Into the Fire

Shade Grown by Heather Day Gilbert is Book 8 in The Barks & Beans Cafe Mystery Series. 

It's the annual Lewiston home and garden tour and Macy and her former DEA-coffee executive-now Mayor-brother Bo are attending the tour together. One of the new places on the tour is the home being renovated by famous movie star Cody Franklin. Although because of the ongoing renovations the home itself is not available for viewing, the lush garden area around the house is on the tour. As Macy walks over to the Memorial Shade Garden where a plaque honoring a Civil War soldier stands, she admires beautiful Hosta plants laid out behind it. However, upon closer inspection, Macy discovers that's not all that's laid out behind it. She quickly summons her brother, and he immediately goes into investigator mode telling Macy to call Detective Charlie Hatcher.  

With a cast of characters worthy of a movie, the plot thickens as they say, and the quiet behind the scenes investigation that Macy conducts apparently warrants some scare tactics used by a drug dealer that hasn't been seen in Lewiston for some time. Between a without-remorse career manager, a somewhat suspicious (to Bo) half-sister, who by Hollywood standards – or lack thereof – has something to gain, possible drug deals, and some unknown history that isn't available until there's yet another murder and a book that leads to, and ultimately reveals, the shocking solution to the mysterious deaths. 

This is a good cozy mystery with all the right elements. I especially liked the recurrence of the elusive cold-blooded killer from Bo's past continuing to remain somewhat in the background. Heather writes good series' stories with returning characters and their relationships and contributions to the storylines making readers feel connected to them and their individual purposes. 

You'll want to start at the beginning of this series for the full benefit and background, but each one can stand on its own. Well done, Heather.  

Father, you know each author's heart from the inside out. Please direct Heather to the next story you have just for her to tell. Bless her and her family as only you can do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.