiona, have come up with some clever solutions. Even my own fairy—well, Calliope isn’t mine, per se, she resides in the garden outside my cottage—has come to my defense on an occasion or two.

Who are these ardent artists? One is my ex-boyfriend who moved out of town in a huff and has just returned with his fabled temper intact. He creates beautiful, emotional seascapes. The other artist, who paints extraordinary miniatures, is sort of shy. Until he runs into my ex. And then, hoo-boy, sparks fly. It is not my idea of a good time, but I can adapt as well as anyone. And so I will. I’ll dust myself off, speak my mind, and cater to my artists as best I know how without giving either of them any encouragement. Easy-peasy, right?

In the meantime, I’ve got a hankering for a home-baked brownie. Don’t you?

A Flicker of a Doubt, A Fairy Garden Mystery Book #4
Genre: Cozy
Release: March 2023
Format: Print and Digital
Purchase Link

Fairies are trending hard, especially when it comes to fairy garden décor in Walmart and Target and on Amazon. The latest installment in the nationally bestselling Daryl Wood Gerber’s Fairy Garden mysteries is a perfect read for Laura Childs readers and all fans of whimsy and charm.

With a theater foundation tea and an art show planned at Violet Vickers’s estate, Courtney is hired to create charming fairy gardens for the event. It’s not so charming, however, when her best friend Meaghan’s ex-boyfriend turns out to be Violet’s latest artistic protégé. Even worse, not long after Meaghan locks horns with him, his body is found in her yard, bludgeoned with an objet d’murder.

There’s a gallery of suspects, from an unstable former flame to an arts and crafts teacher with a sketchy past. But when the cops focus on Meaghan’s business partner, who’s like a protective older brother to her, and discover he also has a secret financial motive, Courtney decides to draw her own conclusions. Fearing they’re missing the forest for the trees, and with some help from Fiona the sleuthing fairy, she hopes to make them see the light . . .

About the author
Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling mysteries, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries, Cookbook Nook Mysteries, and French Bistro Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels and short stories. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, fairy garden, and read. She has a frisky Goldendoodle who keeps her in line. And she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website at darylwoodgerber.com.

All comments are welcomed.