There’s an old joke that goes like this: “If April showers bring May flowers, what do Mayflowers bring?”

Answer: Pilgrims

Cute, right? Like all jokes, it’s the surprise twist that makes it funny. Only the joke was on me recently when April flowers brought an unexpected shower of another sort: in the form of mystery, mayhem, and murder.

See, I was working part-time for a florist in a converted Victorian called Flower House. This was in my hometown of Aerieville, located in the shadow of the Appalachian Mountains in Eastern Tennessee. In my mind, this was a temporary gig while I saved money and figured out how to restart my dream career as a singer-songwriter. Then my eccentric boss decided to retire and head west—leaving his shop to me! I wound up with his young dog too, a corgi named Gus. Talk about responsibility.

Previously, I’d start my days lingering over a cup of coffee and scribbling away in my vision journal in the artsy café on the square. Now I begin the day walking the dog and opening the flower shop. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not complaining. I prefer to look on the bright side of things, and what’s brighter than fresh flowers and a cute puppy?

Then came the surprise twist.

I was teaching a flower-arranging class at the shop—my first one, mind you—when something went seriously haywire at the snack table. I don’t even know what happened. There were raised voices, cross words, spilled food… and then a man collapsed. Come to find out, he’d been poisoned. And, just like that, some folks started referring to Flower House as “Murder House.” Not exactly the image I wanted to project.

Unfortunately, that was only the beginning. As if the untimely death of a customer wasn’t bad enough, it was soon followed by a threatening note, a break-in, and suspicions galore. On top of that, I had to figure out what to do with the shop and contend with the sudden appearance of a stranger—a guy named Calvin, who showed up with a signed lease for the apartment above the store. At least he was friendly and helpful, if a little evasive.

It’s kind of ironic, in a way, that so much trouble should come into my life at once. I always make a point of focusing on the positive in order to attract more of the same. For me, gratitude, affirmations, and optimism are a way of life. My granny would say I must’ve done something to invite bad luck—broken a mirror or crossed the path of a black cat, maybe. But I don’t believe in the old superstitions like she does. At least, not usually.

Regardless of the cause, I try to make the best of things. In between arranging flowers, running a business, and looking after Gus, I’ve made time to look for clues and try to solve this mystery. Because I also believe in taking matters into my own hands. We can’t always help what happens to us, but at least we can control what we do with what we have.

And sometimes, when danger lurks, we may not have a choice.

Death in Bloom, A Flower House Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: May 2021
Purchase Link

At the Flower House, every rose has its thorn . . .

Sierra Ravenswood is the new part-time employee of the Flower House, a flower shop in Aerieville, Tennessee. It’s true she didn’t expect to be back in her hometown at twenty-eight-years-old, but after her dream of making it as a singer in Nashville crashed and burned, she’s just grateful to have found a soft place to land.

Because, after all, Sierra firmly believes in being optimistic and positive about life, so she’s sure she won’t have to work at the Flower House forever. But things take a decidedly negative turn when a customer drops dead in the middle of her new bouquet-arranging workshop at the store. When it’s discovered he was poisoned by a snack at the event, everyone at the workshop, including Sierra, is on the suspect list. To make matters worse, her boss has gone AWOL and left the store to her for the cost of one dollar, leaving Sierra in charge of both his store and his high-energy Corgi puppy, Gus.

The town is on edge, and Sierra knows that murder is something that an upbeat attitude and a bouquet of sweet-smelling roses can’t fix. She’s determined to figure out whodunit, before anyone else in town meets an untimely reason for needing funeral flowers.

About the Author
Jess Dylan is an environmental attorney by day and author by night. As Jennifer David Hesse, she wrote the Wiccan Wheel Mysteries, a cozy series with Kensington Publishing. Born and raised in Central Illinois, Jess now makes her home in Chicago with her musician husband, college-bound teen, and high-spirited corgi. In her spare time, Jess enjoys yoga, hiking, reading, and movie night with her family. You can visit Jess online at jessdylan.com.

All comments are welcomed.