I swear that gardener, Casey Calhoun, must have some kind of sixth sense when it comes to sniffing out mysteries. I’m a master at the craft of espionage. I’ve brought down world leaders, destroyed crime lords, and no one—not even fellow spies—has ever suspected an outside force was responsible for these deeds.
I moved from country to country, from high-level position to high-level position like an avenging wraith. Always five steps ahead of my adversaries, I never worried about being discovered.
Until the day I met Casey.
Oh, she looks so innocent as she works her way through the gardens wearing that silly oversized straw hat with the floppy rim. More often than not, her clothes are stained with garden soil. She acts as if she thinks of nothing but the flowers and trees under her care, but I’d heard about how in the past she’d caught murderers.
While those stories of her past adventures were impressive, I wasn’t worried that she’d notice anything about me. I’m a professional, an expert at NOT getting caught.
So how is it that this simple gardener, who can’t even keep the President’s dog from mangling the South Lawn, is on the verge of outsmarting one of the smartest spies to have ever lived? She keeps giving me these sidelong looks and asking questions that she shouldn’t even think to be asking. About me!
She’s turning me into a nervous wreck. I’m starting to pull my hair out!
If I’m not careful, everyone will know who I am. No matter what, that can’t happen. It would ruin everything I’d worked so hard to accomplish! Plus, if I fail, I’d surely become the butt of jokes in the spy community. I can’t let that happen to ME! I didn’t work all these years to become a legend among legends in this cutthroat business to let a gardener ruin me!
What’s a self-respecting spy like myself supposed to do? Scare her? Silence her? Kill her?
OAK AND DAGGER
(Book #3 in the White House Gardener Mysteries – April 2, 2013)A Spy in the White House Gardens?
Stolen documents, death threats, mysterious holes in the South Lawn, and now a dead body in the garden! The evidence for the murder points to Gordon Sims, beloved White House chief gardener.
White House organic gardener Casey Calhoun, with the help of Special Agent Jack Turner, works to clear Gordon’s name. Soon Casey finds herself in a deadly race against time to discover the link between the missing stolen papers, the holes in the lawn, and a rumored 200-year-old treasure—before the killer strikes again…
Dorothy is giving away an official White House Historical Association bookmark and a White House Easter Egg. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. The items will be shipped directly from the author. Contest ends April 20 and US entries only.
Don’t miss Casey’s others misadventures in the White House gardens. The first two books in the White House Gardener mystery series, Flowerbed of State and The Scarlet Pepper, are available now from Berkley Prime Crime.
Meet the Author
Mystery author and Master Gardener Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, two crazy dogs, and fluffy cat. An environmental urban planner by profession and wildlife biologist by education, she gave up her day job to devote her time to writing in 2001. She writes mysteries, romantic adventure fiction, Regency romances, and short stories. You can read more about Dorothy’s books at www.DorothyStJames.com , on Twitter or on Facebook.
Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
Sounds like a great series. I must find Flowerbed of State to start with. Dee
A good series and a neat giveaway ! Would love to win!
Great series! Funny and enjoyable!
oh please enter me for this giveaway!!!!! thank you!!!
Thank you for the chance to win these awesome prizes. I would love to add them to my collection.
I love books featuring gardens AND political intrigue. I’d love to win!
I loved the first 2 books in the series and look forward to reading this one. Thanks for the chance to win.
what a great prize!
This is a great series. Can’t wait to read Oak and Dagger. Great contest.
Love the series – can’t wait for the next book Thanks for the chance to win.
Seems like great fun! I’d love to read this one!
I think I know what books I’m looking into next time I go to the book store. This sounds great.
I like the cover! This is a series I’m unfamiliar with by an author I’m equally unfamiliar with. In other words, discovery of a new series and author for my TBR list. Thank!
We could use a master gardener here at our complex. We’re pretty much amateurs but we get a little fun out of getting dirty. I’ve planted kale and swiss chard new this year.
Good play-on-words title. Pretty cover. Eager to see if we get too “political” and happy to see a new series (to me) where I don’t have to round up the first 16. I like to start my series at the beginning 🙂
All the best, Dorothy, and since I’ll probably never get to Washington D.C., thanks for the chance to win an egg and find out some things about the White House garden. judydee22002@yahoo dot com
What a wonderful giveaway. I would love to win these special prizes.
6186pep(at)msn(dot)com
Sounds like a great story!
I enjoy this series and have been looking forward to Oak and Dagger. What an incredible giveaway.
Enjoyed Flowerbed of State and look forward to more of a series in which a simple gardener thwarts the master.
Please enter me for this giveaway.
D.C. is one of my favorite cities. This sounds like a super mystery series. Thanks for the review and the incentive to add it to my book list!
This is a wonderful series!
Sounds like a great mystery read. And the prizes are beautiful.
Thanks.
Thanks Dorothy for telling us about the spy.
Contest is closed, but comments are always welcome