The Shy Tulip Murders

Rating:
Summary: My favorite so far!
Review: I was delighted when I found the Claire Sharples series-science, environmentalism and mystery all in one book! Rothenberg seems to get better with each new title, and I especially enjoyed this latest. I enjoyed the emotional roller-coaster Claire is dealing with, along with some pretty sharp(and often funny) characterizations. The setting and the plot twists all meshed together quite well. Read all three, then wait for more.

Rating:
Summary: A plant pathologist saves the day.
Review: The Shy Tulip Murders are part of the subgenre of mystery where the reader learns about the profession of the amateur detective at the same time that the detective is learning about the case. The hook of these kinds of books lies in the discovery of how the particular career lends itself to solving the mystery.

So far, I have seen books that feature book shop owners, actors, security guards, caterers, hoteliers and many many other professions. I have to admit that a plant pathologist would have never occurred to me as a possible protagonist. However, it works reasonably well-- Round Up and rare flowers are built into the story nearly seamlessly and the effect is a well-written and cozy read.

The plot is stretched a little thin in some places, and the tension between the environmentalists and loggers felt too large and complicated to be squashed into the limitations of the cozy detective novel. The protagonist herself is suitably spunky, and Rothenberg does a good job of making me curious about her-- almost curious enough to invest in another installment even though this definitely is not my kind of mystery novel.

This book should appeal to cozy detective fans. Extra points for you if you also happen to be or know a botanist!